3M has taken a different route to get to its laser print cost recovery solution. The 3M™ Public Access Management System first personalizes and secures the user experience at public access PCs, then optionally enables pay for print services. How does this separate 3M from the other providers of the technology? It brings a significant user benefit to the solution in addition to the organizational benefits.

The technology is a part of the Security Systems Division of 3M, a St. Paul, Minnesota based diversified technology company that is responsible for $16 billion in annual sales. The company has been a global leader in library technology for more than 30 years, providing the technologies that protect, track and manage billions of library materials around the world.

The Public Access Management System is based around a single smart card that enables borrowing of materials, fine and fee payments, pay-for-print services, and PC scheduling. It enables Internet site control and filtering to control access to online resources. And it enables users to personalize their session on a public access PC by maintaining customized web browser settings such as bookmarks, favorites, histories, even personal virtual file storage–all in a secure, confidential manner. When the card is removed from the reader, the session ends and all personalized information and histories are erased.

Program benefits include:

• Efficient print cost recovery
• Customized Internet access
  management & customer privacy
• Essential compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act, as well as First Amendment adult rights
• Easy scheduling and time
  management of public access PCs
• Personalized public access PC work sessions

To date, 3M has focused its Public Access Management System on the public library market. It is currently utilized by some of the nation’s largest public libraries, including Maricopa County Library District in Phoenix, Arizona and the Albuquerque County Library System in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

3M is aiming squarely at the college and university market due to the rising desire for the product’s unique ability to customize user sessions at public access PCs coupled with its additional abilities for pay-for-print, PC reservation, and filtering. You can already find 3M technology at your local public library … look for it to soon make inroads into your university’s libraries and labs.

Partial list of customers:
Albuquerque (NM) County Library System
Auburn Hills Public Library - Auburn Hills, MI
Broome Cty Public Library - Binghamton, NY
Hickory Public Library - Hickory, NC
Killeen Public Library - Kileen, TX

To contact 3M regarding the 3M Public Access Management System, visit www.3M.com/us/library or call 1-800-253-6843, extension CR80.