SPANISH SPRINGS, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) – Book lover Karen Martino is using the Spanish Springs library’s new self-checkout for the first time.
“It's very easy. Very quick. It's something even a kid can do,” she said,
The machines built by their IT department cost about $2,000 each and replace the old system bought from an outside company that takes almost that same amount of cash just to repair it each year.
“We don't have that kind of money, so a couple years ago i set out to start finding another way we could do the self check out,” Library IT guy Todd Goatly said.
The library had to make a lot of changes like this after 40 percent of their budget or about $6 million got slashed.
“Then our staff got creative and started thinking of ways we could do this and we were able to get some grant funding and money from the friends and other sources so we've been able to kind of cobble this together and do this,” Director of Libraries Arnie Maurins said.
They've also actually added more computers for the public by switching from paying for Microsoft Windows to downloading a free Linix operating system. They used free software to upgrade the card catalog as well.
All of this new technology is already up and running inside the Spanish Springs location, it's expected to be at the other branches sometime this summer.
