Due to the unwarranted trespassing of outside visitors into the Undergraduate Branch Library, a new entry system of cardkey-operated electronic turnstiles was installed at the main and rear entrances in September as part of a functional reinforcement plan to the existing electronic cardkey system.

The new system will be in full operation beginning from October, following a brief test-run period after the construction is complete.

The state-of-the-art system, reminiscent of ticketing gates at subway stations, is expected to prevent the encroachment of non-KAIST members and create a safer academic environment for students. Three stations and one handicapped access gate are positioned at the main entrance, while two stations are installed at the rear entrance.

Although an electronic cardkey system originally existed to bar the passage of outsiders, the main flaw with this previous system was that, with the swipe of only one card, it allowed the access of several people at once. This also meant that the possession of a student ID or visitor’s pass was not necessary in order to gain entrance into the library, because people could just wait for others to open the locked doors. As a result, the rule that forbade outside visitors to come without prior authorization was rendered obsolete, as many middle and high school students, among others, used the library’s facilities freely.

In contrast, the renovated system fundamentally follows a one-person-per-ID rule. An administrator will stand by at a close location to oversee this and deal with any technical difficulties.

The installation of electronic turnstiles was a project initiated in 2010 by the Undergraduate Student Council in response to numerous complaints concerning noise, theft and a lack of seats in reading rooms. Upon their request, the Academic Information and Management Team confirmed the idea and secured the necessary budget by the beginning of this year.

Approximately 80 million won was spent in the installation.

Although the Facilities Management Team was in charge of the construction, future issues regarding maintenance and operational control will be supervised by the Safety and Security Team.