COMPUTERS IN LIBRARIES
news desk
ALIS Invests in RFID Technology
Ask a Librarian A request for proposal from the Automated Li-
brary Information System (ALIS) of Nassau
Ask a Librarian is a monthly feature in County, N.Y., produced a winner for the Uniondale,
which librarians have a chance to comment N.Y.-based consortium, as ALIS selected Biblio-
on Computers in Libraries’ topic of the theca to provide its libraries with radio-frequency
month. In this installment, Julie Brand, identification (RFID) technology. The contract in-
community relations and marketing direc- cludes the 54 independent public libraries that com-
tor for the King County Library System prise the ALIS chain. The Swiss technology vendor
(KCLS), headquartered in Issaquah, Wash., will provide ALIS libraries with RFID hardware,
explains how her library uses social media. tags, and services to those libraries.
ALIS has already been making strides into up-
Q: How do you decide what should be posted on Twit- grading its scanners. In May, it initiated a pilot pro-
ter, Facebook, or other social networking services? gram at six member libraries, which included new
RFID stations and 1 million book tags. The Biblio-
A: The King County Library System uses two tiers of so- theca pilot program began in August and included
cial media: for general library promotion and for media customer self-scan stations, staff stations, and se-
outreach. For general library promotion, Twitter (@kcls) curity gates. The pilot program is slated to be com-
and Facebook (King County Library System) postings are pleted in early 2011.
created by a growing team of librarians: Three librarians
post tweets while two post to Facebook. KCLS’s general so-
cial networking posts are composed and scheduled by these
teams, following guidelines they have developed. The focus
is on three major objectives. The first is to complement sys-
New York Public Library Partners With
temwide promotions with interesting news and tips about HathiTrust
promotional campaigns across KCLS. The second