LIBRARY CHANGES: New printing/copying system on the way to all locations

If you use a Seattle Public Library branch for printing/copying services – take note that a new system will be installed at all locations next month. Here’s the announcement we just received:

This November, The Seattle Public Library is upgrading to a new print and copy system to offer patrons more options for printing. Public printers and copiers at all Library locations will be replaced.

The new system will:

· Allow payment by credit card at print release kiosks
· Make change for cash payments
· Offer a wide variety of paper sizes
· Provide color printing
· Provide higher speed printing and copying

Replacing the current print and copy system will begin Monday, Nov. 6 and should be completed by Monday, Nov. 27.

Patrons will no longer pay for print services online — all payments can be made through the print release kiosk at the copier or printer. Copy machines will now accept both credit and cash payments.

Printing and copying prices will remain the same:

· $.15 for a single-sided black and white page (8.5″ x 11″ and 8.5″ x 14″)
· $.30 for a single-sided black and white page (11″ x 17″)
· $.50 for a single-sided color page (8.5″ x 11″ and 8.5″ x 14″)
· $1 for a single-sided color page (11″ x 17″)

For more information, visit our Using Library Equipment page, call the Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.

1994 October 24, 2017 (9:25 pm)

Is this why the library sent me the following confusing e-mail yesterday? I am pretty sure I don’t have a balance on their printing system. If I made an error, I guessing there could be perhaps 10 cents. Hardly worth the paperwork and employee time to forward on to the DOR.

The Seattle Public Library Logo

Dear Patron:

In compliance with Washington State Law RCW 63.20 regarding unclaimed personal property, The Seattle Public Library has turned over the balance in your printing and copying account to the Washington State Department of Revenue. The law specifies that if there is no activity in an account for a period of two years, the account balance must be transferred to the state.

Your account balance is below the state cutoff threshold for mandatory notification to the account holder. The Library is notifying you as a courtesy so that you have an opportunity to reclaim your balance.

Along with the balance transfer, The Seattle Public Library has also turned over to the state all the contact information for you that the Library has in our records. The Washington State Department of Revenue maintains a website at http://www.claimyourcash.org to assist in recovering your money. The site will list a range of values for each amount on file.

For more information, contact Ask A Librarian.

WSB October 24, 2017 (9:44 pm)

Interesting! I’ll ask.
- Kiwi October 26, 2017 (5:52 pm)
  
  Any word? I received the same email!
  - WSB October 26, 2017 (6:38 pm)
    
    I didn’t get to send the followup inquiry until today. Hoping for a reply tomorrow.

R0b0 October 24, 2017 (10:51 pm)

Could you also inquire about the privacy protections of this new system? How long until the scans in the cache are erased and are all or parts of the system farming or transmitting any data to the library system or third parties? What privacy protections are in place for the scans on the network until they are printed out or downloaded? Thanks!

Diane October 25, 2017 (12:46 am)

sounds like some good improvements; but I still go to KCLS branches where printing is FREE, 75 units per week; b/w count as 1 unit; color counts as 3 units; it’s totally worth the drive down to White Center library when I need to print 60+ pages

WSB October 27, 2017 (3:40 pm)

I may not get to write a separate followup – huge backlog of stuff to write still – so here’s the full answer i just received from SPL’s Laura Gentry:

“The Library’s move to a new printing & copying system began about four years ago. The Library also started working to manage account balances in our old printing & copying system last year. By coincidence, both of these connected projects are finishing up at roughly the same time.

Patrons who had balances transferred to the Washington State Department of Revenue had not used their accounts for at least two years, dating back to June 2015 or earlier. As stated in the email, Washington State law requires all unclaimed account balances to be turned over to the state. The average account balance of these patrons was less than $4.

As for the question of patron privacy under the new system, there are several pieces to that:

· Print jobs are encrypted as they are created.

· Print and copy activity is retained for only one day to allow Library staff to assist with any technical problems a patron might encounter.

· The print management system purges print activity every night.

· The printers and copiers themselves perform a disk wipe each night of print and copy activity.

· The credit card vendor will have a record of any credit card charges, but only the payment amount.

· The copier vendor will only track toner usage for the purposes of replacing toner

· The Library tracks, in aggregate, the volume and type of use to ensure the system is meeting patrons’ needs.

If patrons have any questions or concerns about their individual accounts, they can contact us at 206-386-4636 or use our Ask a Librarian contact form.”

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