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Staff-less library opens at MRT station

The first "staff-less" library located at a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station opened yesterday evening, offering about 15,000 books targeted at teenagers and MRT commuters.

The "Ximen Open Book Smart Library" at the Ximen MRT station is the nation's second staff-less library; the Taipei Public Library had set up a pilot library in Neihu's Carrefour store in July last year.

The staff-less computer-operated library employs a radio frequency identification (RFID) system and a self check-in and check-outsystem, allowing residents to enter the library by inserting a RFID library card, scan the book and take a receipt from the computer, and return the book by dropping it off in a library return box.

Taipei Public Library chief Tseng Shu-hsian (曾淑賢) said the first staff-less library had attracted 9,000 library card applications and over 100,000 residents since it started operating. The success of the first staff-less library prompted the library to open a second one.

"We chose an MRT station as it's a commercial area and convenient [for readers]," she said.

Tseng said that the Ximen area was a popular destination for teenagers. Setting up a library in the Ximen MRT station could help promote reading among teenagers, a generation that reads the least.

"We included books for this generation, including magazines, comics, Internet literature and sports and travel books," she said.

Books that cater to a wider audience, such as literature, investment, religion and management, can also be found in the library.

Although the library has no staff members, Tseng said the RFID system provided faster and more convenient service. The technology also has an enhanced security system and has reduced theft, as users' information is kept in the system.

The library is open from 6am to 12pm. Interested readers can apply for a library card between 2pm and 7pm until July 13. Application forms and processing are also available at the Taipei Public Library's main library.
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