Wellington, Kan. - Libraries within Wellington School District No. 353 may be getting a technology boost within the next few months, as librarians request a new automation system for the district. The last time the automation system — which helps check out and check in books — had been updated was in 1993, before the Internet had really taken flight and before wireless technology became wide spread. Librarian Sarah House says the new automation system is badly needed because no updates or technical support is being offered by their current system, Spectrum. “If our system breaks down, we’re in trouble. It’s a big band aid right now and hopefully by the end of the school year, there will be no more band aid,” she said. House, who is in charge of the libraries at the Wellington High and Middle Schools may have an easy time compared to her fellow librarian Denise Brown. Brown works at all the local elementary schools and still has card catalogs to contend with for each school. The new proposed automation system will not only catalog books and keep track of who has what, but will also be able to keep students on track with reading books within their lexile or reading level, allow them to browse for books online and update parents on possible overdue books before fees become involved. Alexandria is the premier cross platform library automation software system used in thousands of libraries worldwide. Locally, the system is used in school libraries in Arkansas City and Oxford. The company has over 17 years of experience with library systems and has worked with big-name companies such as Apple and Net Trakker. The system would require its own server and in total may cost the district up to $37,000. House says money going toward the library is money for all students — not a selected few. “Everyone will get to use this system and every single student will get the benefits of it,” she said. Alexandria will not only allow students and parents options they never had before — to keep track of what their child is reading, how their reading levels have improved or dropped, and to search online for a book — but upgrade the library’s technology as well. Bluetooth wireless scanners will be used to scan yearly inventory on books, and the automation system itself will require little tech support, with regular updates done automatically through the year. “We still have the big boxy scanners — the original ones that came out. We use them but we never know if they are scanning correctly and they’re a hassle,” said Brown. The two are hoping the board will take action on their proposal soon — seeing as Alexandria will give them a price break and it will be crunching time for the installation and training on the new system. “Right now we are going forward as if it’s going to happen,” said House. That means exporting a list of the 60,000 plus books off of the system and sending it in to be updated by Alexandria. While a timely process, all books will be put into subject headings and categorized according to the latest categories by the Library of Congress — something the school libraries currently don’t have. That will take approximately four weeks to get everything cleared up and then, if approved by the school board will take another two to three weeks to get and install before training is to take place. “We’re hoping, if we get the new system, to have the libraries open on the first day of school,” said House. Though the vote is yet to take place, the librarian hopes for a positive outcome. “Everything eventually wears out and becomes obsolete. I think this is the best fit for us,” House said.