Bentonville Public Library is excited to announce the newest addition to the BPL team: a Tech Logic automated materials handling (AMH) RFID system. The 9-bin materials sorter will introduce greater efficiency, create a safer work environment, and allow library staff to work more closely with patrons.
As patrons enter through the front door, the new sorter will be featured behind a viewing window that is nine feet by seven feet. Patrons can watch their returned items travel down a conveyor belt and then be sorted into one of nine bins based on circulation numbers for varying categories of items.
Senior Librarian Courtney Fitzgerald has been working with Tech Logic for years, but this upgrade has been 12 months in the making. Fitzgerald says, “We are grateful for our long-standing partnership with the Tech-Logic team. Together, we designed and built a sorter our community will embrace due to its increased functionality and efficiency.”
In 2023 alone, BPL’s circulation increased an unprecedented 33,000 items, an average of over 100 additional items daily. The previous 3-bin sorter cannot accommodate the increase. The machine was selected, in part, because it can be easily upgraded to 15 bins as circulation increases with the community’s demand.
The purchase of the 9-bin sorter was approved by City Council for $165,000 on January 9, 2024 and is included in BPL’s FY2024 Budget, Capital Improvement Plan, and City's Impact Fee Study. Revenue from Impact Fees is being used to support BPL’s growth and offset the purchase price, funding two-thirds of the cost to match BPL’s two-thirds growth. To leverage available funds, BPL negotiated with Tech Logic for a reduced cost and additional credit for the old 3-bin system. Parts from the former 3-bin system were also reclaimed to be held as replacement parts for the new system.
Tech Logic is a sole source, proprietary vendor for certain RFID hardware and software installed at Bentonville Public Library.
BPL’s expansion is comprised of a 22,975 square-foot addition, with renovation of existing spaces and outdoor amenities planned. Included in the design is an expanded youth services area, with dedicated storytime and craft rooms, a new and larger community meeting room, a makerspace and digital lab, as well as more spaces for patrons to connect, collaborate or formally meet.
