<!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<html><head><style type="text/css"><!--
blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { padding-top: 0 ; padding-bottom: 0 }
--></style><title>RFID Summary</title></head><body>
<div>Thanks to all who responded to my request for information on
libraries using RFID in the Portland area.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The short version is that there are a number of libraries using
it for checkin and checkout, but it seems like Eugene Public is the
only library that is using RFID for inventory and shelf-reading. (I
think that is correct.)</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>There are hopes from a couple of libraries to move to this aspect
of RFID when improved software becomes available in the near future.
Specific comments are below:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">RFID Libraries in
Portland area.<br>
<br>
Portland Community College- Rock Creek campus. Checkout only, not
inventory.<br>
<br>
Eugene Public- Checkin/checkout and inventory<br>
<br>
Ft. Vancouver Regional Library- Three Rivers uses RFID and automated
checkin system.<br>
<br>
Multnomah County Public: Our Central Library is up on RFID, as is our
new Kenton Branch. Midland goes live on April 1. We are
not doing any automated materials<br>
handling yet, but we are doing check-out, check-in and self
check-out.<br>
We are not doing self check-in and we are not using our inventory
tools<br>
yet because Bilbiotheca is promising a new one that is better but
it<br>
isn't quite ready to sell us yet.<br>
<br>
We are getting about 72% self-check at Central but about 92% at
Kenton.<br>
It is easier to get people into the habit in a new location where
you've<br>
designed around the new technology than to change their habits at
an<br>
older one.<br>
<br>
We aren't using the inventory devices yet because we are waiting for
the new model that Bibliotheca says is way better and is coming our
way soon. We're supposed to get a look at it during PLA.
Will probably try it out at Central first when we get them.
Periodicals are tagged at Central. That is a bit of an
experiment. We aren't tagging them at branches (except I think Midland
may be tagging the covers they use on the new issues.)<br>
</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman">What we have done with the
Periodicals at Central (and Central's periodicals collection is the
only collection in the system that is completely ref; branches
circulate back issues) is that we have put dumb tags on them, i.e.
tags that are not associated with a barcode.</font></div>
<div><font face="Times New Roman" color="#0000FF"><br>
</font><font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Cindy Gibbon<br>
<br>
We are looking at a III product called Circa which I<br>
think will give us mobile shelf-reading capability.- MCL<br>
<br>
Albany Public: We use the RFID for patron self-check and returns.
We use the RFID tags on the AV materials as well as the print and
"special items" puppets, childrens kits, etc. We are not, at
this time, using the RFID for inventory or shelf-reading.<br>
<br>
At this time, our self-check statistics are around 50-55%. We
continue to encourage and teach people how to use the machines.
The Automated Handling system (AMH) is handling 10,000 to 13, 000
items per week.<br>
<br>
We are still using barcodes to give each item it's own identifier.
Also some of the materials have metallic covers and block the tags, so
our tech serve has placed a note on it saying to use the barcode.<br>
<br>
One of the reasons we are not using the RFID for inventory and shelf
reading is because of the time involved as well as the mechanics of
the system. At this time, the inventory systems are bulky and
not very user friendly.</font><br>
<font face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"></font></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Tony Greiner/Mary Grant greints@spiritone.com</div>
</body>
</html>