1. Introduction
RFID is an acronym for Radio Frequency Identification. It is a know-how that enables an merchandise, for instance a library e-book to be tracked and communicated with by radio waves. This know-how is comparable in idea to a Cell Phone.
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, is a broad time period for applied sciences that use radio waves to robotically determine folks or objects. There are a number of strategies of identification, however the commonest is to retailer a serial quantity that identifies an individual or object, and maybe different info, on a microchip that’s connected to an antenna (the chip and the antenna collectively are known as an RFID transponder or an RFID tag). The antenna allows the chip to transmit the identification info to a reader. The reader converts the radio waves mirrored again from the RFID tag into digital info that may then be handed on to computer systems that may make use of it.
2.Concept of RFID for Libraries
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is the most recent know-how for use in library circulation operations and theft detection methods. RFID-based methods transfer past safety to develop into monitoring methods that mix safety with extra environment friendly monitoring of supplies all through the library, together with simpler and sooner cost and discharge, inventorying, and supplies dealing with.
This know-how helps librarians cut back useful employees time spent scanning barcodes whereas trying out and checking in borrowed gadgets.
RFID is a mixture of radio -frequency-based know-how and microchip know-how. The info contained on microchips within the tags affixed to library supplies is learn utilizing radio frequency know-how no matter merchandise orientation or alignment (i.e., the know-how doesn’t require line-of-sight or a hard and fast airplane to learn tags as do conventional theft detection methods). The RFID gates on the library exit(s) may be as large as 4 ft as a result of the tags may be learn at a distance of as much as two ft by every of two parallel exit gate sensors.
2.1 Components of an RFID System
A complete RFID system has 4 elements:
(1) RFID tags which might be electronically programmed with distinctive info;
(2) Readers or sensors to question the tags;
(3) Antenna; and
(4) Server on which the software program that interfaces with the built-in library software program is loaded.
2.1.1Tags
The coronary heart of the system is the RFID tag, which may be mounted inside a e-book’s again cowl or immediately onto CDs and movies. This tag is provided with a programmeable chip and an antenna. Each paper-thin tag comprises an engraved antenna and a microchip with a capability of a minimum of 64 bits. There are three forms of tags: “read only”, “WORM,” and “learn/write.
“Tags are “read only” if the identification is encoded on the time of manufacture and never rewritable.
“WORM” (Write-Once-Read-Many)” tags are programmed by the utilizing group, however with out the power of rewriting them later.
“Read/write tags,” that are chosen by most libraries, can have info modified or added. In RFID library, it’s common to have a part of the learn/write tag secured in opposition to rewriting, e.g., the identification variety of the merchandise.
2.1.2 Readers
The reader powers an antenna to generate an RF discipline. When a tag passes by the sector, the knowledge saved on the chip within the tag is interpreted by the reader and despatched to the server, which, in flip, communicates with the Integrated library system when the RFID system is interfaced with it.
RFID exit gate sensors (readers) at exits are mainly two varieties. One kind reads the knowledge on the tag(s) going by and communicates that info to a server. The server, after checking in opposition to the circulation database, activate an alarm if the fabric shouldn’t be correctly checked-out. Another kind depends on a “theft” byte within the tag that’s turned on or off to point out that the merchandise has been charged or not. It is then not mandatory to speak with the circulation database.
Readers in RFID library are used within the following methods:
Conversion station-where library knowledge is written to the tag;
Staff workstation at circulation- used to cost and discharge library supplies;
Self check-out station-used to check-out library supplies with out employees help;
Self check-in station-used to examine in books and so forth. with out employees help;
Exit sensors- to confirm that every one the books and so forth. leaving the library have been checked-out;
Book-drop reader- used to robotically discharge library supplies and reactivate safety.
Sorter and conveyor-automated system for returning books and so forth. to correct space of library;
Hand-held reader-used for inventorying and verifying that books and so forth. are shelved appropriately.
2.1.3 Antenna
The antenna produces radio indicators to activate the tag and skim and write knowledge to it. Antennas are the channels between the tag and the reader, which controls the system’s knowledge acquisitons and communication. The electromagnetic discipline produced by an antenna may be continuously current when a number of tags are anticipated regularly. Antennas may be constructed right into a doorframe to obtain tag knowledge from particular person’s issues passing by the door.
2.1.4 Server
The server is the center of some complete RFID methods. It is the communications gateway among the many numerous elements. It receives the knowledge from a number of of the readers and exchanges info with the circulation database. Its software program consists of the SIP/SIP2 (Session Initiation Protocol), APIs (Applications Programming Interface) NCIP or SLNP essential to interface it with the built-in library software program. The server usually features a transaction database in order that reviews may be produced.
2.2 Optional Components
Optional RFID system consists of the next three elements:
1. RFID Label Printer
2. Handheld Reader
3. External Book Return
1. RFID label Printer
An RFID-printer is used to print the labels with a person barcode, library emblem and so forth. When the print is utilized, it concurrently programmed the info in to the chip. After this course of, the RFID label is taken from the printer and self-adhered to the e-book. It additionally checks every RFID label for perform.
2. Handheld Reader/Inventory Wand
The transportable Handheld Reader or stock wand may be moved alongside the gadgets on the cabinets with out touching them. The knowledge goes to a storage unit, which may be downloaded at a server in a while, or it will probably go to a unit, which is able to transmit it to the server utilizing wi-fi know-how. The stock wand will cowl three necessities:
· Screen the entire e-book assortment on the cabinets for stock management.
· Search for books, that are mis-shelved.
· Search for particular person e-book requested.
Other functions may be written for the stock wand, because the system makes use of a private knowledge terminal (PDT).
3. External Book Return
Libraries can supply a definite service, which may be very helpful for customers like skill to return books throughout off hours. External e-book return is a machine with a slot with a chip RFID reader built-in into the wall. It works the identical approach because the Self Check –Out Station. The person identifies himself/herself (if required by the library), after which places the e-book(s) in to the slot. Upon finishing his/her return, the person will obtain a receipt exhibiting what number of and which books have been returned. Since they’ve already been checked-in, they will go immediately again onto the cabinets. These models can be used with sorter and conveyor methods.
3. Key Features of RFID in library
The reliability of the system, its ease of operation, and the pliability of tagging every kind of media simply, is vital standards in selecting an RFID system. The primary intention for at this time’s libraries to undertake RFID is the necessity to enhance effectivity and cut back value. Automation and self-service will help libraries of all sizes towards attaining these goals, and RFID has the added benefit that it will probably additionally present safety for the vary of various media on supply in libraries. The know-how may also enhance circulation and stock management, which helps to optimise the allocation of labour and monetary assets. This implies that libraries can relieve their skilled workers of routine work and operational duties.
All of the tags utilized in RFID know-how for libraries are “passive.” The energy to learn the tags comes from the reader or exit sensor (reader), fairly than from a battery inside the tag.
A couple of libraries use “sensible” card, which is an RFID card with additional encryption, is an alternative to merely adding an RFID tag on staff and user identification cards. Not only does that identify users for issue and return of library materials, but also for access to restricted areas or services. This would make it possible to make it into a “debit” card, with worth added upon pre-payment to the library and worth subtracted when a person used a photocopier, printer, or different fee-based gadget, or wished to pay fines or charges.
3.1 Speedy and Easy User self-charging/discharging
The use of RFID reduces the period of time required to carry out circulation operations. This know-how helps librarians remove useful employees time spent scanning barcodes whereas trying out and checking in borrowed gadgets. For the customers, RFID accelerates the borrowing and returns procedures. The Library professionals, as a substitute of scanning bar codes all day lengthy in entrance of a queue of customers, are launched for extra productive and fascinating duties. Staff is relieved additional when readers are put in in e-book drops.
3.2 Reliability
The readers are extremely dependable. Several distributors of RFID library methods declare an nearly 100 p.c detection price utilizing RFID tags.
Some RFID methods have an interface between the exit sensors and the circulation software program to determine the gadgets shifting out of the library. Were a library person to expire of the library and never be catched, the library would a minimum of know what had been stolen. If the person card additionally has an RFID tag, the library can even be capable to decide who eliminated the gadgets with out correctly charging them.
Other RFID methods encode the circulation standing on the RFID tag. This is completed by designating a bit because the “theft” bit and turning it off at time of charge and on at time of discharge. If the material that has not been properly charged is taken past the exit gate sensors, an immediate alarm is triggered. Another option is to use both the “theft” bit and the net interface to an built-in library system, the primary to sign an instantaneous alarm and the second to determine what has been taken out.
3.3 High-speed inventorying
A novel benefit of RFID methods is their skill to scan books on the cabinets with out tipping them out or eradicating them. A hand-held stock reader may be moved quickly throughout a shelf of books to learn the entire distinctive identification info. Using wi-fi know-how, it’s attainable not solely to replace the stock, but additionally to determine gadgets, that are out of correct order.
3.4 Automated supplies dealing with
Another software of RFID know-how is automated supplies dealing with. This consists of conveyor and sorting methods that may transfer library supplies and kind them by class into separate bins or onto separate carts. This considerably reduces the quantity of employees time required to prepared supplies for re-shelving.
3.5 Tag life
RFID tags last more than barcodes as a result of, the know-how doesn’t require line-of-sight. Most RFID distributors declare a minimal of 100,000 transactions earlier than a tag might should be changed.
4. Demerits of RFID Systems
4.1 High value
The main drawback of RFID know-how is its value. While the readers and gate sensors used to learn the knowledge usually value round $1,500 to $2,500 every; and the tags value $.40 to $.75 every.
4.2 Accessibility to compromise
It is feasible to compromise an RFID system by wrapping the protected materials in two to a few layers of bizarre family foil to dam the radio sign. It can be attainable to compromise an RFID system by inserting two gadgets in opposition to each other in order that one tag overlays one other. That might cancel out the indicators. This requires information of the know-how and cautious alignment.
4.3 Removal of uncovered tags
RFID tags are usually affixed to the within again cowl and are uncovered for elimination. This implies that there can be issues when customers develop into extra accustomed to the position of the tags. In Indian libraries this can be a main problem to maintain the tags intact.
4.4 Exit gate sensor (Reader) issues
While the short-range readers used for circulation cost and discharge and inventorying seem to learn the tags 100 p.c of the time, the efficiency of the exit gate sensors is extra problematic. They all the time don’t learn tags at as much as twice the space of the opposite readers. There is not any library that has performed a earlier than and after stock to find out the loss price when RFID is used for safety.
4.5 Invasion of User Privacy
Privacy issues related to item-level tagging is one other important barrier to library use of RFID tags. The drawback with at this time’s library RFID system is that the tags comprise static info that may be comparatively simply learn by unauthorized tag readers. This permits for privateness points described as “tracking” and “hotlisting”.
Tracking refers back to the skill to trace the actions of a e-book (or particular person carrying the e-book) by “correlating multiple observations of the book’s bar code” or RFID tag. Hotlisting refers back to the means of constructing a database of books and their related tag numbers (the hotlist) after which utilizing an unauthorized reader to find out who’s trying out gadgets within the hotlist.
4.6 Reader collision
One drawback meet with RFID is the sign from one reader can intervene with the sign from one other the place protection overlaps. This known as reader collision. One method to keep away from the issue is to make use of a method known as time division a number of entry, or TDMA. In easy phrases, the readers are instructed to learn at completely different instances, fairly than each attempting to learn on the similar time. This ensures that they do not intervene with one another. But it means any RFID tag in an space the place two readers overlap will likely be learn twice.
4.7 Tag collision
Another drawback readers have is studying quite a lot of chips in the identical discipline. Tag conflict happens when a couple of chip displays again a sign on the similar time, complicated the reader. Different distributors have developed completely different methods for having the tags reply to the reader one after the other. Since they are often learn in milliseconds, it seems that all of the tags are being learn concurrently.
4.8 Lack of Standard
The tags utilized by library RFID distributors should not appropriate even after they conform to the identical requirements as a result of the present requirements solely search digital compatibility between tags and readers. The sample of encoding info and the software program that processes the knowledge differs from vendor to vendor, due to this fact, a change from one vendor’s system to the opposite would require retagging all gadgets or modifying the software program.
5. Best Practices pointers for Libraries
As libraries are implementing RFID methods, you will need to develop finest practices pointers to make the most of the know-how in finest approach and to maintain the privateness concern away. The following could also be one of the best practices pointers for library RFID use:
· The Library must be open about its use of RFID know-how together with offering publicly obtainable paperwork stating the rational for utilizing RFID, targets of its use and related insurance policies and process and who to contact with questions.
· Signs must be pasted in any respect amenities utilizing RFID. The indicators ought to inform the general public that RFID know-how is in use, the forms of utilization and an announcement of safety of privateness and the way this know-how differs from different info assortment strategies.
· Only approved personnel ought to have entry to the RFID system.
· No private info must be saved on the RFID tag.
· Information describing the tagged merchandise must be encrypted on the tag even when the info is proscribed to a serial quantity
· No static info must be contained on the tag (bar code, producer quantity) that may be learn by unauthorised readers.
· All communication between tag and reader must be encrypted through a singular encryption key.
· All RFID readers within the library must be clearly marked.
· ISO 18000 mode-2 tags must be used fairly than ISO 15693.
6. Installations
While there are over 500,000 RFID methods put in in warehouses and retail institutions worldwide, RFID methods are nonetheless comparatively new in libraries. Fewer than 150 had been put in as of the 2004.
Most installations are small, primarily in department libraries. The University of Connecticut Library; University of Nevada/Las Vegas Library, the Vienna Public Library in Austria, the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, and the National University of Singapore Library are the one websites that seem to have tagged greater than 500,000 gadgets every. So far in India solely two University libraries have Installed the RFID system. First amongst them is Jayakar Library of Pune University and second is Dhanvantri Library of Jammu University. The use of RFID all through Indian libraries will take a minimum of 4 to 5 years.
7. Recent Developments
Recent developments in {hardware} and software program for RFID methods have elevated the potential of this know-how in library automation and safety. ‘Today, the one vital outcome for libraries is the power to make use of non-proprietary methods, now that the brand new technology of RFID-chips with commonplace ISO 15693 (to be built-in into ISO 18000-3) is obtainable,’ explains Dr Christian Kern, system improvement supervisor of Bibliotheca RFID Library Systems, a Swiss firm specialising in such methods for libraries. ‘With this know-how, libraries should not have to depend upon one single provider for tags. As libraries make a long-term funding, which primarily consists of the amount of tags wanted, this can be a crucial requirement.’
8. Vendors
The merchandise of six producers of library RFID methods can be found in India by their enterprise associates: Bibliotheca, Checkpoint, ID Systems, 3M, X-ident know-how GmbH represented by Infotek software program and methods in India and TAGSYS— the final represented by Tech Logic, Vernon, Libsys in India and VTLS .
There are a number of different firms that present merchandise that work with RFID, together with person self-charging stations and supplies dealing with tools.
Conclusion
It is sort of clear from the above dialogue that an RFID system could also be a complete system that addresses each the safety and supplies monitoring wants of a library. RFID within the library shouldn’t be a menace if finest practices pointers adopted religiously, that it accelerates e-book borrowing and inventories and frees employees to do extra user-service duties. The know-how saves cash too and rapidly provides a return on funding.
As far as privateness problem is worried you will need to educate library employees and library customers in regards to the RFID know-how utilized in libraries earlier than implementing a program.
It could also be good for librarians to attend and watch the developments in RFID for a while earlier than the price of tags comes all the way down to $.20 or much less, the determine which librarians has decided is the important thing to their critical consideration for using know-how.
While library RFID methods have an excellent deal in widespread with each other, together with using excessive frequency (13.56 MHz), passive, read-write tags. Lack of Standard and Compatibility of tags produced by completely different distributors is a serious drawback in implementation of RFID in Libraries. Current requirements (ISO 15693) apply to container degree tagging utilized in provide chain functions and don’t deal with issues of monitoring and sizzling itemizing. Next technology tags (ISO 18000) are designed for merchandise degree tagging. The newer tags are able to resolving lots of the privateness issues of at this time’s tags. However, no library RFID merchandise are at the moment obtainable utilizing the brand new commonplace. Apart from that value of the RFID Tags and equipments can be a serious drawback for libraries to implement the identical in a creating nation like India.
References:
Ayre, Lori Bowen, The Galecia Group (August 2004) Position paper: RFID and libraries. Retrived from [http://www.galecia.com/weblog/mt/archives/cat_rfidandwireless.php]
Berkeley Public Library (n.d.) Berkeley Public Library: Best Practices for RFID know-how. Retrieved from [http://berkeleypubliclibrary.org/BESTPRAC.pdf].
BIBLIOTHECA RFID Library Systems AG (2003) RFID Technology Overview Retrieved from http://www.bibliotheca-rfid.com
Boss. R. W. (2003). RFID know-how for libraries [Monograph]. Library Technology Reports. November-December 2003.
Boss. R. W. PLA Tech Notes (May 14, 2004) RFID Technology for libraries. Retrieved from [http://www.ala.org/ala/pla/plapubs/technotes/rfidtechnology.htm]
FAQ RFID Journal (OnlineVersion) Retrieved from http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/articleview/207
Koppel, T. (March 2004). Standards in Libraries: What’s Ahead: a information for Library Professional in regards to the Library Standards of Today and the Future. The Library Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.tlcdelivers.com/tlc/pdf/standardswp.pdf.
Molnar, D., Wagner, D. A. (June 2004). Privacy and safety in library RFID: Issues, practices and architectures. Retrieved from [http://www.cs.berkeley.edu~dmolnar/library].
Sarma, E. S. Weis, S. A., Engels, D.W. (November 2002). White paper: RFID methods, safety & privateness implications. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, AUTO-ID Center.
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