Radio Frequency Identification technology on libraries

Abstract

The concept of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) can be simplified to that of an electronic barcode and can be used to identify, track, sort or detect library holdings at the circulation desk and in the daily stock maintenance. This system, consist of smart RFID labels, hardware and software, provides libraries with more effective way of managing their collections while providing greater customer service to their patrons. The technology works through flexible, paper-thin smart labels, approximately "2cmX2cm" in size, which allows it to be placed on the inside cover of each book in a library’s collection. The tag consists of an fixed antenna and a tiny chip which stores vital bibliographic data including a unique Accession number to identify each item. This contrasts with a barcode label, which does not store any information, but only points to a database. These smart labels are applied directly on library books and can be read with an RFID interrogator/scanner. Line of sight is not essential for reading the tags with the scanner, therefore, the books require much less human handling to be read and processed. A middleware or Savant software integrates the reader hardware with the existing Library Automation Software for seamless functioning of circulation