Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) has had a rapid impact on the library world. Its advantage over other technologies used in libraries is usually seen to be its ability to combine the functions of the barcode and the security tag, but with the added advantages of being able to read multiple items seemingly simultaneously without need of line of sight. The customer-friendly self-service that this combination of features makes possible is at the heart of the attraction of RFID for most libraries.
This practical and straightforward book is designed to help library managers decide whether RFID has anything to offer them and – if so – how to make the most of the benefits while coping with the challenges inherent in this rapidly developing technology. It also offers many further sources of information to follow up. Applicable to all types of libraries, its contents include:
- RFID, libraries and the wider world
- RFID in libraries: the background and the basics
- RFID, library applications and the library management system
- standards and interoperability
- privacy
- RFID and health and safety
- RFID and library design
- building a business case for RFID in libraries, and requesting proposals
- staffing: savings, redeployment or something else?
- buying a system: evaluating the offers
- installing RFID: project management
- making the most of RFID: a case study
- RFID, libraries and the future.
Readership: RFID has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of library service delivery. Written by an expert in the field, this book is a very worthwhile investment for all those library professionals considering converting to RFID for their libraries, as well as those who are implementing it already.