Intelligent Libraries Material Management System doing the stock management in the Public Libraries in Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark Britta Bitsch, CEO Branch Libraries Aarhus

1. Intelligent Libraries,
how to work smart, efficient, and ad value
to products by creating improved logistics
and library services
On the project: Intelligent Material Management System
Information contact
Britta Bitsch, CEO Branch Libraries Aarhus Denmark
bbi@aarhus.dk

2. Developing new library services
Becoming an
cost effective
library
Achieve
improved
logistics and
customer
service
Creating
intelligent
presentations of
your collection

3. Introduction
• Intelligent Material Management System (IMMS)
• Making the most of your library materials, resources and
creating a platform for better library services
▫ Where are your books and other library materials?
▫ Where are they most needed? –in branch or among branches
▫ Are there enough books or other library materials on the
shelves?
▫ Where can loans of materials and returned library materials be
handled most efficiently?
• These and many other issues can be answered using IMMS.

4. Facts Copenhagen Libraries and Aarhus
Public Libraries, Denmark
• City of Aarhus
▫ Population: 0,31 mill.
▫ Size in km2: 468 km2
• Numbers of libraries
▫ Main library and 18 branches
• Number of employees (2011)
▫ 233
• Budget (2011)
▫ Net. 115 mill.
• Visits (2011)
▫ Libraries: 2,4 mill.
▫ Online: 1,9 mill
• Loans (2011)
▫ Total: 2,6 mill.
 Books: 1,7 mill.
 Music: 0,3 mill.
 Movies: 0,3 mill.
• Stock(2011)
▫ Total: 0,9 mill
 Books: 0,7 mill.
 Music: 0,1 mill.
 Movies: 0,03 mill
• City of Copenhagen
▫ Population: 0,55 mill.
▫ Size in km2: 74,4 km2
• Numbers of libraries
▫ Main library and 19 branches
• Number of employees (2011)
▫ 385
• Budget (2011)
▫ Net: 203 mill.
• Visits (2011)
▫ Libraries: 4 mill.
▫ Online.: 4,2 mill.
• Loans (2011)
▫ Total: 3,9 mill.
 Books: 2,8 mill.
 Music: 0,5 mill.
 Movies: 0,3 mill.
• Stock (2011)
▫ Total: 1,5 mill.
 Books: 1,3 mill.
 Music: 0,2 mill.
 Movies: 0,03 mill.

5. WHY?

6. Facts from current business
There’s room for
improvement!
• 30 % of the staff in
Copenhagen is utilized with
logistics in regard to material
handling
• 25 % of all customer
inquiries at service desk are
subject to failure.
• An unresolved inquiry may
last up to 15 minutes
• Up to 43 % materials are not
in its right places in the library

7. Finance and business case
• In 2010 Copenhagen Libraries and Aarhus Public Libraries received funding of
10.9 million DKK ($1.9 million USD) from The Danish Public Welfare Technology Fund to
develop and implement an IT-based Material Management System in the public libraries.
• The goal of the project is to reduce the resources used in library material logistics by 15 %.
This will improve customer service and generate important data to be used for more
effective material handling, space planning and presentation.
• Material Management Systems has been used in the retail business for many years, and the
two largest public libraries in Denmark will apply data tracking and optimization
techniques derived from retail businesses to improve :
▫ library material flow,
▫ storage,
▫ handling,
▫ tracking and transport.
• The two libraries in total expect to reduce cost comparing to 21 man years.
• ROI < 2 year.

8. Intelligent Material Management System
Be in control of your collection
● Save time, cost and resources ● Innovate your book
presentation ● Improve customer service ●

9. HOW?

10. Learn from others!

11. Collection management
THERE’S A HUGE
POTENTIAL IN
LEARNING FROM
OTHERS – AND
GAIN PROVED BY
COMMERCIAL
INDUSTRIES
• Libraries can save up
to 15-40 % by
improving their stock
management
operations like
storage, handling and
transportation.
•25 % less stock

12. The solution
Detailed data collection of library operations- allowing
historical analysis of trends
Intelligent distribution of shared or floating collections –
materials are distributed to a location/branch where there’s
a demand and/or space available!
Central and locally managed data to make informed
decisions about collection
Real time visibility to collection via smart phone application-
including on-line pick lists on smart phone
Introducing Material hotels - local or remote storage of
overflow, slow moving or off season materials
Automatic refill from the Material hotel when shelves are
low on materials
Exact information on the current location of any book or
other library materials
Improved work environment
Provide added value to the library management system

13. IMMS – work flow and smart phones
• Without IMMS (before)
▫ Printed reservation lists
▫ Risk of looking for the same
material at different locations
▫ Risk of looking for materials
not on the shelves
▫ Manuel sorting of materials
on every location
▫ High number of individual
material scanning (then
sending and receiving)
▫ Material visible in the library
system - even though it’s not
available on the shelves
• With IMMS
▫ Online reservation lists with
predetermined collection
path on every location
▫ Prioritized pick up for
reserved materials (among
available collection groups)
▫ Online reservation lists only
contains materials on the
shelves (and on display)
▫ Very low numbers of material
scanning
▫ Material visible in the library
system WHEN the material is
on the shelves

14. Collection management and
distribution processes
• Without IMMS (before)
▫ Reactive collection
management
▫ Extensive manpower
required to assure
appropriate assortment of
items on shelves
▫ No option to centrally
manage / control floating
materials between branches
▫ Materials stays at the library
where they are returned; even
if there’s no space available
on the shelves!
• With IMMS
▫ Proactive collection
management
▫ IMMS automatically controls
the assortment of items based
on the individual branch
configurations
▫ Using IMMS to manage /
control floating materials
between branches
▫ Materials are routed to
location where there is a need
and/or available space in the
library; else sent to other
demanding location

15. Benefits and added values
• Intelligent distribution of collections to branch(es), based on volume, copies,
affiliation, etc.
• Share collections (entirely or partly) between branches as desired
• Exact degree of filling on shelves as desired
• Transparent overview of entire collections through all branches
• Exact position on each individual copy, including copy trace log
• Librarian tools available on smart phones (NFC enabled)
• Easy registration via RFID tags / Barcode (individual copies, shelves, racks,
stacks, cards, transporters, etc).
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Improved space utilization
• Reduced collection (less copies)
• No or less paper based Librarian processes
• Save Librarian hours using online tools on smart phones
• No undesired build-up of copies in branches OR starvation of copies in
branches

16. Project management, reflections
The development process
• The existing library management system is
not designed to be an inventory
management system. Is it wise to have two
systems to control the collection?
• Good dialogue between libraries, developers
of IMMS and suppliers of the library system
is vital for a usable product. Is the system
too complex?
• The project has been developed under a
European public procurement contract.
Remember to develop for others – not only
for your own library!
The implementation process
• IMMS introduces a new and effective way
for librarians and library personal to work.
Is an effective librarian a good librarian? Is
IMMS as effective as we predict?
• IMMS introduces common standards within
the library and therefore takes away some of
the flexibility. Too much to run a
professional and service orientated library?
• Configuration of the libraries in IMMS is a
time consuming process. Is it worth it? And
are we too late with this project, i.e. when
digital books and other online materials are
entering our libraries?
• Libraries must have a rotating collection
instead of a fixed collection. Can we still
have an interesting collection?

17. Big Bang November 5th 2013 in Aarhus
• The buttom will be pressed
• See what happens…………….