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De Montfort University Case Study

De Montfort library opens all hours

It was a case of out with the old and in with the new when De Montfort University Library set about modernising itself to meet the needs of today's students.

Back in 2005 the Leicester-based University realised that the needs of students were changing fast and the traditional models of study, work spaces and processes needed to be radically rethought.

The concept of a Learning Zone was created. This meant gutting the entire ground floor of the library to create a space conducive to collaborative and creative learning supported by technology. One of the issues the library had to overcome was to offer students a twenty-four hour book lending service without employing additional staff hours. The solution was to automate the service using RFID technology and self-service systems.

The University's Technical Services Manager, Alan Brine, said the ethos behind the refurbishment was to enable people to work in the way they want at a time that suits them. Self-service, backed up with library support services during working hours, was the best solution to enable this.

The tendering process took six months and initial adverts in a European publication attracted 10 expressions of interest. However, the University had very clear ideas about the products it needed and the kind of company with which it wanted to work. This process whittled down the potential suppliers to five.

Alan said that although cost was important, it wasn't the highest priority. "We were after the best value and this we measured by the levels of service we were expecting from the contractor.

"Selecting the right equipment was fundamental, but flexibility was a key area for us," said Alan. "We investigated the five companies that tendered with great care, making personal visits and talking to their clients. SB Electronic Systems (SBE) came out tops for being prepared to be adaptable, flexible and offering high levels of personal service."

SBE was awarded a contract in June 2006 to install four self-issue units, and two self-return units with a back-end sorting system. This automatically distributes the books into four trolleys, including one for books that have been reserved. 

The flexibility that was so important to Alan came into its own once the work started. "There were delays with the building work and the installation schedule had to move out a couple of months – but this wasn't a problem for SBE which simply altered their schedule," said Alan. He also praised the company for its flexibility in adapting systems to suit the University's requirements and in helping them comprehensively personalise the interface.

"Naturally there have been hiccups, but SBE is constantly on the case – you never have to ask twice. The installation worked from word go but there has been a fair amount of tweaking."

Although it is still relatively early days and the library has deliberately not pushed the system too hard with library users, the feedback has been good. "Most successful is the returns unit as the amount of books it shifts is fantastic. The process is incredibly quick for people using the library."

The library is moving into a new phase of internal marketing where there will be a major push to raise awareness and educate users to the advantages of self service. Alan is also excited about the future possibilities from RFID especially the opportunities to combine RFID with mobile technologies.

SBE has always enjoyed a good working relationship with De Montfort University Library through its Sentry access control solution. "When the opportunity to extend our product range with them via the tender process came up, we were delighted to be able to offer the Codeco range of equipment," said SBE managing director Paul Burchett. "The products we installed complement the modern look of the refurbished library, and from my experience of the site, the students and staff have embraced the new technology with enthusiasm."