Media release

Council confirms EftPos for libraries

Posted On: Saturday, 5 July 2003

Council has given Hamilton City Libraries the go-ahead to install EftPos machines at all sites.

Libraries and museum manager Geoff Williams says he is excited about the opportunity to offer another service to the libraries' more than 60,000 customers.

"Over the past year we have concentrated on tailoring our services to better meet Hamilton's needs. Many of these changes were in the nature of improving current practices, such as rationalising our collection to have fewer items in the paid collection, and expanding the free collection.

"It's exciting to offer an entirely new service such as EftPos and I am interested to see how our customers respond, but they can certainly take this as a sign of future changes to the way we deliver technology based services," Mr Williams says.

Social and community committee chair Pippa Mahood says an EftPos service is the next appropriate step forward in the libraries' long-term information technology strategy.

"We are committed to keeping pace with our customers' changing technology and Hamilton City Libraries' comprehensive strategy is about providing the service people expect as of right in this day and age. EftPos, while it is likely to come at a cost, is a service Council felt justified approving given the community's expectation that EftPos be available wherever they go."

The libraries will be approaching suppliers soon to find the most cost-effective solution.