Opportunities and Challenges of RFID-Round Table

Minutes by Rose Nelson

Attendees:

Bethany Sewell-DU, Carol Gyger, Carson Block-Fort CollinsRegional Library District; Curt Williams-CU Boulder; Ellen Greenblatt-AurariaLibrary; Oliver Sanidas- Arapahoe Library District; Cindy Phillips- JeffersonCounty PL; Melissa DeSantis, Emily Epstein- Health Sciences;  Jim Pinamont, Kateri Abeyta, Debra Guin,Matthew-Denver Public Library; Barb Thorne, Kathy Payne- Mamie Dowd-BroomfieldLibrary; Lloyd Chittenden-Fort Lewis College; GeorgeMachovec, Rose Nelson-CO Alliance

The meeting began with a round of introductions in whichattendees stated where they were from and if they had implemented RFID.

Fort CollinsRegional Library (FCRL) has been up and running with RFID for about 2weeks.  They went with Bibliotheca.  JCPL also uses Bibliotheca and has RFID since2006. The CU Boulder Business Library has implemented RFID.  They are using 3M and have been up since2006. This is the only library on the CU Boulder campus that has RFID.

DPL is in the process of implementing RFID.  They will also be using 3M and TechLogic.

Other libraries expressed an interest or curiosities inimplementing RFID, but currently don't have the funding, or their collectionsare too large to make it economically possible.

Carson Block from FortCollins mentioned that the most valuable part ofimplementing RFID were the conversations they had with JCPL.  They gave them very helpful guidance.

Carsonalso outlined the phases of the FCRL RFID project. 

FCRPL ProjectManagement

It's important to know how RFID fits into your organizationand what your drivers are and to stick to those drivers.  Before implementing RFID, FCRL weeded 60,000items from their collection and retro-converted an additional 360,000. 

Doing this prep work upfront was really important.  Tags were 50 cents a piece.  The price continues to drop as more librariesimplement RFID. (Unit cost for Jeffco-49 cents; FCPL-45 cents; DPL 38 cents.)
 
Major objectives that they presented to the board in gettingsupport for RFID were increased and better customer service through RFID, moreself service, staff efficiency and staff comfort (reduction in repetitivemotion injuries), self check is 7-8k a piece, 3M needed to be replaced aswell. 
 
 FCRL had an $800,000budget for the entire project.  They camein under budget by $150,000.  (Way to goCarson and Carol!)

 FCRL Implementationand Tips

• Decided to tag magazines.  Ease of checkout-they are all the same.
• Used high end copiers to replicate CD and DVD covers that could not be tagged.
• Still affix barcodes to all library materials.  It's also secondary security measure.
• Used their own staff. 
• First ones to be using Bibliotheca with Innovative self check
• RF meter is essential for troubleshooting problems.  
• Anti static-was helpful
• Furniture challenge-always trying to retroconvert and each installation is unique. 
• Mounted pad on underside and glass on the top.
• Glass is a target and makes the space look attractive. 
• It's important to have adequate space between pads so patrons have place to put their belongings when checking out items.
• Check in-staff do only one at a time because of the number of holds.  Still much faster. 
• Placing a divider between RFID check out stations helps patrons stay in their own space.  
• Used refurbished laptops for project.  You don't need powerful, fully loaded PCs.
• Performed a test to figure out what the pace was going to be.  Converted 20,000 items per week.  It's important to know what your pace is so you can project how long it will take. 
• The self-check is where the customers really see the benefit. 
• Accuracy was more important than speed
• Wanted people to walk away with thinking this is so much easier. 

RFID at JCPL

Before implementing RFID they decided to purchase III selfcheck units because of a 40% increase in circulation the previous year. Whilethese units where cheaper than RFID, they didn't work with 3M security so theychoose RFID.  RFID has really benefitedthe library. Circ staff say they couldn't manage the increase in materials nowwithout RFID.  The goal was to have RFIDat the opening of the new library in Arvada. 
 
JCPL had to do everything at once because they have afloating collection.  Staff took mobileunits into the stacks to tag the collection, as well as tagging returns andbringing carts of material to a workstation. They started the project in May2006 and had all 1.2 million items tagged by January 2007. After everything wastagged, they launched RFID in check in room, check out area, and on self checkunits.
 
They saved time by not putting anything on the tags.  This also addressed privacy concern becausepatrons can't do anything with the barcode. Just as FCRL, JCPL weeded lots ofitems.  Tagging was an issue for AVmaterials.  Blue ray discs presented moreof a problem than cd's and dvd's. On multiset DVD/CDs, you can only tag onedisk, otherwise two tags will cancel each other out.   Tagging media was a very slow processbecause they cleaned and evaluated material as part of the tagging process;JCPL doesn't recommend doing that all at once to other libraries.  They didn't finishing tagging AV until May2007.  They chose not to tag magazinesand board books. They have barcode reader on the self check machine for magazinesand Prospector items.

In 2010 the library plans to add automated sortingmachines. 
 

JCPL Implementation and Tips

• JCPL-Tagged returns right away, used purple dots for items that were tagged and double purple dots for things that couldn't be tagged such as heavy foil covers; there are very few of these items.

• JCPL-put tags with the logo on the back cover.

• JCPL-still use barcodes on all Prospector items. It’s also secondary security measure.
• JCPL & FCRL-used their own staff.  JCPL staff was able to add hours to their schedule so they were thrilled to do RFID.  
• CPL didn’t tag their magazines; they have 80,000—too many to tag.
• Hidden costs and surprises-Cindy they were still under costs.  Labor was a little more expensive, but went quicker.  Had to buy attenuators for some location.  More pads for staff. Time wise-took a while to get it work the way they wanted it to.  Furniture was in the capital expense.
• Learned there were places where the pad interferes with other things
  Started out with pilot branches.
• JCPL recommends placing pads under the plexi-glass
• JCPL-trained patrons to do books one at a time. Patrons find out on their own they can do more. 
• Retroconversion teams-would also weed for condition.  Used mobile conversion carts. Inexpensive material carts that were plastic.
• What not to do: Had written JCPL in metallic ink on AV hubs-had to clean
  Foil back labels for spine labels can be problem.
• The Check In staff loved RFID immediately.  It was so much more efficient.  However, they do check in one item at a time because of holds, in transits, etc.  There is still a time savings.
• Minimal staff training only on check in side.  III messages are the same with or without RFID
  IT staff-did the initial installation. 
• They still work with Bibliotheca and III.  Minimal maintenance-mostly involves cleaning pads and swapping them in and out.
• Cost $7,000 per station-includes all hardware, peripherals, licensing, RFID, Millenium
• Cindy-staff did a lot of tours to see how things went at different places.  A lot of people worked at Arvada during the opening.
• During certain milestones-gave staff treats
• Able to cut the number of circ desks

ALD and RFID
 
Oliver Sanidas from Arapahoe Library District (ALD)mentioned that circulation is flat at Arapahoe; what are some other drivers forRFID? 

• RFID does reduce some of the repetitive motion injuries. 
• Gain efficiencies on the check in side. 

Other concerns aboutTags

• Non interference agreement with numbers-FCPL has a unique range 14 digits
• Tags can be reprogrammed if the barcode has been destroyed
• You can also lock tags
• Constant read write on tag for security bit
• Value for non secure items to have a disposable tag-

 
CU Boulder and  RFID

• Implemented RFID in the Business School Library. Choose business school for inventory purposes
• Too expensive to tag the rest of the collection-3 million items.
• Selected 3M-cluncky and cart was expensive
• More focused on document delivery-electronic resources
• Circulation is going down
• Big portion of CU collection is at Pascal.  Have various media decided not to tag the actual disks
• Need gates that can  read RFID and security tags

General Concernsabout RFID

• In general academic libraries seem to be more interested in using RFID for inventory purposes
• DU-looking at a renovation with deep storage everything is going to be moved anyway so looking at inventorying collection
• Auraria-collection management/inventory control is the emphasis 
• Drivers are definitely different than academic and public.  Publics-mass check in/check out efficiency goes up. 

 
DPL -Plannedimplementation

• 3M is the vendor ; ILS-CARL
• Jim Pinamount is the project manager and has a team of 10 staff
• Infrastructure bond-sold it as a technology upgrade.  Managed to carve out just under 3 mil for this project.  Put in for automated handling systems as well.  Lots of self checks-doubling number of self checks
• 2 medium and one large sized automated handling systems
• 3 new branches 28,000 square feet branches. 
• RFP-buying something from each vendor.  3M, Techlogic, ITG
• Bond money has to be spent by city.  Hope to get things purchased by the end of the year.  Has to go through reading twice by city council. 
• Fortunately, they will be able to do the entire project at once. DPL has 2 mil circulating items, 2 mil-more reference type items
• Techlogic will be supplying tags and software, staff work, stations, gates and a few wands, but they don't plan to purchase many.
• DPL is also implementing an automated handling system
• 38 3M self-checks for all branches.  They have had a good experience with 3M self check
• Staff is in the process of tagging the collection now.   They are tying bonuses to tagging as an incentive.
• Lots of anxiety about staff being cut, even though RFID only shifts what staff do.
• DPL is going to have a test machine that they can take around so they can see it. 

 
Where did theleadership for RFID come from?
 

• JCPL-Cindy, who is in Public Services, lead the project as chair of the RFID Committee
• DPL-tech services and collection development
• FCPL-Project Management-Carson, Carol-detail level with all user groups. 
• JCPL-Collection staff did the testing.  Where is tag placing best, Round tables with all different departments to find out how it would work. 
• FCPL-wanted to give staff ownership
• Good to have staff do the process because they can take ownership and you can't blame an outside vendor.