Projects

2020 -

LibraryCall - A project of The Galecia Group

LibraryCall - Services for Reaching Across the Digital Divide

Self-initiated project to provide services that would enable libraries to reach patrons without a broadband connection.  With libraries closed, we knew these were the people who needed our help.  From that inspiration, LibraryCall services were borne. We've created several services including:

Storytime Commons - a repository of high-quality, updated stories that we've adapted for the times. These are stories that our Dial-A-Story customers can select and schedule for their Dial-A-Story programs.  We pull stories from this collection for our Storytime Direct service.  Stories from the Storytime Commons are also available through Hoopla (see https://www.hoopladigital.com/artist/14735027315 for some examples) and Overdrive/Libby (search "Storytime Commons").

Dial-A-Story Studio - a service that enables libraries to implement their own Dial-A-Story service.  They can use our Storytime Direct stories and may upload their own.  Libraries set their own schedules, have as many phone numbers as they like, track their stats, and use our widgets so that the service is available to phone-only patrons as well as online patrons.

Storytime Direct - a service that allows libraries to deliver a new story every week without having to do any work to make it happen.  We push a new story from our Storytime Commons collection each week.  Libraries may have an English line or both an English and Spanish line.  We set you up with the phone numbers, widgets for online users to enjoy the stories, and all the library needs to do is let people know about the service.  Couldn't be easier or more affordable to reach across the digitial divide.

Resource Hotline - tools to deliver timely information to people by phone.  Our interface makes it easy for libraries to change the content that gets delivered, and track how callers use the service. Callers can leave messages, be routed to another number (e.g. another community resource) or listen to recordings prepared by staff.

More information about the services (and others we have in the works) at LibraryCall.com.

2023 - current

Santa Clara County Library District

Santa Clara County Library District Automated Materials Handling Replacement Project

The consultation with SCCLD has included several phases starting with evaluating the current automated materials handling system and providing recommendations for improving materials handling operations.  Lori Ayre worked with the library to

2024 - current

Whold World Kids

Whole World Kids - children's audiobook app

The LibraryCall project involved developing a colleciton of children's audiobooks that are delivered online and via telephone. The services utilizing the children's audiobook collection are LibraryCall Storytime Direct and Dial-a-Story Studio. Building on the success of these services, we decided to develop an audiobook app that would allow children to listen to the stories from their devices - without requiring the user to be online and without requiring internet access.  Once installed, all the stories are stored on the device so kids can listen to the stories anytime and anywhere.

2022 - 2025

Los Angeles County Library

LA County Library Materials Handling and Distribution Assessment of Facilities Services and Logistics

LA County Library provides services to over 3.5 million residents living in unincorporated areas and to residents from 49 of the 88 incorporated cities within the County,
with a service area that extends over 3,000 square miles. Library houses a collection of 7.5 million books and materials, including DVDs and CDs, with an annual circulation of 3.3 million items. Each card-holder may request and hold up to fifty (50) items, which are then delivered to the patron’s community library through interlibrary loans within the LA County Library system, resulting in a total of 1.7 million annual holds.

The Library selected Lori Ayre to complete a comprehensive business process assessment of its current materials handling and distribution process, including a cost/benefit analysis for an automated materials handling system (AMH).

May, 2023 - 2024

RAILS (Reaching Across Illinois Library System)

Expand Resource Sharing Opportunities to Non- and Under-Automated Libraries

Support the RAILS consortium through a process to automate under- and non-automated libraries so they can partcipate in the Find More Illinois resource sharing environment.  The engagement includes evaluating the offering from AutoGraphics to

2022 - 2024

Free Library of Philadelphia

Free Library of Philadelphia Logistics Consultation

The purpose of this engagement was to assist the Library in addressing the backlog of deliveries between libraries.  At the start of the engagement, the Library was backlogged by as many as 30,000 items. Over the course of the engagement, several solutions were proposed for addressing the immediate backlog and for ensuring that the status of deliveries were more closely monitored to ensure measures could be taken in advance of another backlog occuring.

2017-2023

Seattle Public Library

Seattle Public Library Automated Materials Handling Consultation

The Seattle Public Library purchased a cutting edge automated materials handling system in 2004 when it opened its new main library. While the system continues to function, it has experienced substantial wear and tear of the last 13 years.  The Library decided it was time to explore the automated materials handling marketplace to evaluate whether it was time to replace the system.  

As part of the consultation, Lori Ayre evaluated the cost of ownership of the system over the years and worked with staff to understand what was working well and what wasn't working well. She worked with the SPL team to explore opportunities available from the existing AMH vendor as well as other vendors providing competitive solutions and is assisting the library throughout their evaluation of options.

2021 - 2023

Regina Public Library

RFID and AMH Consultation with Regina Public Library (Saskatechewan)

Regina Public Library (RPL) is in the early stages of its Central Library Renewal initiative. Begun in 2019 with a comprehensive Needs Assessment and Project Plan for Central Library Renewal, the project includes a plan to upgrade the library system to RFID and implement automated materials handling (AMH). The Library seeks a consultant to ensure staff understand the RFID and AMH market options and opportunities that are available and to provide recommendations for identifying products and/or functionality that would benefit the Library and help RPL achieve their strategic goals.

Lori Ayre will work with the library to:

• Review and provide feedback to internally developed AMH Assessment
• Supplement existing AMH space assessment as needed
• Provide information about state-of-the-art products in the following categories:
  • Materials induction systems
  • Sorting systems
  • RFID gates for more than just security
  • RFID shelving solutions
  • New, innovative products based on RFID
• Provide RFID and AMH recommendations and act as broker with regard to potential vendors and suppliers
• Assist with procurement of RFID and possibly AMH
• Assist with planning for RFID and AMH implementation

2018 -2023

Bookpoints Project

Bookpoints - Library Summer Reading Program

BookPoints is a free, open source online application that libraries can use to build custom summer reading websites. The software was originally developed with the California Library Association (CLA) and Library of Virginia with support from IMLS via LSTA grants.  After the grant period ended, The Galecia Group continued to develop the software and provided hosting and support for libraries interested in getting help using the free, open source software. Bookpoints was supported through summer reading season in 2023.  As of 2024, The Galecia Group will support a different summer reading solution called EasySRP. See https://easysrp.com/ for more information.

2022 - 2023

Palo Alto City Library

Palo Alto Automated Materials Handling and Self-Check Consultation for Palo Alto City Library

In 2014, the Library implemented their first automated materials handling systems at their two busiest branches.