Just a quick note about something sort of technology-related. A week or so ago, the tech services division of the public library where I work sent out an e-mail saying that because self-checkout will soon be installed and operational at our branch, they are no longer going to put pockets inside the front cover of the new books they process.
In the past at my library, these pockets have been used to hold computer-generated receipts which recorded the record transaction, but there will no longer be a need for that as self-checkout becomes more prevalent.
This is interesting to me because book pockets seem like one of the quintessential facets of checking out a book at the library. This is like a sign / indicator of how much and how rapidly libraries have changed / are continuing to change technologically; even basic things are going to be completely different. It wasn't so long ago that libraries were filling those same pockets with date due cards that circulation staff would stamp manually.
It is exciting that I get to be part of changes like this (changes on the macro level that are represented by changes on the micro livel), but the only thing that really makes me sad about it is that with manual date slips and even with the computer generated receipts (if they were left in the pocket) you could check out a book and see a rough timeline of its use, and in that way you're sort of interacting with everyone else who has checked it out in the past. This sort of tacit relation to other patrons whom you've never met is a personal aspect of going to the library that will definitely change with new library technology.
I don't know, just some random thoughts.
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