Buffalo and Erie County PL Tests Finger Identification

摘要

Libraries always have been cutting edge and ahead of the curve when it comes to implementing new technologies. Some are more advanced than others: the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library (B&ECPL) has made the leap from cutting edge to bleeding edge with the installation of a biometric scanning system that puts the library at patrons fingertips ― literally. Created by the Ultra-Scan Corp., the Touch & Go! system allows patrons to forgo the use of a library card by having their index finger scanned. In essence, your finger becomes your library card. Lucille DeFranks, the library's assistant deputy director for support services, told LJ that Ultra-Scan contacted them looking for a partner to test the system in a library environment. "Having had a background in circulation, I know how difficult it is for patrons who come in without their card or any ID," she said. "Your fingers are one bit of identification you carry with you all the time."