Tainan Public Library: From “book warehouse” to “cultural learning center” for community

Tainan Public Library, one of the largest library systems in Taiwan, encompasses 45 branches and 2 bookmobiles, offering 1.8 million people an extensive book collection. Tainan citizens are the real book lover, more than 8.12 million are lent out each year and the circulation rate keeps growing every year. As a future-oriented library system, they are looking for a new way to identify the value of the library service, in addition to promoting reading habits, by turning the library into a cultural learning center for the community.

An RFID Implementation Roadmap
In 2015, Tainan Public Library North District branch executed a pilot project with MiTAC by converting the children reading room’s twenty thousand collections to RFID, to offer a more simple and streamlined service. Every visited children and parent impressed by this pilot project a lot. RFID at the children reading room was just was the beginning. That installation provided a roadmap for the other branches. The North District branch and Yancheng branch upgraded to RFID completely within a year.
A 4-bin auto sorter was also included as part of the renovation project for the North District branch. Initially, finding the perfect spot to house the sorter presented a problem, as the backroom space is too small for a standard 4-bin sorter. Thus, MiTAC product team devise a customized unique solution that helping the library resolve the space issues, by configured the standard sorter into a two-way wheel sorter to ensure the sorter would not interrupt the traffic flow in the service counter.
The installation of self-service kiosks and an auto sorter free up the library staffs’ time so that they can create and deliver services rather than concentrating on backroom busy repetitive works.

A new building deserves new technology
In January 2021, Tainan city celebrated the grand opening of a new main public library in Yongkang district. The new main library was part of Tainan municipal’s five-year plan, aims to offer much more than loan materials; to function as the community’s cultural learning hub – a spot to meet, to play, learn to use high-tech tool; to meet the changing needs of the community.

To develop the library as a learning hub, the library offers multiple tech-tool teaching courses and other reading programs. Where do they find the time? Tainan New Main Public Library uses MiTAC’s self-service solution to free up staff to deliver these important services.

Using RFID technology, customers are now able to borrow multiple items at once – no need to scan each item one by one. Also, self-service station features pretty and intuitive touchscreen displays that speeding up the check-out process, even for first-time users. In addition, MiTAC product team customized two kids’ self-service stations based on the image of the Public Library’s mascot “Froggy”. The height of station’s touchscreen is located no higher than 100 cm from ground level to provide easy access for kids to use. Its round and lively appearance attracting kids to use it. It not only encouraging kids to read more but also gives kids opportunities to get in touch with tech-tool and self-service machine from an early age.

Over and above self-service station, the largest 24-hour self-service area in Taiwan has been introduced at the library, where contains a two-way 13-bin auto sorter for returns and a gigantic automatic machine (24H self-checkout station) for holds pickup. Currently, the auto sorter process around 21,000 returns per month; the automatic bookshelf handles 8,462 holds pickup in the first three months. Many patrons take advantage of this self-service area, picking up new titles instantly after they returned borrowed items.

Automation, Flexible, and Convenient 
The self-service station and area are certainly popular with patrons, but MiTAC’s iReserve – Seat & Room Management System, though less noticeable, also saves staff a significant amount of time and is no longer chained to service desks.
The previous facility reservation service model is labor-intensive for staff. Taking phone calls for reservations, logging in to the reservation system, setting up an appointment, and sending appointment reminder emails can easily take ten minutes per patron.
The iReserve system is highly customizable, allowing staff to hold multiple seats or rooms; arrange checkerboard seating for events, saving considerable time and effort. Beyond support libraries to define the usage rule, iReserve gives libraries insight into the booking behavior and traffic patterns, empowers libraries to make data-driven decisions for future library and budget arrangements.

Unlike other reservation systems, MiTAC’s iReserve, not only encourages patrons to place reservation from their smartphone or computer but also allow patrons to pick the preferable seat that fulfills their needs. In the first three months after opening, over ten thousand reservations were made for discussion rooms, audio-visual areas, and personal PCs. The result was splendid.

Excellent Customer Service fueled by Excellent Self-Service
Since the opening, the library already offers countless programs and reading sessions, but they have many more offerings in the works. Plans include using the library’s in-house exhibitions to host school groups, inviting local arts organizations to perform in the theater, and giving classes in the maker space.

The new Tainan Public Main Library is already successful. As time goes on, it hopes to act as a role model of using technology to increase staff efficiency and provide superior service to the community. To learn more about the library: