Self-checkout machine contract snafu at Berkeley Public Library

What if your city had a Peace and Justice Commission which had the power to approve or deny contacts and vendor purchases based on whether the vendor signed a nuclear-free disclosure form? Well, the City of Berkeley does have such a commission, designed to help Berkeley comply with its Nuclear-Free Berkeley Act and Oppressive State Ordinance.

So here’s the problem: the Berkeley Public Library, which uses a Checkpoint self-checkout system (utilizing RFID, or radio-frequency identification), needs to sign a maintenance contract for the system. However, Checkpoint has outsourced its maintenance to 3M, so the city would be contracting with 3M.

However, 3M has refused to sign the City of Berkeley’s standard forms for contractors.

Real shocker? Library use increases in hard times

The Modesto Bee ran an article the other day to hghlight that people use libraries more in tough economic times. (Well, duh!) The article had great info on increases in library use nationwide as well as locally.

Increasingly, folks are turning to one of the best public institutions–the library!–to help them change careers, get training, or just cope with hard situations by free reading material, movies, books on tape, and programs like magicians and dinner theater for kids.

Some folks commented in the Modesto Bee article that the library is behind the times because it doesn’t offer wireless access. Well, word has it that wireless is in the works, but it’s taking time.