The San Antonio Public Library system is launching a digital checkout kiosk at the airport that will be available to both San Antonio residents and travelers passing through the Alamo City.
Inside Terminals A and B of the San Antonio International Airport sit two 6-foot tall, 55-inch digital touch screens with multiple charging ports, where library patrons can checkout e-books and music. It’s part of a new marketing campaign for the San Antonio Public Library’s e-book selection, says Ignacio Albarracin, the Digital Services Manager of the library.
“While e-books are our fastest growing area, we know that the potential market out there is even larger. This is a good way to spread the word,” he says.
Current library patrons can check out a book before getting on the plane. Even if someone is not from San Antonio and wants to check out a book for their next destination, that option is made available as well. The library uses a program called ‘Overdrive’ as its e-book catalog. Albarracin says they partnered with Overdrive to give non-patrons the option to download books as well.
“They found a way to create temporary library cards that work for 24-hour periods, that limit checkouts to three items and that shorten that window of reading time for seven days,” he adds.
The kiosks will stay at the airport indefinitely.
