{"id":19603,"date":"2021-03-12T16:53:33","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T16:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bibliotheca.wpengine.com\/forsyth-county-public-library\/"},"modified":"2025-04-28T21:03:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T21:03:20","slug":"customer-story-forsyth-county-public-library","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/customer-story-forsyth-county-public-library\/","title":{"rendered":"In Georgia, a Library Boosts Efficiency and Patron Experience With Automated Returns"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tBlog<\/a>Library Stories<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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The flex bulkSeparator improves patron experience and\r\nstaff workflow at Georgia\u2019s busiest library.<\/h1>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Georgia\u2019s busiest library needed a way to get materials back on the shelves accurately and quickly while freeing up staff for meaningful interactions with patrons. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Forsyth County Public Library installed Bibliotheca\u2019s flexAMH with bulkSeparator, which allows patrons to drop and go while automatically sorting materials into return bins for quick, efficient reshelving. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Errors in returns have been nearly eliminated, materials get back on the shelves faster, and staff have more time for personal interactions and valuable programmes. Best of all, queues at returns are a thing of the past, making the library experience better for library patrons.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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flex bulkSeparator proves it can handle a very busy library in Georgia<\/b><\/p>\n

Forsyth County, Georgia, is one of the fastest growing areas in the United States, due in large part to its proximity to Atlanta, just 39 miles away. The Forsyth County Public Library<\/a> system encompasses four branches and circulates 2.5 million items annually.<\/p>\n

The new flexAMH with bulkSeparator: technology that works<\/b><\/p>\n

Forsyth County has been using an older Bibliotheca\u00a0AMH sorter<\/a>\u00a0model in two of its branches for years. When they heard there was a newer sorting solution that could handle the return of multiple books at one time, Forsyth County jumped at the chance to install the new flexAMH with bulkSeparator at the Cumming Library.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRead more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t

\u201cI don\u2019t want a new piece of equipment just because it\u2019s shiny and cool,\u201d says Holly Barfield, Assistant Director of IT. \u201cIt has to be something that enhances either my staff\u2019s or my patrons\u2019 lives \u2013 it must make things easier, faster, better and more accurate. The new flexAMH does just that.\u201d Bibliotheca has spent years researching and perfecting the bulkSeparator module, so while it\u2019s exciting and new, it\u2019s also a reliable and robust solution that works.<\/p>\n

The new bulkSeparator lets the Cumming Library focus on the end-user experience, allowing patrons to quickly and simply return multiple items at the same time. The items slide onto a conveyor belt and are guided towards the\u00a0RFID<\/a>\u00a0reader, gently separating as they travel. Once scanned, the items are sorted into bins by type, making it easy for library staff to return the items to their proper shelves. The flexAMH is easily configurable, allowing libraries to sort materials according to their individual needs.<\/p>\n

The Bibliotheca flexAMH<\/a> was designed and perfected with libraries in mind. The new conveyor system features belts and diverters designed to process even dog-eared items without catching or causing damage. The open space beneath the system makes it easy for staff to maintain and access all parts of the system.<\/p>\n

Fast and flexible for patrons and staff alike<\/b><\/p>\n

Many libraries have AMH systems that provide one-at-a-time returns. This is a great feature for some libraries, but the Cumming Library wanted to reduce the time patrons spent returning materials at the patron induction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have many families who need to return a stack of books each time they visit,\u201d Barfield explains. \u201cWith our book return located right outside the main programme room, we wanted to make it as easy as possible for readers to return items and go enjoy a programme or discover their next book. Now, with the flexAMH bulkSeparator, the patrons just drop their items and go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cumming Library uses a seven-bin system to sort materials. The first bin, located within reach of the staff station, is designated for exceptions and holds. If an item does not scan properly the first time, it will drop into this bin where staff can quickly place it back onto the bulkSeparator belts for another pass. Items on hold for patron pick-up generate a hold receipt as they are processed. The staff members then match up the receipt with the item and put it on a trolley for immediate transport to the holds shelf.<\/p>\n

\u201cMost of our holds come from other branches via courier,\u201d Barfield says. \u201cProcessing those used to be a two-person job with one person feeding materials into the induction unit and another sitting by the printer matching receipts with items. Now it can be handled by just one staff member by simply unloading the courier bin onto the bulkSeparator belt. The process is so quick, it\u2019s usually the staff falling behind, not the sorter \u2013 a great problem to have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next stop \u2026 the busiest library in Georgia<\/b><\/p>\n

Barfield is so impressed with the new flexAMH and bulkSeparator that she has decided to install two of them in Forsyth County\u2019s Sharon Forks branch \u2013 the highest-circulating library branch in Georgia in FY2016.<\/p>\n

Sharon Forks handles well over a million loans per year. To keep up with circulation on this scale, Forsyth is upgrading the current AMH system and installing two 11-bin flexAMH systems \u2013 each with their own bulkSeparator.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we saw how fast and efficient the new flexAMH with bulkSeparator was, we knew we needed the same reliable and fast service at our Sharon Forks branch,\u201d Barfield says.<\/p>\n

Barfield is confident that patrons will be happy to see the return of the drop-and-go solution at the Sharon Forks branch. While they installed the one-at-a-time interface originally to reduce workload for staff, patrons were not happy about having to feed their materials into the return one at a time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we asked how we could improve, we heard over and over again that patrons missed being able to return all of their items at one time,\u201d Barfield says. \u201cThe new system will give them that ability. Patrons shouldn\u2019t notice the back-end systems of the library. They should just work seamlessly and integrate into their lives without causing them to slow down.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the bulkSeparator solution offered through flexAMH, the Forsyth County staff enjoy quick and accurate sorting and a simplified, easy-to-use experience for patrons.<\/p>\n

Faster sorting and faster shelving means more time for service<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cMoving to the flexAMH with bulkSeparator almost completely eliminates errors like items being shelved when they should be tagged for transit, or items not being checked in because of metal content in the book jackets,\u201d Barfield says.<\/p>\n

That accuracy allows staff to spend their time where it is truly needed \u2013 interacting with patrons, maintaining full and attractive shelves and running valuable programmes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are having technology do what technology can do. It\u2019s really enabled us to move staff to where we want them to be and free them from the daily tasks that a computer can do and can do well,\u201d says Barfield.<\/p>\n

A lifelong library employee, Barfield has been with the Forsyth County Public Library for 23 years and has worked in nearly every department. That experience has given her a unique insight into the workings of the library and the effect that administrators\u2019 decisions have on the workflow and morale of the employees.<\/p>\n

So, how do the staff feel about the new system? \u201cThey\u2019ve taken to it like ducks to water!\u201d Barfield says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u201cI don\u2019t want a new piece of equipment just because it\u2019s shiny and cool. It has to be something that enhances either my staff\u2019s or my patrons\u2019 lives \u2013 it must make things easier, faster, better and more accurate. The new flexAMH does just that.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHolly Barfield<\/span>Assistant Director of IT<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\u201cWe have many families who need to return a stack of books each time they visit. With our book return located right outside the main programme room, we wanted to make it as easy as possible for readers to return items and go enjoy a programme or discover their next book. Now, with the flexAMH bulkSeparator, the patrons just drop their items and go.\u201d<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHolly Barfield<\/span>Assistant Director of IT<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tForsyth County Library\t\t\t\t\t<\/h5>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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flexAMH bulkSeparator<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\twatch video\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The flex bulkSeparator improves patron experience and
\nstaff workflow at Georgia\u2019s busiest library.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":9791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[198,310],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-library-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bibliotheca.com\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}