# Chicago Library Has Self Checkout
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [April 13, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700 "2012-04-13T20:27:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/1 "2012-04-13T20:27:46Z")
The big downtown library had a kiosk where you can check out books yourself.
It’s kind of cool. It only works for books, not DVDs or CD or anything else.
My branch library does not have this.
Just wondering do any other libraries have self check out?
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### Author:  [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/2 "2012-04-13T20:29:17Z")
The libraries here in Tucson have self-checkout, and have for years now.
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### Author:  [@coffinjumper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffinjumper)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/3 "2012-04-13T20:30:19Z")
We’ve had self checkout in Columbus, OH for years. So long I don’t remember when it started. And it includes music and movies as well.
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### Author:  [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/4 "2012-04-13T20:32:11Z")
The ones in Calgary do. You can sign out anything on it, DVD’s CD’s, whatever.
It’s fast and easy, just the way I like it.
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### Author:  [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/5 "2012-04-13T20:32:28Z")
I live in a small suburb of Philadelphia, and we have self-checkout at the main branch (at least) of our county-wide library system. It’s awesome – I love not having to deal with intrusive library staff (and I say this as a library staff person myself) scrutinizing my book choices.
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### Author:  [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/6 "2012-04-13T20:40:06Z")
New York Public has them, too. I usually use them, though sometimes I have to return a book and then still have to stand in line. (I could put it in the drop box but since the time when they didn’t check in a book I returned, I don’t like to do that.)
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### Author:  [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/7 "2012-04-13T20:47:40Z")
My current library system (San Diego County) has self-checkout. My last library system (King County - Seattle), also had self check-out.
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### Author:  [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/8 "2012-04-13T20:47:47Z")
Our local branch is the main branch of the county system so we seem to get lots of innovations first.
We’ve had two Self-Checkout stations for several years. Until about 6 months ago they were off to one side and there was still a manned (personed?) checkout desk. Originally they were just kind of there, then there was some serious effort put into getting more patrons to use them. I’ve always been pretty self-sufficient and am happy to do it myself - but worry that it’s eliminating library jobs, which I don’t want.
About six months ago I made my regular library stop only to discover that there were five new, shiny, and even fancier Self-Checkout stations, and one desk where a person can often be found off to the side. The new stations have credit card readers integrated for fines and fees. I can accomplish all of my library business without interacting with a human being anywhere but at the exit from the parking garage.
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/9 "2012-04-13T21:10:44Z")
Portland has it for all media. Scan card, enter passcode, scan item, done.
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### Author:  [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/10 "2012-04-13T21:19:58Z")
The main branch of the Boston Public Library does. And actually, the Flagstaff, AZ public library did also, as of a few years ago when I still lived there. The only kinds of libraries I’ve seen where they’re consistently missing are university libraries, where there are usually more staff to handle checkouts, and potentially very valuable materials available for borrowing.
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### Author:  [@Laggard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laggard)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/11 "2012-04-13T21:28:20Z")
Central library here in Minneapolis has had it for a few years now. Pretty cool!
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### Author:  [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/12 "2012-04-13T21:28:58Z")
My old library in Montgomery County, MD, had the self-check kiosks, and I was surprised to see that the big central library of Howard County, where I now reside, does not. They emailed me a survey last year and I commented that the line was often pretty long at the counter and that self-checkout machines would probably speed things up tremendously. I can’t have been the only one, because there are now two of them sitting near the exit, covered up for now until they can validate them or whatever they need to do before getting them into service.
I don’t think they’d be as useful for me, because I almost always need to go to the desk to pick up my holds, but I’m sure many patrons would be happy to use them, thus shortening my wait time.
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### Author:  [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/13 "2012-04-13T21:38:32Z")
Our holds are no longer behind the desk. They are shelved on open stacks alphabetically by patron’s last name, with lovely personalized bookmarks flapping out of them.
They took the security cases off of all the CDs, and all DVDs except current feature films.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/14 "2012-04-13T21:46:42Z")
Our local library has had a self-checkout for years. All you need is a library card or the number.
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### Author:  [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/15 "2012-04-13T21:59:58Z")
> [@gwendee](#):
>
> Our holds are no longer behind the desk. They are shelved on open stacks alphabetically by patron’s last name, with lovely personalized bookmarks flapping out of them.
It was like that in my Montgomery County library. Not sure why they don’t do it that way at this library - maybe it’s too big?
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/16 "2012-04-13T22:08:48Z")
dupe post
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### Author:  [@Patience\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patience_Jones)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/17 "2012-04-13T22:10:29Z")
We’ve got self-checkout at my local branch in Austin, as well as holds out on publicly accessible shelves. It’s wondrous.
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/18 "2012-04-13T22:15:14Z")
We’ve had it for years as well, at least at my branch. How big is the Chicago library? (Our’s is a branch of the [Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh](http://www.clpgh.org/))
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### Author:  [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/19 "2012-04-13T22:23:18Z")
Self checkout at at least three libraries in the SE Michigan library network. The others, I haven’t been to.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2012, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-library-has-self-checkout/618700/20 "2012-04-13T22:31:03Z")
Nashville system has had it for years.
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