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As she prepares for retirement, Kay Runge, director of the Des Moines Public Library, reflects on her 30-year library director career, industry change and her long-term partnership with 3M.
As I get ready to retire from the Des Moines Public Library System in January, 2007, reflection on industry change and advancement is in order. This is particularly important in the technological advancements in the area of library security systems. OF COURSE THIS IS THE HISTORY ACCORDING TO KAY!!!
My first director's job began when I was 24 years old at the Scott County Library System, Hdqrs. in Eldridge, Iowa. Serving the 35,000 patrons outside the city of Davenport, we had a Headquarters building and 9 other small "station" libraries housed in rented store front buildings in addition to a bookmobile that prowled around the county rural roads.
This rural library system was using the Gaylord checkout system when I arrived in 1974. Each patron had a unique number on a metal "slug" that was inserted on a cardboard card that had the patron's name and address TYPED on it. In some of the stations the cards were kept at the library so the patron didn't have to worry about whether it would be there to check out library materials.
This charge out system was considered pretty progressive since many libraries were still using the book card in the book pocket, and the patron would remove it and sign their name on the card to check out the book. When the card was in the book, all other patrons could look to see who else had checked out the title. Although this breaks all rules of confidentially today, in those days, most people didn't seem to be bothered by it in that kinder, gentler time. Both of these systems put the books in the "card tray" that came forward by date due, with the nearest date on the front of the tray.
As the l970s progressed, 3M introduced their first book detection system. By putting a magnetic strip in the spine of the book, a patron would pass through "gates" that would beep if the strip had not been "desensitized" by not checking out the materials and if the patron tried to leave the building. Urban libraries found this to be a quantum leap in securing their collections since the Reference Section alone had thousands of dollars invested in the titles shelved there. "Ready Reference" materials were kept behind the reference desk but there sure wasn't room for all of it, nor were there librarians available to keep giving a book to the patrons and then putting it back when they were done! Although this was by far the most expensive "technology" that libraries spent money on to date, the return on the investment was demonstrated in just a few short years. I was pleased to have this technology at the Davenport Public Library when I arrived there in l985 as their hometown library director.
This magnetic detection system served libraries well for many years until the tape industry created videos, books on tape, musical tapes, etc. 3M began researching how to secure these items as libraries began adding and circulating these items in their library collections. In the interim, libraries developed their own methods of security for these items - such as putting them behind the circulation desk and putting a "dummy" box on the shelf that the patron would bring to the desk to have it exchanged for the actual item that was being checked out to their card.
At Davenport we helped test the first 3M self-checkout systems so library patrons could check out their own library materials. Tape materials that were out for the patrons to select from were ruined at a rapid rate as the patrons didn't read the sign that said, “ please do NOT put magnetic tape materials in the self check”. 3M has now resolved this issue.
In 2001, I came to Des Moines as their new director to work on the system wide building project that would totally renovate the Des Moines Public Library System. This $48 million public/private partnership included a new Central library to replace the one that was 100 years old, and to either expand, remodel, or totally renovate the other 5 branches and to finish up by adding a new branch in the Southeast portion of the city that now has no library branch.
AND when it came time for looking at our check out system, we needed some kind of "self check" technology since we had none. 3M was in the process of perfecting their new RFID technology and asked if we would like to be a Beta test site. We agreed and found a wonderful partnership was formed with all parts of their company listening to our needs. This included persons from the lab, to the sales force, to management. Software had to be"tweaked" to really do what libraries needed, tagging machines were adjusted to move tagging into top speed and could be rented so no need to "keep" them after the swat attack descended on the collection. Also, the Ingram Book Company joined the team as they tagged and processed our opening day collection to be interfiled into the collection and to be the "splash" best seller collection for our grand opening. All branches had to be completed when the new Central library opened on April 8th and we made it!!! We still need to use some locked cases on our high theft media materials, but we are now testing the new "red tag" disc protection system that 3M is offering.
THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS, WE HAVE FOUND THE PATRONS LOVE TO DO THEIR OWN CHECKING OUT AND THEY THINK WE ARE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF THE TECHNOLOGY FOR LIBRARIES.!!!!
I am amazed at how things have changed, material security systems being only one of the items. The computer totally revised how we catalog materials and how patrons use us. As a result, the book is still alive and well. Patrons can now surf the web at any hour of the day or night, electronically reserve materials, be notified electronically when the materials are waiting for them at our pick up window so they can drive by and pick up them up!!! As these changes developed over my 30 years, they don't seem too unusual but I think if someone had slept for a few decades and then dropped in, they would be surprised, not only by what all this technology does but how easy it is to use and how fast one can get what they want!!
Now, I hope to do some building consulting so I can share the knowledge of all this with other libraries that are creating new buildings to better serve their communities. It is a wonderful way to "make the best better", the 4-H motto, because the public library is a public good for a public trust!!!!! You may just see me in your neighborhood!!
Editor's Note: It has been a pleasure for all of us at 3M Library Systems to have worked with Kay for the past many years, and we wish her the very best in her future endeavors and look forward to working with her in her new career!!!
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