The Hamilton neighbourhood is one of Richmond’s fastest growing communities. The library has been offering one-day library service to the Hamilton community since 2007 at the Hamilton Community Centre. Over the last 18 months, library staff have been connecting with Hamilton residents in various locations. Through these community conversations, we heard that one day service was not enough; prompting staff to seek out innovative new ways to meet Hamilton’s reading needs. Residents also identified a desire for innovative library services to be more readily available.
Now, thanks to the generous funding support from Richmond City Council, the library’s new self-serve book dispenser will ensure that Hamilton residents of all ages have access to popular library collections, seven days a week.
Purchased fr
om Convergent Library Technologies, the dispenser encourages easy access to a browsing collection of materials. Its door is sturdy with transparent panels that allow library customers to easily view what’s inside. All materials are RFID tagged. To use the dispenser, customers insert their Richmond Public Library card and follow the prompts on the screen. During the introductory phase, customers may borrow up to 20 books which are automatically checked out once the door is closed. All items can be borrowed for 21 days and can be returned directly to the dispenser.
There are over 100 books in the dispenser for members to choose from. Library staff regularly re-stock books in the dispenser and available materials include a great selection of the newest kids, teens and adult titles. The book dispenser is conveniently accessible during Community Centre hours, 7 days a week.
The Hamilton Book dispenser was launched to the public on Wednesday, September 19th, by Mayor Malcolm Brodie and members of Richmond City Council, plus library and Board representatives and local community members. Appreciation of this new library service has come from Hamilton residents of all ages. “I encourage my Hamilton neighbors to check out the dispenser,” says Pauline Streckos, a long-time Hamilton community member and avid library user. “It’s filled with a wide variety of reading material, offering more choices, more often.”
Questions?
If you have any questions, please connect with Anne Bechard, Manager of Community Engagement. She can be reached at [email protected].
Susan Walters is the Chief Librarian at Richmond Public Library.
