Automated Tour Guides for the Library

1
Automated Tour Guides for the Library

• LSE Library Communications Group

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Decision Issues

• Cost / Budget - ???
• Technology / Lifespan
• Control of content by Library
• Protection of Library environment
• Operating workload for Library staff
• Support for multi-purpose content
• Special-needs support
• Theft protection

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How do they work?

• Most are adapted MP3 players
• Record a number of indexed spoken messages
• (how many will we need? how long?)
• Selected message chosen by user on keypad (so
  needs distinctive signing), or triggered by
  transmitter at each location
• Initial user / staff choice of tour by language /
  purpose
• Returned to recharge / upload rack

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Defining the Tour(s)

• Staff or supplier can record messages
• How professional a production job do we want?
• How often might we want to change content?
• How easy is this with different devices?
• Devices can contain 1 or several complete tours
  (different languages, purposes)
• How many different tours would we want?
• Routine admin
• (issue / return / recharge of devices)

5
User interface

• Staff or user must select which tour
• Max volume can be restricted
• User must select message numbers (guided by
  distinctive signage)
• OR
• Device responds to location transmitters, and
  automatically plays correct message
• Some devices cater better for users with limited
  sight

6
Theft protection

• Some devices have inbuilt security alarm (to
  prevent removal from site)
• BUT
• Others could be fitted with 3M tattle-tapes by
  us, and be protected by our existing book
  security system
• Issue / return point would need to be inside
  existing entrance turnstiles

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Economics

• Current staff costs of tour-guiding ???
• Capital / lease costs of selected system
• Cost of location transmitters OR signage
• Staff / supplier costs of tour set-up
• Staff costs of system management
• PR value of increased capacity for tourism of
  the Library

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Guide to costs

• Typically a rack of 25 units is minimum system
• Initial installation and staff training
  500-700
• Leasing/maintenance 300-500 / month
• Purchase ???

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Suppliers

• Acoustiguide (demo at 1300 on Tue 16 April)
• Alice Black alice.black_at_accoustiguide.co.uk
• (tel) 020 7269 6444
• Antenna Audio (demo at 1400 on Thu 11 April)
• Sofie Anderson sanderson_at_antennaaudio.com
• (tel) 020 7740 1155
• Black Box (demo at 1130 on Thu 11 April)
• Simon Markey sales_at_blackboxav.co.uk
• (tel) 01639 767007