Pleasantville Elementary, a K–Grade 5 school in New Castle, Delaware, recently unveiled its fully renovated, future-forward library–a project funded in part by ILA (made possible through a grant from the Delaware Community Foundation).  

The initiative aims to create a more engaging and efficient learning environment by leveraging innovative technology, such as a new RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) system that includes student-fiend kiosks that make self checkouts a snap. Now, any student who comes to the library can leave without a book, even if the library staff are teaching a class or otherwise engaged in group work.

The RFID chips have simplified the process of tracking inventory as well. Now, an entire bookshelf can be logged in with a wave of a scanning “wand.” In other words, what used to take an entire week can now be finished in a couple of hours.

The same software can be used to monitor the types of books students are checking out and track other information about the collection, such as how long a particular book has been on the shelves.

For instance, in 2016, the average age of a book in Colonial School District’s libraries was 22 years old. But no one knew that until Colonial partnered with the Delaware Library Consortium and the libraries were thoroughly audited.

“We discovered that circulation in most of our schools was around 20 percent, which is quite low,” said Tom Gavin, Colonial’s Supervisor of Instructional Technology & Libraries.

In 2017, he reported, Pleasantville's circulation was a dismal 4 percent. But thanks to the new technology and revitalized collection—one that reflects the rich diversity and interests of the student body—circulation has leaped to nearly 91 percent. 

Moving forward, Pleasantville aims to retire most books after seven years, replacing those cycled out with new offerings. The RFID helps with that, too: New books come shelf-ready, their RFID chip already implanted. All that’s needed is a wave of the wand and that book is ready for its new home.

One thing the RFID hasn’t replaced: the librarian. “The role might not have the same name,” said Colonial School District Superintendent Jeff Menzer, but library staff remain “essential” to a child’s literacy development.