Hi all,
Thanks for your responses to my request for patron scanner recommendations! I’ve compiled the responses, attached the file, and included it in this message in case it’s helpful to you.
Deborah Haak
Accounts Technician
Three Rivers Public Library
269.273.8666
Please consider the environment before printing this email. Thank you!
We have several of these and they work well for patrons and our IT staff. (me)
When fixes or upgrades are installed, they log in and take care of it.
For a larger upgrade, they ship a fresh hard drive, which I’ll know more about in a week.
Don Bosman
Information Technologist
MSU Libraries
366 W. Circle Drive - Rm.W441
East Lansing, MI 48824-1048
517-884-0873
I’ve worked with both Envisionware’s Library Document Scanner (LDS) and Today’s Business Solution’s (TBS) Simple Scan. They’re both excellent.
Both can be used to scan or convert to all the usual places. Our current TBS Simple Scan can also be a fax machine and can translate pages into multiple languages. The Envisionware product we had at GDL could only scan one side at a time via the doc feeder on the bed scanner. The TBS has an additional scanner (in addition to the flat bed) that can scan both sides simultaneously, which is cool. Maybe LDS has a similar scanner, but we didn’t have it in Grand Blanc.
The TBS Simple Scan cost us just under $5,000 for all the equipment (screen/PC unit, and the two scanners). There is also a small, yearly maintenance fee.
We have an Epson GT-20000 that is networked, and the software is loaded on all of the patron PC's that are on that floor. Any PC can access it. It's a very capable scanner. We use one for our digital imaging, too. Don't know if Epson makes it still; I am sure they have a similar model now. But we also enabled scanning on our Xerox copy machines (along with email scanning - very popular and free vs $1/page for fax) and have found that it's much easier for the patrons to use. Our scanner sees little use now, and I am angling to remove it from the public floor. We had one at our branch that we have remove because it never gets used since the copy machines scan.
Mark Ehle
Computer Support Librarian
Willard Library
Battle Creek, MI
My library is purchasing a Simple Scan Station from BayScan Technologies. It is expensive - approximately $5,000 for the equipment and software and $900 per year for parts replacement and software updates. The Friends are paying half. Two other libraries in our area have the machine and they love it and usage is high. Patrons can scan to a USB device, email or Google docs and do not have to access the Internet. If you want to charge, there is a coin op system available for purchase.
Jacalynn Harvey
Director
Roseville Public Library
29777 Gratiot Avenue
Roseville, MI 48066
586-445-5407
586-445-5499 FAX
This should be available on your coin op copier. You would have to write directions, but it has been pretty easy.
Our self service scanner/fax services is an Envisionware Library Document System. Very easy self serve front end, but not cheap, we spent 7,000 $$ on it and think it was definitely worth it.
ConnieJo Ozinga
cjozinga@commercelibrary.info
We have 3 patron copiers that have scanning capabilities. It is 80% patron driven. We show the other 20% how to do it.
We always recommended it as an option to faxing.
Good luck.
Melissa McPherson
Willard Library