Innovative Digital Services for identification/management and access to the University of Thessaly Library’s collection utilizing RFiD
Project description
Our company undertook the above project through a competition, with a 10-month contract signed in late February of 2014. The project was completed in December of the same year.
The project involved the implementation of RFiD technology at the University of Thessaly Library. A key element for success, was the planning and configuration of the accompanying software as well as the completion of technology in installed infrastructures, particularly with library software.
The University of Thessaly aimed through the project to induct RFiD technology to all the operations of the library, in conjunction with the installed ILS Advance, expecting a satisfactory degree of compatibility of installed equipment and software in order to be able to continue the use of technology in case of ILS transition (ILSaS or other choice).
Installed 3M equipment that includes:
- Activating/deactivating and programming workstations of RFID tags RFiD Model 895 Staff Workstation.
- 3M Digital Library Assistant Model 804 kit inventory system.
- 3M selfcheck 7420 (V4) hybrid technology automatic borrowing system (ΕΜ and RFID)
- External automatic material refund system (Book Drop) 24-hour mode, 7 days/week, RFID technology.
- 3M ΙSO RFiD tags for books and CD-ROM (80.000).
- Operating software of the above units and in addition:
- Management software with ability to control and collect data from selfcheck units, Book Drop and security gates (when they will be substituted by RFID technology gates).
- SIP2 software for conjunction with Advance loan system that University features, for carrying out the relevant functions (borrowing, return, activating/deactivating, security bit).
Our company made use of the ability to support the ISO 28560-2 standard by the supplied 3M's equipment and by the available memory of the tendered label (1024 bits) and implemented a first level by recording the Institute's code and library's collections in the RFID tag.
Programmed and affixed more than 60.000 tags by qualified and experienced personnel of our company.
Alongside the affixation, the material was tested with respect to the Catalogue of the library (ILS Advance) and detected items that had not been catalogued. Those items were given to the library for proper librarian editing.