AUK Library Holds Second Annual Open House

The Library at the American University of Kuwait (AUK) held its' second annual Open House on Thursday, February 13, for members of the AUK community. Such events provide the library with an opportunity to introduce new technological features and resources that enhance the library experience, as well as a chance to meet with members of the AUK community and increase student engagement with the library. At this Open House, the Library showcased a new system, the first of its' kind in Kuwait, that enables library patrons to serve themselves when checking out library items; the 3M SelfCheck kiosk.

Ms. Asma Al-Kanan, Library Director, explained that the idea behind holding an Open House is to create an opportunity for the Library to share new resources, showcase library-related technology, and educate users on ways to fully benefit from the library resources, on and off campus. "This year, we were pleased to unveil the 3M SelfCheck kiosk and were excited to show our visitors how easy the process of borrowing books has become. Our library is the first library in Kuwait to offer this self-service facility, and that is something we are proud of," said Al-Kanan.

The 3M SelfCheck kiosk will improve the customer service experience within the library. It will speed the circulation process, and allow users to borrow and return items when the circulation desk is closed or if the library staff is unavailable.

In addition to unveiling the SelfCheck kiosk, the AUK Library, in collaboration with academic publishers SAGE Journals and Emerald Database, held competitions during the Open House where visitors had the chance to win Kindle E-Readers, as well as vouchers. More than 200 people participated in the quiz contests to win the Kindle E-Readers.

Released by the Office of Public Affairs on the 20th February 2014