Today’s consumers expect speed and convenience. Self-service checkout stations, touch-screen kiosks, and mobile point-of-sale solutions empower people to take control of their shopping, dining, and entertainment experience. In a recent survey, 70 percent of businesses say they’ve adopted a self-service solution to reduce waiting times, streamline service, and free up staff to interact with customers.

The same transformation is happening in public libraries. Self-service kiosks and mobile apps enable library users to browse, hold, and check out materials themselves. Mobile apps and other technology tools also deliver library resources to patrons regardless of their location or the time of day.

“Whether you’re on a bus, on a beach, or at the local branch, you can seamlessly experience the library from wherever you are,” says Ashley Barey, vice president of product management for public libraries at Clarivate, paraphrasing a quote from a customer.

But technology unlocks more than just expedient self-service: New tech tools also simplify routine tasks for library staff and give them insights they need to be more effective. For instance, analytics tools give librarians a better understanding of what kinds of programs and materials their patrons are interested in, so they can offer more of what their community desires. The result is a better all-around experience for a library’s users, which leads to deeper engagement.

Here are some of the latest tech tools that are improving the library experience for patrons and staff.

Tech Logic

Founded in 1997, Tech Logic created the first automated materials handling solution designed specifically for libraries. The company sells library automation solutions that streamline workflows and enable staff to be more efficient, so they can spend less time on tasks and more time helping patrons.

For instance, the selfCIRC FOCUS is a new self-checkout solution that includes both hardware and software in a single system with a minimal footprint. Available in either desktop or freestanding versions and powered by Tech Logic’s circIT SUITE software, the system supports both barcode and RFID scanning. It features a 21-inch touch screen, and the freestanding version includes a built-in shelf to hold items while scanning.

Tech Logic has also partnered with a new hardware provider in manufacturing its selfCIRC LOCKER solution, which integrates directly with a library’s ILS to distribute items on hold. The powder-coated steel locker system can be deployed either indoors or outdoors, and Tech Logic’s new hardware partner allows the system to withstand more extreme temperatures, says Director of Marketing Michael Finnern.

Patrons place holds in the ILS as usual, choosing the locker as their pickup location. If a patron needs easier access to a locker space, they can reserve an ADA-accessible “easy reach” locker bay. When patrons scan their library card’s barcode at the locker, their locker space opens and the ILS checks their items out automatically.

Every selfCIRC LOCKER system includes an awning, a security camera, and an access cabinet featuring a touch screen, a barcode scanner, and up to 23 locker spaces. Libraries can add more lockers by purchasing additional cabinets. The individual locker bays are available in three different sizes, with the largest option being 14 inches tall to accommodate oversized items. Libraries can also add custom vinyl wrapping to showcase their brand, as well as an item return box and extra climate control, if desired.

Both the selfCIRC FOCUS and selfCIRC LOCKER can be managed from any internet-connected device using Tech Logic’s central management console, baseCAMP.

Tech Logic will be showcasing these products from booth 615 at the Public Library Association (PLA) 2026 Conference in Minneapolis April 1–3. “We’ll be giving prizes to librarians who stop by our booth,” Finnern says, “and we’ll be distributing them through the selfCIRC LOCKER system to give librarians hands-on experience with the new locker hardware.”

Innovative, from Clarivate

The Innovative product family is known for its ILS programs, Polaris and Sierra, as well as its Vega Library Experience (LX) suite of software.

Vega LX includes a discovery layer that helps users find library resources (Vega Discover), a mobile app (Vega Mobile), a website building tool (Vega WebBuilder), an email marketing tool (Vega Promote), an event management tool (Vega Program), a data analytics tool (Vega Analyze), and more. These applications are fully integrated with each other, creating a single, highly efficient digital environment for libraries.

“We give librarians the ability to save time and energy by using an ecosystem of products that work together seamlessly,” says Ashley Barey, vice president of product management for public libraries at Clarivate. Libraries don’t have to worry about whether different software products will communicate with each other; instead, they can opt for what Barey calls “a one-stop shop” for libraries.

Recognizing that many people prefer to conduct transactions on a mobile phone, the company is making mobile access to library services a key priority. “We’re giving patrons the latest in technology tools to be able to experience the library from wherever they are,” Barey says.

Toward this goal, Clarivate announced a partnership with OverDrive last year that leverages each company’s technologies to improve how readers and library staff interact with the library’s full catalog of materials on the go, both in print and digital formats.

For instance, users of OverDrive’s Libby app—which allows patrons to discover and stream eBooks and audiobooks from their library’s digital collection on their mobile phone—will also be able to see all of a library’s programs and print books within the app if their library is an Innovative customer. “If you can’t get the eBook you really want, then maybe you can get a print edition from your local library branch instead,” Barey notes. This integration “brings users back into the library and builds a deeper connection with patrons.”

This partnership with OverDrive also includes shared data with Libby, so librarians can get combined circulation data that includes their patrons’ Libby use. “Librarians can understand more holistically what they’re spending and what their patrons are doing online,” Barey says.

Another recent partnership with Amazon Books aims to streamline the materials acquisition process for librarians and improve staff efficiency. Through this partnership, an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) integration enables data to flow seamlessly between Amazon Books, Polaris, and Sierra.

Before, librarians who purchased materials from Amazon had to input data manually into those ILS programs, Barey explains. Now, “orders will automatically be imported and will be part of the acquisitions model for Polaris and Sierra. Librarians will no longer have to do that manual import.”

A similar EDI is in place for ordering from Brodart, she adds. Not only do these integrations save time for librarians, but they also improve accuracy, as they eliminate the risk of data input errors.

Librarians don’t have to do anything special to take advantage of these partnerships; data integration will occur automatically as part of their subscriptions to Sierra or Polaris. These integrations will be available for Sierra in March and for Polaris in April.

Clarivate will be demonstrating these new integrations at the Public Library Association (PLA) and American Library Association (ALA) conferences later this year, the company says.

LibraryIQ

Developed by librarians, for librarians, LibraryIQ was created to help libraries confidently tackle day-to-day operations and better serve their communities—and two recent acquisitions will help them further advance this goal.

For years, LibraryIQ’s easy-to-use library intelligence platform has enabled library staff to gain valuable insights about their patrons, collections, programming, and community in just a few clicks, helping them make better decisions that lead to deeper patron engagement.

With its 2025 acquisition of OrangeBoy, which provides data analytics and patron engagement tools built specifically for libraries, and Library Market, which offers library-focused websites, event and room management tools, and branding, LibraryIQ is building a game-changing solution that empowers library staff to deliver excellent service and strengthen community engagement.

“We’re working toward one library intelligence solution that helps librarians manage everything they’re responsible for,” says Director of Account & Product Management Sara Roberts.

LibraryIQ pulls data from a library’s ILS and other sources, such as geographic information systems and Census Bureau databases, and brings this information together within a single, easy-to-use platform—with dashboards, charts, and other visual tools that help library staff understand performance across all aspects of the library. 

Using these tools, librarians can gain a deeper understanding of who their patrons are and what types of programs and materials they’re looking for, without having to be data scientists or experts—so they can plan, budget, and manage their resources in ways that meet their community’s needs.

Now, by integrating with OrangeBoy’s engagement platform and adding incident reporting capabilities, LibraryIQ is expanding the scope of insights libraries can access in real time. For instance, librarians could create a report showing which recently purchased items aren’t circulating well, then quickly promote those items in a newsletter to patrons. At the same time, incident reporting helps libraries track patterns affecting staff, facilities, and services, giving staff more visibility into operational challenges and opportunities.

And with Library Market on board as well, librarians can easily gain deeper insights into how patrons are engaging with events, helping them market those programs more effectively.

“We’ve always done a good job of turning data into valuable insights,” says Roberts. “Now, we’re broadening the data we can bring into IQ and unlocking even more insight.”

International Library Services

International Library Services offers fully automated products designed to increase circulation and extend the reach of libraries. The company’s book and media vending machines and smart locker systems support self-checkout at any time, using either RFID or barcode technology—and they integrate with any ILS software.

International Library Services’ products enable libraries to provide what Chief Technology Officer Bill McClendon calls “service at the point of need.” They all fit through a standard 36-inch doorway and can be placed in shopping centers, train stations, and other public locations to help libraries level the playing field by meeting the needs of underserved communities affordably.

The AutoLend^TM Library Kiosk is a vending machine kiosk that lets patrons browse, hold, pick up, and return books, DVDs, laptops, Wi-Fi hotspots, and more.It dispenses items up to two inches thick and holds up to 400 items in a cabinet that’s 34 inches deep, 41 inches wide, and about six feet tall.

The MediaLend^TM Library Media Box is a disc-based vending machine that allows patrons to browse, hold, pick up, and return disc-based media, such as CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, and games. Built with secure, military-grade steel for indoor or outdoor use, the MediaLend box securely holds more than 400 media items in a refrigerator-size footprint.

Customers can browse both machines’ items using a 19-inch touch screen. They can also return items to the machines for immediate recirculation. “We’re the only vendor where material that’s returned is immediately available to the next borrower,” McClendon says.

Resembling a snack machine, the Lending Library 6 (LL6) kiosk allows libraries to provide books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, video games, audiobooks, and eBooks to their patrons 24/7. The machine, which is 35 inches deep and 46 inches wide, can hold anywhere from 200 to 500 items, based on its internal configuration. A key difference between the LL6 and the company’s other vending machines is that the LL6 doesn’t support holds or item returns.

With the LL6, “what you see is what you get,” McClendon says. However, the system provides an easy entry point into 24/7 self-service for libraries.

The Intelligent Locker System integrates with a library’s ILS software to provide contactless, self-service holds, pickups, and returns—including “Library of Things” items. The locker system is modular and fully customizable, allowing libraries to configure its towers with lockers that are four, seven, or 17 inches tall. An optional weather protection shelter is available for outdoor and remote locations.

All these products are ADA compliant, are manufactured in the United States, and include a full year of support at no additional charge. Extended service contracts are also available for purchase. Plus, libraries can fully customize the look and feel of each system with their own branded graphics.

Besides extending a library’s reach within the community, International Library Services’ products also help librarians distribute physical materials to patrons during off-hours.

“Many libraries have had to cut back on staff hours, and so their buildings might not be open as often,” McClendon says. By placing an automated vending machine or smart locker system inside their vestibule, libraries can effectively offer 24-7 service to their patrons. This also helps community members who work during normal library hours and can’t browse or pick up materials when the library is open.

LaptopsAnytime

Dallas-based LaptopsAnytime helps libraries make technology—including laptops, tablets, chargers, Wi-Fi hotpots, VR headsets, and AI tools—easily available to patrons through self-service kiosks, without taking up valuable staff time.

The company began by manufacturing fully automated laptop vending machines and has expanded its scope over time. Its newest solution is the BRAINY line of products that deliver secure, private AI access for the public.

With AI playing an increasingly important role in supporting research and productivity, access to high-quality AI platforms has become an issue of equity. LaptopsAnytime’s BRAINY kiosks provide energy-efficient, open-source AI platforms that run locally, instead of in the cloud—democratizing AI by making it sustainable and accessible to everyone.

The BRAINY Edge Kiosk^TM provides unlimited access to generative AI for up to 30 simultaneous users. It’s a self-contained laptop checkout system that distributes 12, 18, 24, or 30 mobile devices, each loaded with the BRAINY client application. When a user borrows a device and logs into the BRAINY client, they can engage in a secure AI session. The kiosk contains an embedded BRAINY X1 Edge Appliance, which is where the AI processing takes place.

The BRAINY Tower^TM extends AI usage up to 100 simultaneous users—or up to 200 with an optional second shelf. It’s a high-capacity AI access hub containing a cluster of four BRAINY X1 Edge Appliances. Patrons use a touch screen on the tower to retrieve a QR code that opens a private AI session on either a public computer or their own personal device once they register with their email address.

Using ChatGPT or other commercial AI tools often raises privacy concerns. For instance, commercial tools typically use the information they gather during an AI session to help train their AI models. But with BRAINY, privacy isn’t an issue. Users’ AI sessions are fully encrypted. They can choose to erase their chat history at any time or let their chat history follow them around from library to library if they want, as it’s connected to their BRAINY user account.

“There is no tracking and no ads,” says Co-Founder and Vice President Jonathan Ruttenberg. “It’s very different from commercial AI services.”

What’s more, libraries can choose which open-source AI models they want loaded onto the system for their patrons to use.

“There are hundreds of open-source models available,” Ruttenberg notes. “Libraries can choose the ones they think are best, and they can change these at any time, so they’re not locked into using a certain model.”

With multiple AI models available to patrons, users can ask the same questions of each model and compare the answers to look for biases in the models.

Usually, subscription-based AI services base their fees on the total number of “tokens” used. A token is a chunk of text that is either typed in by the user or generated in response by the AI chatbot, with about 75 English-language words equating to 100 tokens. However, BRAINY works very differently: Libraries are charged a fixed annual fee based on the number of simultaneous users they support. It doesn’t matter how lengthy a user’s session is, which makes planning and budgeting much easier for libraries.

“Everyone is trying to figure out how to deliver AI to the public in a secure, cost-effective, and energy-efficient manner,” says Co-founder and CEO Matthew Buscher. “BRAINY is a way for libraries to do that. We want to be the go-to option for AI in public and academic libraries.”

Unique Management Services

Based in southern Indiana, with offices worldwide, Unique offers materials recovery and patron communication services for libraries.

The company’s original service, which it still offers, is a materials recovery service called Gentle Nudge®. Using data extracted from a library’s ILS, Unique identifies patrons with overdue materials who meet certain criteria as defined by librarians (such as the length of time patrons have had materials or the number of fines they’ve accrued) and then contacts them by phone, text, or email to recover those items effectively while preserving goodwill.

With libraries operating under tight budgets, “getting materials they’ve already purchased back on the shelves is a win,” says President Rob Klaus. The service also helps reengage patrons who’ve been blocked from using the library because they owe fines or materials, he notes—with more than 75 percent coming back to the library within 30 days.

Another patron engagement service, MessageBee, is a modern communication tool for libraries. MessageBee gives libraries three channels to communicate with patrons in multiple languages using a single interface: phone, text, or email. Libraries can set up automatic notifications that are triggered by certain criteria within their ILS, and they can create customized groups of users to segment their marketing and outreach.

MessageBee integrates with many third-party platforms that libraries use, such as events management software, to make marketing simpler for librarians. If libraries are using a system that doesn’t automatically interface with MessageBee, Unique will build a customized integration for them. “We welcome these kinds of requests from our customers,” Klaus says.

Recently, Unique partnered with BiblioCommons—which makes library catalog software—to offer push notifications within the company’s BiblioApps software. Through this integration, libraries using BiblioApps can seamlessly connect with patrons via personalized messaging sent to their mobile devices. The collaboration “brings together two industry leaders to address a critical need for libraries: relevant and personalized patron communication,” Klaus says.

Unique’s latest services, launched last year, help libraries verify borrower registration and automate the library card renewal process, saving librarians time and improving patron satisfaction.

Automated Borrower Renewal streamlines the patron renewal process, ensuring that patrons have uninterrupted access while keeping records up to date. The service runs every night to identify library cards nearing expiration and checks if patrons still reside within the library’s service area. If they do, their card is automatically renewed according to the library’s policy. The patron gets an email confirmation through MessageBee, which libraries can fully customize. If a patron has moved outside the library’s service area, the system notifies them that their card is set to expire.

Verified Borrower Registration allows for self-service library card registration using a form on a library’s website. The system checks to see if a patron’s name and address are valid and that the patron lives within the library’s service area, and if so, it creates a new record with the library’s ILS for that patron. If the system can’t find a match, it initiates a process by which the patron can appeal to a librarian.

“Libraries are looking for this kind of self-service option,” Klaus observes. “Existing ILS tools might provide a rudimentary check, such as making sure a patron’s zip code falls within the library’s designated service area—but they don’t often do a comprehensive search to verify a patron’s address. With this service, we’re making sure that the money spent on library resources is benefitting actual constituents.”

Kingsley Companies

Founded in 1962 as Jackson Manufacturing Company, Kingsley has provided high-quality, durable solutions that simplify book and media returns for more than 60 years. “We have been reinventing library book returns over and over again,” says General Manager Aron Kingsley.

Kingsley is the world’s oldest and largest manufacturer of through-wall and freestanding book and media return systems. The company also provides library material handling equipment. Kingsley pioneered the concept of a self-leveling floating tray in its return carts, so materials aren’t damaged when they’re dropped into the cart. The company’s TimeSaver^TM system, available as an add-on feature, is a sensor that activates when the tray gets to the bottom of a cart, sending an automated text message to let librarians know the cart is full.

Kingsley offers both indoor and outdoor book return systems. For outdoor book returns, the company sells drive-up receptacles, called the C-Series; walk-up units, called the S-Series; and two-sided units, called the V-Series. The drive-up system features an anti-collision design, with the depository hood extending about 13 inches from the curb for easier depositing of materials from vehicles. The depository opening on the C-Series is set back into the hood so that it’s surrounded on all four sides for additional weather protection.

All Kingsley return systems are fire suppressant, theft deterrent, and weather resistant. Their military-grade aluminum construction can never rust and is 20 percent stronger than stainless steel.

The SafeGuard materials cart, which features a hinged metal lid, fits neatly into Kingsley’s all-weather book drop receptacles. When librarians are ready to bring the items inside, they can simply pull the cart out, close the lid, and the items stay dry. The SafeGuard lid also serves as an easy way to conceal the contents of the cart while it’s sitting around, making it less tempting for visitors to dig through.

Moving items around the library can be hard work. Weighing less than 40 pounds, the duraLight^TM Book Truck aims to make this task safer and easier for librarians. Made of lightweight, corrosion-resistant, high-tensile-strength aluminum, the book truck is highly durable and virtually indestructible. It’s designed to be pushed and steered easily, with center casters for easy maneuvering and a tight turning radius. It features three shelves and has a capacity of six cubic feet, enough for just over 200 books, and it can handle a maximum load of 350 pounds.

Even with a lightweight, easily maneuverable cart, pushing more than 300 pounds of books and other items can be quite cumbersome—which is why Kingsley has introduced a new motorized version of the book truck, the EV Utility Pro™, that makes it very easy for librarians to transport materials using a thumb-controlled throttle. Powered by a lithium-ion battery and steered with an attached joystick, the duraLight^TM EV Cart allows librarians to move up to 600 pounds of materials effortlessly. It maneuvers around corners and glides up and down ramps easily, and if it has to stop on an incline, an electronic brake keeps the cart from rolling backward.

The 50 Series cart has a maximum capacity of 9.3 cubic feet, enough to hold 300 books or 750 DVDs. The 60 Series cart has a maximum capacity of 13 cubic feet, enough to hold 412 books or 1,028 DVDs.

All of the company’s products are manufactured in southern California and come with an exclusive “4ever” lifetime warranty, Kingsley says.

Communico

An international company with U.S. headquarters in Connecticut, Communico has built a modern library operations platform designed specifically for today’s public libraries. Modular yet fully unified, its cloud-based applications help libraries engage more deeply with customers, while streamlining staff workflows and freeing teams to focus on meaningful, community-centered work.

The company’s newest application is Challenge, which allows libraries to design, launch, and manage summer reading programs and other goal-based engagement initiatives. With Challenge, staff can recognize achievements through custom badges, invite participants, manage registration, track progress toward goals, and offer incentives and rewards to individuals or groups who meet them.

Challenge is a value-added module available at no additional cost to libraries that subscribe to other Communico solutions. It joins the company’s nine other subscription-based modules, which libraries can adopt individually or bundle together, depending on their size and operational needs.

At the heart of Communico’s platform is Create, a content management system that enables libraries to build beautiful, responsive, ADA-compliant websites without needing to write code. Broadcast extends that experience into physical spaces, transforming any screen into dynamic digital signage for wayfinding, security, or service promotion. Attend supports libraries in managing programs and events, including registration and outreach.

Reserve helps libraries coordinate and promote meeting rooms, study spaces, and equipment through a single interface, while Schedule enables appointment-based services such as passport support, tutoring, curbside pickup, or career counseling. Connect provides customers with an intuitive, custom-branded mobile app that brings the library experience directly to their phone, anytime and anywhere. Anything patrons can do in the library, they can do on their phone.

Communico also supports in-branch engagement through Interact, a self-service kiosk experience that enables customers to check out materials, search resources, register for events, reserve rooms, schedule services, respond to surveys, and navigate the library. Roam further expands mobility by giving staff the ability to assist customers from anywhere, freeing them from the traditional circulation desk. Explore modernizes discovery itself, unifying a library’s resources, services, and programs into one seamless search experience.

Together, these tools operate as one fully integrated system, helping libraries run more effectively while delivering a consistent experience across every touchpoint. For example, customers of libraries using the Connect app can join any challenge directly from their phone, while staff can use Broadcast to display real-time leaderboards across library screens.

In recent years, Communico has also focused on integrating AI and natural language models into its platform to help libraries amplify their mission and deepen community impact. The rise of AI agents represents a major shift for libraries, says founder and CEO Paul Quelch.

“Think of them as a team of digital librarians—one that recommends resources, one that books spaces. Just like your team, they work together behind the scenes to support every part of library operations,” Quelch says. “AI isn’t here to replace librarians, but to empower them. AI can take on repetitive tasks like tagging metadata or generating reports—giving valuable time back so staff can spend more time with customers.”

“At Communico,” Quelch says, “we’ve designed our platform so that libraries stay fully in control. Librarians define what the AI agents know, how they speak, and what they can—and can’t—do. Every response and action is grounded in a library’s data and governance.”

D-Tech International

Founded in 2002, D-Tech provides automated self-service and security technologies for libraries. The company’s SMART lockers are secure and versatile self-service options for storing, charging, and lending digital devices, as well as browsing and checking out materials or picking up items on hold.

SMART Hold is a self-service locker system that allows patrons to pick up and return reserved items outside of a library’s normal business hours or even in a remote location. Patrons can open the lockers using their library card, and the software that controls the system is compatible with any library ILS.

SMART Lend extends this concept to items that patrons haven’t reserved already, broadening a library’s reach into community centers and other public locations. The touch screen built into the locker allows users to browse titles in the smart locker system’s collection and choose what they’d like to borrow.

SMART Charge is a self-service locker system for storing, charging, and distributing mobile devices to patrons—including laptops, tablets, Chromebooks, and mobile phones. Users can check out a fully charged device with their library card, and libraries can set their own rules and device lending periods.

With installations in 40 U.S. states and three continents, the lockers’ modular design allows libraries to mix and match features to create the perfect solution for their needs, says U.S. Sales Manager Anne Lawler. Libraries can request systems with any combination of these technologies, and the lockers can be customized with a library’s branding. The individual locker bays are available in different sizes, so libraries can lend oversized items such as “library of things” objects. With a weather-resistant, anti-corrosive finish, the lockers can be placed indoors or outdoors, and they support barcode, RFID, and even electromagnetic technology.

D-Tech has improved its products recently to make the systems more accessible, Lawler says. For instance, patrons who are visually impaired can hear the screen directions read aloud, and raised arrows on the control panel make the console easier to use. This responsiveness to customers’ needs is a hallmark of the company, which can build solutions to meet libraries’ exact requirements.

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