FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Toronto Public Library eyes setting up a book-lending machine at Union Station,
Checking out books from the library is about to get easier for commuters.
The Toronto Public Library hopes to roll out a book-lending machine at Union Station by the end of the year. If it’s successful, more could be on the way.
The move is a novel idea aimed at making the library more accessible to Torontonians and broadening the number of users, which sits at around 18.5 million annually.
“You aren’t expecting a library presence in Union Station, so it will be a convenient way for commuters to access library content,” said Ana-Maria Critchley, the library’s manager of stakeholder relations.
Because the organization is still seeking vendors to take on the project and working with stakeholders at Union Station to choose a spot for it, she said the machine’s exact functions have yet to be determined.
However, a library report this year said initial planning for the kiosk “focused on access to high demand books and DVDs,” but “may be adjusted to incorporate downloading ebooks.”
Some of those functions are already available in Ottawa, Edmonton and major cities in the U.S. and Europe, where book-lending machines are available 24/7, allowing readers with busy schedules to scoop up books without having to contend with traditional library hours.
Several cities have strategically placed kiosks at transit hubs so readers can borrow books for the short period of time they spend waiting for a subway or bus.
In Toronto, Critchley said, positioning the kiosk at a busy commuter station would help the library cater to residents who live in surrounding areas.
A report this year said that if the Union Station machine is well received, others could follow at hightraffic community locations, Eglinton Crosstown stations and library lobbies.
The report placed the cost for a single kiosk at about $200,000, but acknowledged that “there may be ongoing staffing costs associated with kiosks if physical library materials are circulated.” The machine will be funded by the city, according to the report.