[OPLINLIST] RFID tagging

Fri Feb 10 09:00:27 EST 2017

Heidi,
I asked our Technical Services Librarian Karen Sykeny to respond to your question as our conversion project occurred before I became Director.  In spite of others' misgivings, RFID has been beneficial to our library in saving staff time (equals money) and also in stemming a previous huge yearly loss of materials by theft, as the conversion was combined with the installation of security gates.

Sherie Brown, Director
Massillon Public Library

Massillon converted to RFID in 2011.  We have one Main building and three branches/ agencies.  Approx. 170,000 items.  Main building has 100,000 items and each branch give or take 25,000 items.

We did not buy a conversion station.  We used RFID workpads (used for checkin/checkout and conversion) and laptops to be mobile and convert the RFID tags, i.e. program them with BC and make them hot to trigger gate alarm.

We created a temporary position and used regular PT staff who wanted hours and subs who wanted hours to fill the "tagging" position.

It is critical to have space for daily returns since once you start tagging items (section by section, shelf by shelf) that items are NEVER reshelved until they are tagged.  We rented special big book carts to use in addition to our regular carts to handle the daily returns.

Taggers were trained and had shifts/ hours per week so that tagging was always happening all week long every day.  We had a tagging schedule/ checklist to keep track of what collections/ areas were completed and even used little dot stickers so all staff knew what shelves were completed.

It took about four months overall from start to finish for our Main building which includes Reachout and Bookmobile.  Attacking items for tagging on the bus itself was harder but doable.  It took about two to three months for each branch since we reduced our staffing for those smaller collections.  The branches don't have gates and their stuff was RFID tagged only for inventory purposes.

All new items from Technical Services were tagged and handled only by TS staff.

RFID for inventory and weeding is a HUGE plus in addition to security reasons.  We save SO MUCH time using the DLAs (wands) for scanning items/ shelves for inventory and weeding versus paper lists.

It is best to plan ahead, have schedules for staff who will do the tagging, schedules/ checklists for collections to watch progress, have someone as project manger to keep things on task, and have the space to handle returns and do the tagging day after day.

About two years after going with RFID, we purchased desktop size self-check machine.

My director asked me to respond to this thread since I was in charge of RFID project and don't subscribe to OPLINlist.  Hope this helps.

Thanks,
Karen

Sherie Brown, Director
Massillon Public Library
208 Lincoln Way E.
Massillon OH 44646

Phone 330.832.9831 x314
Fax 330.830.2182
Cell  330.844.2021
brownsh at massillonlibrary.org

"Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators."
Stephen Fry

From: OPLINLIST [mailto:oplinlist-bounces at lists.oplin.org] On Behalf Of Heidi Sutter
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2017 9:55 AM
To: oplinlist at lists.oplin.org
Subject: [OPLINLIST] RFID tagging

Hello,

Collective brain, I am woefully ignorant when it comes to this stuff and i'm trying to learn a little more.  The norwalk library is thinking of adding RFID tags to our materials and purchasing a wand from Tech Logic to increase our catalogs accuracy and eventually add self checkout into the mix.  Has anyone recently added RFID tags to a whole collection, we have around 50,000 items, can you tell me a little bit out how involved/how long it will take to RFID every item? best practices etc.

Thanks so much,

Heidi Sutter
Director
Norwalk Public Library

-Do not go where the path may lead, Go, instead where there is no path and leave a trail!

Notice: The information transmitted, including the attachments is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material.  Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action with reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited.  If you receive this message in error, please contact the sender and destroy any copies of this information.

NOTICE: This e-mail message and all attachments transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the addressees and may contain legally privileged, protected or confidential information. If you have received this message in error, and/or you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail reply and please delete this message from your computer and destroy any copies. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, forwarding, distribution, or other dissemination of this transmission is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

Sherie Brown, Director
Massillon Public Library
208 Lincoln Way E.
Massillon OH 44646

Phone 330.832.9831 x314
Fax 330.830.2182
Cell  330.844.2021
brownsh at massillonlibrary.org

"Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators."
Stephen Fry

From: OPLINLIST [mailto:oplinlist-bounces at lists.oplin.org] On Behalf Of Heidi Sutter
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2017 9:55 AM
To: oplinlist at lists.oplin.org
Subject: [OPLINLIST] RFID tagging

Hello,

Collective brain, I am woefully ignorant when it comes to this stuff and i'm trying to learn a little more.  The norwalk library is thinking of adding RFID tags to our materials and purchasing a wand from Tech Logic to increase our catalogs accuracy and eventually add self checkout into the mix.  Has anyone recently added RFID tags to a whole collection, we have around 50,000 items, can you tell me a little bit out how involved/how long it will take to RFID every item? best practices etc.

Thanks so much,

Heidi Sutter
Director
Norwalk Public Library

-Do not go where the path may lead, Go, instead where there is no path and leave a trail!

Notice: The information transmitted, including the attachments is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material.  Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action with reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited.  If you receive this message in error, please contact the sender and destroy any copies of this information.

NOTICE: This e-mail message and all attachments transmitted with it are intended solely for the use of the addressees and may contain legally privileged, protected or confidential information. If you have received this message in error, and/or you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by e-mail reply and please delete this message from your computer and destroy any copies. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, forwarding, distribution, or other dissemination of this transmission is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.
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