The Kirkendall Public Library in Ankeny, Iowa wanted to install a self-checkout system.  The $23,000 price tag meant that, at best, they would need to wait until they could raise the money to purchase the system.

Eric Melton, circulation librarian and tech support for the library, came up with a solution:  he built a self-check system for $1,500, less than 7% of the quoted cost for a purchased system.

Enterprising Ankeny librarian builds money-saving kiosk

How many opportunities can be discovered to save money in how we operate our libraries?  For most libraries, this is becoming more critical than ever.

found via AL Direct

As the economy continues to remain weak and budgets tighten for public libraries, here is a study that should encourage any community of the value of high speed internet access via their libraries:

Internet Use and Job Search (pdf)

In a nutshell, the rate of “discouragement” (giving up hope for finding work) is reduced by 50% when job seekers have high speed internet access, and is reduced by 30% when job seekers have access to dial-up internet.

This provides a justification for providing high speed access to the community, in that it will encourage not only a higher rate of employment, but also less desperation in those still seeking employment.

To take this one step further, I would suggest that providing training and support (perhaps through volunteers among job seekers) might improve a community’s results beyond the scope of the study.

found via LISNews, who found it via NPR