Access control at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies

The Access Control System that was in place at the Institute needed updating, in order to create a monitored entrance and exit location for library users. The Access Control System provides IALS with statistical data that can be accessed remotely, and used to monitor the number of library users, peak time usage and other user habits.

Room booking and self-service

A new room booking solution was introduced for two new study rooms, which students can book in advance. Using Telepen’s Juno software system, this solution requires no staff intervention to book or provide access to the rooms. The student simply books through the Juno online web application. On arrival at the room, the student presents their ID card at the console by the door, that also shows room availability and can allow bookings.

The unit identifies both the user and the booking slot, before releasing the door through electronic lock control. The system registers all arrivals and will automatically process no-shows.

A Self-Service kiosk for all library users were also provided. Self-service facilities are of huge benefit to a library of this size, significantly freeing up time for the library staff and creating a smoother experience for library users.

From barcode to RFID

As part of this project, all 170,000 books in this specialist reference library needed to be converted from using barcode to RFID technology, a more enhanced solution designed to generate self-service and assist with inventory control.

To complete the journey of transformation, Telepen supplied the IALS library team with a ‘scanning wand’. To use this new handheld inventory management tool, a staff member can simply pass the wand in front of the bookshelves, and it will pick up all of the RFID codes for all tagged material on the shelf, allowing for fast and efficient stocktaking and other stock control tasks.