RFID Systems in LibrariesPart One: An Introduction
April 13, 2011
Speakers: Alan Gray and Rob Walsh
http://www.niso.org/news/events/2011/nisowebinars/rfidpartone/
RFID IN THE REAL [LIBRARY] WORLD
RFID in Libraries
Alan Gray, Assistant Director, Operations, Darien Library
Why Standards?
Standards protect your investment in RFID
future-proofing
allowing implementation of combined
systems.
Why Standards?
If a vendor isn’t acting in your interest by adopting standards rigorously, guess whose interests are being protected?
The Value Equation
Price against Value
The Costs of RFID
An RFID tag costs $.20 to $.40 more than a barcode
An RFID-enabled Library card costs $1.00 to $2.00 more than one with a barcode.
Materials management systems (automated returns and sorters) have no significant difference in cost between RFID and barcode, though combined systems have a somewhat higher cost
Benefits of RFID
Bottom line:
“Everything goes better with RFID”
Benefits of RFID
The true bottom line[s]:
You can’t justify RFID alone for circulation desk activities [payback greater than 10 years] but an RFID-enabled materials management system [automated return and sorting] can have a payback period as low as 4 years.
Benefits of RFID
Security is a close call: If you don’t have security and want it,
implementing RFID will give you security AND the benefits of RFID
RFID security is least-effective on metal substrate items such as CDs and DVDs, so that immediate issue is not completely addressed, but of course, that may not be an issue for many libraries in the mid-term future.
The [Future] Benefits of RFID The granularity of the new profile will
eventually allow RFID itself to be used for: Supply chain efficiencies Reads from the chip [no SIP calls] so that
systems cycle faster, are more efficient and are remotely-deployable
Interoperability among libraries when we can read each other’s tags [ILL]
The Decision for RFID
Every library considering new construction, expansion or significant re-purposing of existing space should seriously contemplate the very real benefits [current, near-term and future] of RFID.
Thanks
Lori Ayre of the Galecia Group has done some very interesting studies on materials management and RFID, and I thank her for her input.
www.galecia.com
NISO RFID Systems in Libraries
The Supply Chain Perspective
Rob Walsh, President & Co-founder, EnvisionWare, Inc.
Outline
•Why invest in RFID?
•RFID Technologies
•RFID Services
Why Invest in RFID?
Why invest in RFID?
•Efficiency Gains
•Stock Management
•Security
Efficiency Gains
•Self Check Out
•Easier than barcode
•Faster than barcode
•More flexible than barcode
Efficiency Gains
•Self Check In
•Slower than barcode
•Real-time check in
•Real-time sortation
•Decreases time from bin to shelf
Efficiency Gains
•Circulation Desk and Back Room Processing
•Easier than barcode
•Reduces item manipulation
•Speed dependent on implementation
Stock Management
•Inventory
•Item Tracking and Location
Security
•Books
•Magazines and Journals
•CD / DVD Media
RFID Technologies
RFID Technologies
•Tags
•ISO 18000-3 Mode 1
•HF 13.56 MHz
•Read range ~10-15 in.
RFID Technologies
•RFID Readers and Antennas
•One set per station
•Software must be RFID-aware
RFID Technologies•Tag Encoding
•Data format traditionally vendor-specific
•ISO 28560 approved
•NISO RP-6 Best Practices document updated to include US profile
•US profile based on ISO 28560 Part 2
RFID Technologies
•Tag Encoding
•Mobile encoding stations
•Any station with RFID reader, antenna, and encoding software can encode
RFID Technologies
•Tag Encoding
•Concentrated effort
•As part of circulation cycle
RFID Technologies
•Inventory Management
•Multi-function portable devices
•Any station with RFID reader, antenna, and inventory software can manage inventory
RFID Technologies
•Security
•Gates function like traditional EM gates but can identify individual items still secure
•Can integrate with software monitoring systems
RFID Technologies
•Self Check Out Stations
•Generally RFID-aware versions of traditional self check out stations
•May have special provisions for locking media
RFID Technologies
•Staff Processing Stations
•Generally software added to existing staff stations
•RFID processing might be integrated or “bolt-on”
RFID Technologies
•Self Check In (Automated Materials Handling / AMH)
•Single bin automated returns assist with strict item limits
•Sortation generally requires at least 2 or 3 bins
RFID Services
RFID Services
•Tag encoding
•Physical tag placement
•Tag printing
RFID Services
•Services might be provided:
•On-site
•At remote location