RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — Sentry Technology Corp. announced the sale of 12
QuickCheck library-patron self-service kiosks to the University of Alberta. The deal is valued at $172,000.
QuickCheck operates in a similar fashion to a bank ATM. Patrons gain access to the library's circulation software via a user card and touchscreen video monitor. A barcode or RFID chip on the book is read, the security feature deactivated, and a receipt is printed identifying the titles of the books borrowed and the return date.
Once the process is complete, the patron exits the library through the security system without any intervention from library staff. The process frees library staff from the circulation desk to perform higher-level tasks. The system includes statistical-usage reporting as well as remote diagnostics and hardware-management software.
The systems at the University of Alberta, located in Edmonton, Canada, are configured with a new feature that will identify if more than one item is being checked out by a patron. This innovation will prevent a thief from using QuickCheck to borrow an item that has been recorded by the circulation software, while hiding other items underneath the one that is properly registered.
"QuickCheck continues to be recognized as a market-leading product by libraries across North America," said Peter L. Murdoch, president and chief executive of Sentry Technology. "We have sold more than 200 units and have orders to build 50 additional systems for all types of libraries that will benefit from greater efficiency and lower labor costs resulting from the use of QuickCheck."
