Security Technology

Location:

Princeton, NJ

Posted:

February 12, 2013

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Resume:

Is RFID Right for Your Library?

Trevor A. Dawes

ABSTRACT. RFID technology is taking off in libraries at an increas-

ingly rapid pace. Though there are few libraries employing this technol-

ogy today, the benefits are great. The cost is still prohibitive however.

This article discusses some of the benefits and drawbacks to RFID to

provide information for librarians that will be useful when deciding if

the technology should be employed. [Article copies available for a fee from

The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address:

Website:

KEYWORDS. Privacy, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), secu-

rity of library collections

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is rapidly being

embraced by the library world as a resource that will aid in many areas.

By one estimate, there are currently over 300 libraries worldwide with

this technology already in use, and growth is expected at a projected rate

of 30 percent per year through 2006 (Dawes and Anderson 2004). In-

deed, the benefits of RFID technology, some of which will be discussed

in this article, are great. In addition to cost savings over time, there can

be benefits of increased speed in patron self-service, greater inventory

management and control, and better security control over the library

collections. There are still some drawbacks to this new technology,

however, not the least of which is initial cost.

Trevor A. Dawes is Circulation Services Director, Princeton University Library,

Princeton, NJ (E-mail: ******@*********.***).

Journal of Access Services, Vol. 2(4) 2004

http://www.haworthpress.com/web/JAS

Digital Object Identifier: 10.1300/J204v02n04_02 7

8 JOURNAL OF ACCESS SERVICES

Radio Frequency Identification combines radio frequency and micro-

chip technologies to create a smart system that can be used to identify,

secure and inventory items. The technology was developed in the

1980s, primarily for use in the industrial sector. Today, large retailers

such as Wal-Mart are investing heavily in this new technology in the

hope of saving billions of dollars in inventory costs (Gilbert 2004, on-

line). With such a system in place, retailers can more easily identify and

track their millions of cases of inventory electronically. The retail in-

dustry can see the benefits of RFID almost immediately by giving easy

access to inventory management. While RFID systems may work for

Wal-Mart and other retailers, before making the investment, librarians

should ask what benefits will it bring to their library environment?

HOW DOES RFID WORK?

For the library to employ this technology, each item in the collection

must first be tagged. The RFID tag is a special label, a transponder,

containing a microchip and an antenna, which allows communication

with the RFID reader that, in turn, communicates with the library s inte-

grated library system (ILS). The tag will have at minimum some infor-

mation about the item such as the barcode. Most RFID vendors supply

programmable tags, allowing the library to add brief bibliographic or

other information to the tag, as desired.

Tagging the items in the library requires a process of conversion. In

this process, the tag in the item is associated with the already existing

item barcode. The library may also choose to add more information to

the tag, though, for privacy reasons as well as to increase processing

speed, including speed at check out and security control, this is not

generally recommended. The conversion process requires very little

training for staff, and conservative estimates based on this author s

conversation with several vendors suggest that a minimum of 200 items

may be converted per hour.

RFID tags can be read through the item in which they are placed so

there is no need to open the book in order to check it out, as has to be

done with barcoded items. These tags allow for easier circulation trans-

actions as, unlike barcodes, they can be read from a distance ranging

generally up to three feet. Circulation functionality may be achieved

from either a self-check unit, from which the tags of several items may

be read simultaneously, or from a circulation desk. This tag may also

communicate with the library security gates sensors via a security bit

Trevor A. Dawes 9

embedded in the chip. If the item is not checked out, the security bit will

be set to on, setting off the alarm if an attempt is made to remove the

item from the library. This type of security can be best likened to that in

commercial retail outlets. It should be noted that the RFID security sys-

tem requires new security equipment, as they will not work with the elec-

tromagnetic (tattle tape) systems that can be found in most libraries today.

WHY USE RFID IN LIBRARIES?

Enhanced Circulation Capabilities

RFID can greatly reduce the amount of time required to perform ba-

sic circulation transactions. A fully tagged collection can allow the user

to use the self-check option, and if available, the self-return option that

may contain an optional sorting unit. Because the RFID tags can be read

through the item, and also utilizes an anti-collision feature, many

items may simultaneously be checked out. The anti-collusion feature

prevents the information stored on the tag of one item from being mis-

taken with that of another. The systems can generally process about four

to six items at a time. In addition to checking out the items, if the secu-

rity component is active, the security bit will be turned off and the item

is recognized as checked out and will not set off an alarm when leaving

the library building. This transaction may occur at a self-check station

or at the circulation desk. If performed at the circulation desk, it reduces

the number of repetitive steps involved in the transaction, such as

scanning the barcode and desensitizing each book.

As this circulation process requires less physical handling of the ma-

terial, there may be positive implications for use with archival or special

materials. Some systems are equipped with a self-return unit as well,

and this unit may have an optional sorter. If purchased, and if the library

location information is stored on the tag, the sorter will enable the users

to return items at any time to the designated area(s), and the system will

do the initial sorting of returned items.

Better Inventory Control

Libraries may also benefit from RFID technology through enhanced

inventory control. With the aid of a portable hand-held reader/scanner, a

library staff member may examine a particular stack section and deter-

10 JOURNAL OF ACCESS SERVICES

mine if items are either missing or out of place. This task can be accom-

plished without the need to tip or remove the item from the shelf.

Reliability

All vendors of RFID products will tout the reliability of their product.

This reliability can be achieved because of the relatively short read

range of the tags. The tags operate on a 13.56 MHz frequency, allowing

a read range of up to three feet. This is a significantly lower frequency

than the tags used in the retail sector. The shorter read range helps to

protect the privacy of those with tagged items, as one would need to be

within that specified range to read the tags. This range, however, allows

the library staff or user to imprecisely place the items on the circulation

unit to check out items. Again, unlike with barcodes, the items do not

have to be in a particular place or order to be scanned and processed.

With RFID in place, staff may be freed to work on other tasks in the

library, including assisting patrons with the self-check units. The tech-

nology also has the potential to lower the risk of repetitive motion inju-

ries as staff are no longer required to open the item, scan the barcode and

desensitize the item. What would have been a three-step process can

now be achieved in one step.

AREAS OF CONCERN WITH RFID

Cost

The biggest hurdle to implementing RFID technology in any library

is the cost. Richard Boss, in his report on RFID technology, details the

cost of the technology for a small library. By his calculation, a library

with a collection of 250,000 volumes would need to make an initial in-

vestment of $333,500 to implement RFID (Boss 2003, 39:6-58). Al-

though some of the equipment costs involved would remain the same

for larger libraries, the price of the tags still represents the major invest-

ment. Depending on the volume, the price of the tags range from

$0.60-$0.90. A large academic research library with five million vol-

umes could expect therefore to spend a minimum of $3,000,000 on ini-

tial tags alone. This is not an insignificant expense. In some libraries,

grants have aided in the RFID implementation costs (Lichtenberg 2003,

250:14).

Trevor A. Dawes 11

Tag Visibility

Like the barcode, the RFID tag is highly visible, and can be removed

by distrusting library patrons. One vendor suggests using RFID in con-

junction with the traditional electromagnetic security systems, but even

that vendor has now entered the one-tag security embedded chip.

Similarly, common household items such as aluminum foil may com-

promise effectiveness of the tags. Libraries should attempt to assess the

risk of these factors in light of the risks currently faced with barcoded

items.

Exit Sensor Readability

This is an area where some of the vendors disagree somewhat. Some

recommend an exit gate width of three feet, and others suggest that four

feet would suffice. All would agree, however, that the smaller distance

would be ideal. Exit sensors must read the tags at a greater distance (An

Overview of RFID 2003, 39:7-17). This requirement could result in

fewer reads of the tags based on the relatively short read range. Librar-

ies have not yet provided any statistics on collection loss rate pre- and

post-RFID implementation.

Standards

There is currently a standard for RFID tags used in the retail or indus-

trial sector. All vendors tags currently conform to the ISO 15693 stan-

dard designed for the transportation industry and will soon support

also the ISO 18000 standard designed for inventory control (Dorman

2002, 33:76-76). The conformance to these standards by the vendors,

however, is voluntary. There is no library standard, and vendors are not

likely to take the lead in developing one. The potential downside to this

lack of a library standard is the interoperability of the tags with different

systems. Libraries investigating RFID systems will want to ensure the

ISO 18000 standard but will also want to make sure that the selected

vendors tags are programmable. Programmable tags have a greater like-

lihood of working with other vendors systems should it become neces-

sary for a library to do so. Standards do exist for the transfer of data

from the RFID system to the library s ILS, and all vendors meet this

NISO standard.

12 JOURNAL OF ACCESS SERVICES

Privacy

Much of the literature on RFID technology in libraries raises some

concern about privacy (Oder 2003, 128:19-20; RFID Raises Questions

2004, 53:91-92). These concerns, though not unfounded, are somewhat

exaggerated. There is little threat to patron privacy as there is no infor-

mation about patrons stored on the tag. The tag will contain as much or

as little information about the item as the library chooses. Most vendors

will recommend only the barcode information, although if the library

will use the sorting feature, some location and possibly call number in-

formation may be added. Like the barcode, the RFID tag itself is

meaningless.

There is a general belief that, Anyone with a handheld wand will be

able to scope out that copy of The Anarchist Cookbook in your book

bag. Perhaps it will be an airport screener, who may then ask you to step

out of line (RFID Raises Questions 2004, 53:91-92). This scenario will

only be possible if the tag contains bibliographic information about the

item and if the scanner is within the specified read range of three feet.

The deluge of literature on this topic suggests that there needs to be

more education surrounding privacy issues and RFID. Librarians, as ed-

ucators, should take an active role in this process as we seek to imple-

ment this technology.

RFID AND YOUR LIBRARY

RFID technology is still relatively new to libraries, but there is a

wealth of experience with the product in the retail and industrial sectors.

Libraries, in making a decision to implement RFID, will need to con-

sider the advantages of circulation speed, better inventory control, and

returns with sorting capability. The shortfalls also need to be weighed:

cost, lack of standards, and privacy concerns.

There are several companies that provide RFID for libraries. Some of

these are Bibliotheca, Checkpoint, ID Systems, Libramation, 3M, Tech

Logic, Vernon, and VTLS. Libraries interested in RFID should be sure

of the benefits this technology will bring to them. Does the library want

to have increased patron self-service and better inventory control? Are

the associated costs prohibitive? How will the library secure funding?

What is the best system for the library? The November 2003 issue of Li-

brary Technology Reports provides guidelines for writing an RFP for

Trevor A. Dawes 13

RFID. Libraries may wish to consult this guide as it also helps to clarify

some decision points.

Ultimately, however, the library will need to perform its own cost-

benefit analysis. What will RFID do for you? How will this benefit the

patrons? The staff? The community? These are benefits that often can-

not be measured.

REFERENCES

An Overview of RFID. 2003. Library Technology Reports 39 (6): 7-17.

RFID Raises Questions in SF, Other Libraries. 2004. Newsletter on Intellectual Free-

dom 53 (3): 91-92.

Boss, Richard W. 2003. RFID Technology for Libraries. Library Technology Reports

39, (6): 6-58.

Dawes, Trevor A. and Rebekah Anderson. 2004. Conversation with Rebekah Ander-

son, 3M Marketing Manager, 9 September.

Dorman, David C. 2002. New Vendors Heating up Radio Frequency ID Market. Amer-

ican Libraries 33 (8): 76-76.

Gilbert, Alorie. 2004. Oracle Joins Race to Bring RFID to Retailers. CNET News.com.

30 March: http://news.com.com/2100-1012-5182178.html.

Lichtenberg, James. 2003. Industry Exploring Viability of RFID. Publishers Weekly

250 (46): 14.

Oder, Norman. 2003. RFID Use Raises Privacy Concerns. Library Journal 128 (19):

19-20.

Received: 10/04/04

Revised: 10/12/04

Accepted: 10/13/04

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