ADDING MULTIMEDIA From Shakespeare to Snapple, the Brooklyn Public Library's New Card System Will Do It All; Xerox service improves processes, cuts costs and spawns new revenue stream.BROOKLYN & ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- With the simple swipe of a new library card or the touch of a kiosk screen, users of the Brooklyn Public Library Coordinates: The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), is the public library system of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is the fifth largest public library system in the United States. , the fifth largest public library system in the U.S., can access everything from Shakespeare to eventually even Snapple(R) beverages, thanks to a debit-based library card system from Xerox Corporation (company) XEROX Corporation - http://xerox.com/. See also XEROX PARC, XEROX Network Services. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : XRX XRX Xerox Corporation (stock symbol) ). The Patron Access Management service, developed and implemented by Xerox Global Services, integrates the library's computers, 74 Xerox digital BookMark A stored location for quick retrieval at a later date. Web browsers provide bookmarks that contain the addresses (URLs) of favorite sites. Most electronic references, large text databases and help systems provide bookmarks that mark a location users want to revisit in the future. copier-printers, 68 self-service kiosks, and ultimately Snapple Beverage Corp. vending machines with software and magnetic strip debit-cards. With the Access Brooklyn Cards (ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. ), which also feature bar codes, library users can check out books, videos and other media, access the copier/printers, and reserve computer time up to two days in advance. As with bank debit cards, the costs of individual services, such as printing and copying, are deducted from the ABC account. From the kiosks, people can swipe their ABC cards for additional Internet access See how to access the Internet. , to check account balances, add funds, or review a list of library materials they may currently have checked out to ensure timely returns. If the benefits of the ABC system are good for patrons, they're even better for the library. Before Xerox Global Services arrived, the Brooklyn library system managed the reservation process for its 1,000 PCs by hand. It was also losing money in paper, maintenance and supplies. Based on the costs of those former processes, the library estimates that the service will ultimately save approximately $1.2 million. In addition to the savings, the service has allowed the library to realign re·a·lign tr.v. re·a·ligned, re·a·lign·ing, re·a·ligns 1. To put back into proper order or alignment. 2. To make new groupings of or working arrangements between. resources with 68 new technical positions to assist people with printing, Internet searching, and more. "Prior to this project with Xerox, the library faced the manual process of managing 1.6 million reservations for patrons and managing 9 million pages of free printing," said Ginnie Cooper, executive director of the Brooklyn Public Library. "This program has improved the way we do business. It has allowed our staff to spend more time assisting library users and has resulted in real cost savings." "Brooklyn Public Library is an example of how Xerox and its partners help public institutions make affordable technology decisions that enhance the patron experience and deliver a return on investment," said Craig Haskins, vice president, Public Sector, Xerox Global Services. The contract with Brooklyn Public Library includes on-site Xerox support to manage all aspects of the kiosk service, including equipment maintenance. The solution is designed to support future sponsorship, advertising and donation programs, providing the library with additional means to collect funding for future member offerings. About Brooklyn Public Library Brooklyn Public Library is an independent New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. library system serving the borough of Brooklyn. It is the fifth largest in the United States. Its Central Library, Business Library, and 58 branch libraries offer free information, programs and computer access people of all ages. Patrons can reach the library's resources of over 50 reference databases, catalog information and news 24 hours a day at www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org. About Xerox Global Services Xerox Global Services helps organizations streamline and digitize document processes such as invoices, policies and procedures Policies and Procedures are a set of documents that describe an organization's policies for operation and the procedures necessary to fulfill the policies. They are often initiated because of some external requirement, such as environmental compliance or other governmental , billing, training, and records management. Xerox consultants work closely with companies to identify, quantify and realize opportunities to save money, find new sources of value, mitigate risks, and simplify how work gets done. NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information about Xerox, visit www.xerox.com/news. XEROX(R) is a trademark of XEROX CORPORATION. |
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