| A technology that was originally developed for the | | | | Moreover, it is expected that the new technology will |
| military during World War II, and has now | | | | help in reducing the costs and improve the tracking of |
| encompassed all walks of life by making its foray into | | | | library material as it moves in and out of the shelves. |
| retail, medical, education, automotives, fast food, travel | | | | Thus, it will enable the library's staff to catch anyone |
| industry, and so on, is RFID or Radio Frequency | | | | who tries to take any material out from the library |
| Identification. | | | | without their consent. Some of the latest RFID |
| RFID is basically one of the automatic identification | | | | products designed specifically for libraries possess |
| systems like bar codes, smart cards, etc. which helps | | | | some powerful features such as providing real time |
| machines in identifying objects. It consists of a | | | | information on returned and new items, fast sorting |
| transponder or a tag which has an embedded | | | | and return of popular items, providing self checkout of |
| integrated circuit and an antenna. The IC is encrypted | | | | materials and allowing web based monitoring. In addition |
| with a unique electronic product code. The antenna | | | | to this these systems can even notify the library staff |
| allows the tag to receive and respond to radio | | | | by e-mail when a printer paper is low, and offer |
| frequency queries from an RFID transceiver. It thus, | | | | customers a choice of either a paper or e-mail receipt |
| transmits the data stored in its IC to the receiver which | | | | at checkout. RFID system will also meet the demand |
| in turn sends it to a central computer for processing. | | | | of complex IT and information research inquiries, such |
| New uses of RFID are being discovered every day. | | | | as tracing e-books and electronic journals and creating |
| Using them in libraries is just one among them. | | | | links to digital materials. |
| Currently, approximately 120 million media and books in | | | | However, like any other new technology RFID has its |
| about 500 libraries worldwide are already attached | | | | own share of shortcomings. The most common of |
| with RFID labels, and this number is still progressing. | | | | these drawbacks is its cost. Like most of the new |
| With the introduction of RFID, the management of | | | | technologies, RFID equipment such as RFID readers |
| libraries is improving drastically. In libraries RFID plays a | | | | and tags are very expensive. Hence, it is financially |
| crucial role in checking the catalogues and allowing the | | | | impractical for the smaller and not so famous libraries |
| customers to pass by card readers that automatically | | | | to implement it. Moreover, RFID has some security |
| updates the computer system by synchronizing the ID | | | | issues attached to it as it violates citizen's privacy by |
| information on patron's library card with the book and | | | | tracking them and creating a database of their habits |
| indicating that the book has been checked out. Thus, it | | | | and activities. |
| ensures higher degree of accuracy in record keeping | | | | However, despite all these drawbacks RFID is a very |
| which is a very significant aspect of library | | | | helpful tool for the libraries to streamline their |
| management. | | | | management. |