BENEFITS OF RFID IN LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION CENTRE

The concept of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology was developed in
1948 but it has had to wait fifty years before it has been able to deliver on its original promise.
The advent of tiny integrated circuits (“chips”) allowed solution designers to add intelligence to
the movement of goods through the supply chain and when a chip and an aerial were attached to
a sticky label the RFID “Tag” was born. RFID was then conceived, as the name suggests, as a
means of enabling tags to identify themselves to a radio receiver. The tags now come in all
shapes and sizes and are attached to a staggering range of items with a wide range of applications
from cars (electronic tolls) to earrings (brand protection). For some time now they have also been
attached to library books. This document seeks to show how and why this has been done up to
now, but more importantly how it might be done even more effectively in the future. This is a
step by step guide, which will explain what RFID is, how it is used and the benefits which can
accrue. It will also provide a realistic view of the issues around RFID, it will look at how it is
best deployed and warn of any pitfalls so that libraries can access the necessary information to
have meaningful conversations with suppliers. Libraries will then be able to invest in RFID
technology appropriately to suit their needs and to maximize the available benefits