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Steamboat Springs — A new checkout system will make book lending easier for Bud Werner Memorial Library, allowing for self-checkout and scanning multiple books at one time.

Systems librarian Alysa Selby said the system, which uses Radio Frequency Identification, will require detailed tagging of everything the library owns. To get that work done, the library is looking for volunteers to go through the stacks item by item during the coming weeks. Adult volunteers are preferred, but Selby said she'd consider high school students looking to do some community service.

"If we have two teams working every hour that we're open, which is very ambitious, we can actually get this done in four weeks," Selby said. With two people on each team, that would mean four volunteers working every hour the library is open. Selby said that realistically, the library hopes to make the full transition in two to three months.

The new system will give greater privacy to library users, Selby said, as well as allow employees who now work at the checkout counter to spend more time helping readers.

"Right now, anyone at the front desk can see what you check out. This also frees up the people who normally do all that repetitive work to spend more time in the stacks giving better customer service," Selby said.

The transition is part of an expansion process that is scheduled for completion in December. Selby said the library's materials are tentatively scheduled to be set up in the new building by July.

Voters approved an $11.4 million library expansion in 2005. The expansion will boost the library from about 9,500 square feet to 32,900 square feet while adding numerous features including improved children's and teen libraries, an outdoor reading deck overlooking the Yampa River, and significantly increased floor space that will allow for larger selections.

The majority of the current library will be renovated into a large community room.

- To reach Margaret Hair, call 871-4204

or e-mail mhair@steamboatpilot.com