Ystad: Quiet Returns and Sorting? No worries!
In 2010, the Ystad Public Library made a bold move to automate its returns and sorting processes using RFID technology. The decision brought relief to the team, and joy abounded. "It was like heaven!" exclaimed IT librarian Ingrid Borg.
However, as time passed, problems began to emerge. Detection became unreliable, service and support fell short, and the facility grew increasingly noisy. Despite the sorting area being enclosed by glass walls in a separate room, the noise became a significant burden for both visitors and staff. "How can you stand it?" we were often asked, says Ingrid Borg. Even wearing noise-cancelling headphones provided only partial relief.
A system modernisation became inevitable. Following a competitive bidding process, Nexbib was awarded the contract due to its innovative and forward-thinking technologies. In August 2022, the complete renewal of the RFID infrastructure was implemented. The team's excitement over the new solution was evidently presented in a video:
Much has improved!
The new Nex.Return solution brought several key benefits:
- The system operated quietly.
- Items were scanned and transported more swiftly.
- The system required less space, allowing for an increase in sorting destinations from 12 to 15, thereby enhancing efficiency.
- The use of 12 Nex.Carts and three Nex.Bins, equipped with automatically adjustable floors, made workflows more ergonomic and back-friendly. "The new stacking carts not only roll more smoothly, but they also offer increased capacity and can be positioned horizontally, making label reading for shelving much easier," described the librarian.
- The design of the return inlets was customised to complement the library's interior.
Ingrid Borg summed it up, saying, "Thanks to the latest technologies, the return and sorting process has been significantly improved: the system is barely audible, and the workflow is noticeably faster and more reliable. Nexbib has fully met our expectations for a new system."
But Nexbib's contributions didn't stop there. The forward-thinking library also replaced entrance security gates and self-service kiosks. Two adjustable Nex.Kiosk Nordic units are now available for users to independently manage their item check-out and accounts. In addition to prioritising ergonomics, accessibility for visitors is paramount in Ystad.
Photos/Video © Bibliothek Ystad
About Ystad Library
The Ystad Public Library, along with its four branches in Glemmingebro, Löderup, Köpingebro, and Svarte, as well as a mobile library bus, serves a Swedish community of approximately 30,000 residents. Education and literature hold significant importance in Ystad, with the libraries being among the most visited cultural institutions in the city. The main library building, designed specifically as a public library in 1983 by architect Claes B. Persson, offers a collection of approximately 100,000 items. In 2023, the library recorded 116,122 visitors and approximately 140,000 loans. The returns area is located in an anteroom of the library, which opens two hours before regular opening hours.
Learn more about the Ystad Library.