"The decision
to install the RFID solution in our
newest regional library was a simple one
for me," says David Paynter, Director of New
Hanover Country Public Library. "The immense potential savings in staff
time clearly justifies the costs. This technology
eases the workflow and provides a single solution for all material
management functions."
The technology works through flexible, paper-thin
Gemplus smart labels that are incorporated into ultra small
RFID chips. These smart labels can be applied directly on
library books and can be read with a RFID scanner. Line of
sight is not essential for reading the tags with the scanner.
Therefore, the tags may be placed in different locations on
the books.
VTLS RFID package
consists of eight components
The VTLS RFID package consists of eight
components: RFID tags, a self check-out station, a staff
check-out station, a self-return book drop with automatic
check-in feature, a shelving station, a set of security gates,
a shelf scanner for inventory control and an administrative
station. The VTLS self-checkout station allows patrons to
borrow books without assistance from the library staff. The
staff checkout station is used when patrons prefer staff assistance. The
self-return book drop, in turn, allows loans to be
cancelled instantly as patrons deposit books through
an external book return chute. This interface also updates
the database and alerts the library when items are
returned. The shelving station tells the staff where
to reshelf the book and also deactivates the security
bit. The shelf scanner allows library staff to take
inventory and find mis-shelved books without having to touch the
books. New Hanover County Public library has four
branches and serves 150,000 residents in the Wilmington North Carolina
area.
