HIT->security systems pt.3

[Linda Young <597063@ICAN.NET>]

Linda,
>>   Sorry to be so slow in getting this info to you.  We had Spring Break
>>and then it has been hectic with everything and everyone after getting
>>back.  Here is the information I received:
>>
>>Unless schools have a different rep, you have no choice but to deal
>>with Mike Cunningham as he has this area.   Call 1-800-328-0067 and
>>they will give you an option for placing an order to getting to your
>>sales rep.
>>I forgot to say that I hear that you do not want Checkpoint that uses
>>the magnetic strip.  If you go Checkpoint, you want to use the old
>>system which I think was some sort of radio frequency or something.
>>But when they tried to get in the business of magnetic strips in
>>order to take some of the customers from 3M, it didn't seem to work
>>well.  They tell me that if we think we have false alarms, we don't
>>know what false alarms are!!  That's about all I know about them.
>>
>>
>>When we opened our new school 3 years ago I did a lot of
>>research at the time and asked the same question on LM_NET and got many
>>replies.  There were so many people who were unhappy with 3M, mainly in
>>terms of support, I didn't consider them even though they are the
>>leaders
>>in the field.  I wasn't interested in Checkpoint's system and after
>>evaluating the replies I went with Gaylord's Guardian system.  I've been
>>very happy with it, particularly in terms of the responsiveness of the
>>local person who comes out if it acts up.  My co-librarian just
>>mentioned
>>to me the other days, some of the other vendors we deal with could learn
>>something from the way this guy responds.
>>At any rate, we've been happy and since the tags are the same as the 3M
>>system when we have our materials processed we have no trouble using the
>>3M tags.  Works just fine.
>>Checkpoint uses a different system (RF, isn't it?)  rather than
>>the magnetic stripe used by 3M and Gaylord.  Numerous people wrote that
>>the placement of the tag which activites the alarm was so obvious that
>>students routinely ripped them out -- NOT a pleasant thought considering
>>the expense and hassle of putting them in in the first place.
>>Since I haven't looked at systems for 3 years, Checkmate may have
>>changed
>>this.  Hope this helps.
>>
>>
>>Our library has the 3M tattletape system.   We had it in our old
>>building
>>and upgraded it when we moved to our new building in 1993.   We like it.
>>
>>  While we don't have a big problem with book theft, we do have a BIG
>>problem with students tearing journal articles out of the periodicals.
>>Sometimes we're lucky that the article they want is on a page where the
>>security strip is, so the alarm will go off.   We're still working on
>>that one!
>>The maintenance contract for the system is expensive, and we don't need
>>it often.  Due to the increase in the price of the contract, we
>>seriously
>>debated whether we should renew it this year or not; we did end up
>>renewing it.   Since I'm not in the Circulation Dept, I'm not totally
>>sure, but I believe it covers the two gates and the 3
>>sensitizing/desensitizing units we have.
>>We did have one instance where one gate was not detecting anything - we
>>checked it by walking through with items we knew were stripped.   We
>>called the serviceman in, and he discovered that the leaves on one of
>>the
>>large plants we use to decorate/camouflague the gates was covering the
>>sensor!!!   We rearranged the leaves and that took care of the problem.
>>3M offers a variety of tattletapes designed for the various AV formats,
>>and we use them all.   We also purchased their smaller sensitizing and
>>desensitizing units for magnetic materials.   They were not expensive,
>>and allows us to protect the audio and video cassettes in our
>>collection.
>>  Since CDs are not magnetic, the strips for that format can be run
>>through the book sensitizing/desensitizing units with no problems.
>>One thing to keep in mind regardless of the system you choose.
>>Convenience stores are now routinely (at least in our area) putting mini
>>security strips on candy bars, gum, breath mints, cigarette packs, etc.
>>
>>We have many instances of the alarm going off and the student getting
>>very upset because they don't have any library materials (or something
>>that hasn't been checked out properly).   We explain that the textbook
>>publishers often put security tags in the textbooks (mainly because of
>>the larger universities that have open shelf bookstores); we desensitize
>>their textbooks for them.  If that doesn't work, we start asking if they
>>have any candy, mints, etc.   This is often the culprit.   We do our
>>best
>>to explain this to the students, show them the mini tag, and desensitize
>>it for them; we feel that the time and effort spent in explaining goes a
>>long way to calm them down and help our image at the same time.   You
>>probably won't have the textbook problem, but you may have the problem
>>with the candy bars!
>>One last thing I would suggest.....Place your sensitizing/desensitizing
>>units on pull-out trays at your circ desk.   This allows easy handling
>>of
>>the oversized books as well as easy access to the unit for maintenance
>>or
>>to retrieve things that fall behind it!
>>We have two gates (separate entrance and exit).  We have benches on
>>either side of the gates (against the windows) and have the plants
>>between the two security gates so the students don't slip through.   The
>>plants, of varying sizes, are the camouflague.
>>
>>windows       entrance   exit          windows
>>                                     *
>>     bench            |      |   |      |         bench
>>                           *         *        *
>>                   plant/gate/plant/gate/plant
>>
>>We left the small space between the benches and doors for those times
>>that something (perhaps a ref book a faculty member is borrowing, but
>>has
>>a permanent strip) simply will not desensitize.   A staff member will
>>take the material(s) and hand it to the person on the door side of the
>>gate.
>>
>>Hope my "diagram" transmits properly!!!

LInda YOung
Hannibal Jr.-Sr. High Library
Hannibal, NY   13074
597063@ican.net
>>
>>

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