Shenzhen Automated Library: Making Library Visits Easier and More Convenient

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Shenzhen, one of China’s cities, has recently been making it big globally.  They have recently been making headlines due to the launching of their Shenzhen Automated Library.  This aims to make borrowing and returning of library books easier and more convenient.  You do not even have to go to the library anymore. This is a much-talked about invention because no one has ever made technological innovations with regards to something that has been a part of our lives for a long time such as the library.  

 The initiative of the Integrated Library Automation System or ILAS has created a system that enables the checkout and return of books from the city’s library through machines in different parts of Shenzhen where an automated library is installed. The machine can hold up to 400 different books.  It works by having a glass display window where the books are being displayed on a three-layer conveyor belt to enable the reader to select the books they would want to borrow.  It also consists of another box that holds returned books.  The machine has a computer wherein the reader can search for the book they want to borrow and for information pertaining to the book itself.  It can even issue library cards in as fast as 16 seconds. The machine can lend books, CDs, and videos. This is surely a one-stop shop for every reader who prefers to have a hassle-free library experience.

 The great thing about the automated library is that, in case some books are not available or were checked out by others, readers can reserve these books through the machine or through the library’s website.  All the reader has to do is wait for an SMS notification informing them if the book is already available and that it would be delivered to the nearest automated library available.  

These patented machines, created by the Shenzhen Library and the Shenzhen Seaever Intelligent Technology Company only costs 400,000 Yuan but are yet to be available for outdoor use.  For now, these machines can only be installed indoors in supermarkets, subways, as well as office buildings to make it readily available to every bookworm in Shenzhen.  This also aims to make gadget-savvy teenagers interested in borrowing books from the library through the innovative technology of the automated libraries.  It may seem controversial for librarians making it seem like the machine is taking their place, but we must keep in mind that there are still people who prefer visiting the actual library, so they would still be able to keep their jobs.

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