What is Self Service?

Self service in Libraries will mean that users will have a choice of issuing and returning their items via a kiosk, similar to the unit to the right, or via library staff if they wish. The process is quick and very easy to use with guidance videos to assist users with each transaction.

Lancashire County Library and Information Service - Self Service Project

The Lancashire County Library and Information Service is part of the Adult and Community Services Directorate of Lancashire County Council.

There are currently 74 static libraries in Lancashire and 12 mobile libraries. Every service point gives access to the range of services provided by the Library and acts as a link to the national library network. All libraries provide a core service including the loan of books and audio-visual materials and access to information. Larger libraries provide a range of additional and more specialised services but standard levels of service are now delivered via the library website and online reference library.

Lancashire’s Library Management System, Talis, serves all County Libraries and incorporates the libraries of other agencies including Myerscough College, and six Prisons.

The total stock is approximately four million items, with issues of approximately ten million per annum. Online facilities allowing users to access their account and renew items on loan are available through the Talis Prism Opac. The automated telephone service, TalisMessage, is also well used, and there are self-service booking kiosk units at a number of libraries linked to Lorensbergs’ Netloan system for booking People’s Network (public access) PCs. There are currently no active self-service workstations installed anywhere in our libraries.

All stock is bar-coded and the 650,000 registered users each have a library card with a bar-code. All adult stock has an EM Security tag inserted and a number of libraries have security systems based on these tags. Approximately 220,000 new items of stock are added each year and the stock is circulated regularly between libraries either by request – 240,000 requests are taken annually – or by stock rotation.

Lancashire Libraries are about to install Self Service units in 6 libraries across the County to give the citizens of Lancashire greater flexibility of services. The sites receiving these units will be Nelson, Chorley, Poulton, Skelmersdale, Haslingden and Morecambe.