NISO Webinar: RFID Systems in Libraries Part 1: An Introduction

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