Radio-Frequency Identification, otherwise known as RFID, has become extremely popular in the library community, despite many organisations only touching the surface of its capabilities. Discover the top capabilities of RFID in libraries…
If you are a stakeholder in a school library, you don’t need us to tell you that it is becoming more challenging to encourage young people to read, particularly for pleasure. The ongoing Millenium Cohort Study by University College London (UCL), is following the lives of around 19,000 young people born in the UK, and…
A recent online BBC News article has sparked a few interesting conversations here at D-Tech, where we are always looking at innovations within the library sector and how our technology, current and in development, can improve services and efficiency. The article looks at two libraries, Woolwich and Chester, and considers what makes them popular amongst…
Did you know there is no statutory requirement for schools in England to have a school library? The decision ultimately falls to the head teacher. Reassuringly, research does suggest that most schools have some library facilities in place for their pupils. However, the quality of those facilities is questionable and very likely to differ between…
Whilst the Stuttgart City Library consists of 17 branch libraries, the mobile library and the elibrary; it is the central library at the Mailänder Platz that we will focus on in this article. Often hailed as the most modern library in Europe and a tourist attraction in its own right, the award-winning central library was…
Engaging with pupils, teaching them new skills and encouraging them to grow and succeed is at the top of the priority list for librarians and teachers in schools. Therefore, it must be very frustrating when everyday tasks like counting, labelling and checking out books take up valuable time, especially during busy exam periods when the…
School budgets are under constant pressure and despite evidence of a decline in literacy across the UK showing that rates of teenage literacy in England are lower than those of other OECD nations, the school library’s resources are often first to be decimated. That may be because, at the time of writing, it is not…
As the year draws to a close, it’s a good time to take stock of your library provision and to plan ahead to ensure you are providing the best possible service for your students. James Breakell, UK Managing Director of D-Tech International, looks at the key areas for potential improvements. It is not that long…
When it comes to technology, everything seems to move so quickly; you’ve barely mastered the potential of your latest smartphone, and you’re being pestered to upgrade it to the ‘new and improved edition’. There’s always something new, whether it’s a cutting-edge television, sound system or kitchen gadget. But with the exception of ground-breaking innovations, the…
Like so many public libraries, Reading Borough Libraries has been challenged with the task of providing the best possible service it can, within a significantly reduced budget. Meeting that challenge head on, library closures have been avoided through smart management. Part of that initiative led to D-Tech International installing sixteen library self-service kiosks across the libraries.…
James Breakell, UK Managing Director of D-Tech International talks about the procurement process in the library sector and how you can make sure that investment in technology is cost effective and worthwhile. Public or private sector, every organisation bases its procurement on purchasing the goods or services that provide the best value for money. When…
D-Tech has recently completed a RFID installation at St Anne’s College. The original library was built in 1937 and is located in the Grade II-listed Hartland House, but as the college grew it became evident that the library was too small. St Anne’s College Library is open to all members and associates of St Anne’s…