77th IFLA General Conference: IFLA Special Interest Group on RFID

Description

Speakers at the afternoon session from left to right: Mick Fortune (UK),
Dr. Frank Seeliger (Germany), Dr. Edmund Balnaves (Australia), and
Marshall Breeding (USA).

IFLA Special Interest Group on RFID

Frank Seeliger (Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau, Germany)
"Developments, experiences, initiatives and goals in the context of german libraries as RFID-user"

My
contribution will reflect ten years of experiences with now almost 400
libraries using this technology. I will present projects for
localisation and inventoring, challenges like constant quality control,
how we use round tables as communication platform, our other platforms
to comunicate (working group, annual conferences, websites); to put it
in a nutshell I will address all RFID-matters that matter in the german
speaking context. As first speaker I will give an short introduction
into this technology and an overview about the perception of RFID in my
own country. (Presentation available here)

Marshal Breeding (Vanderbilt University, USA)
"RFID Technologies in the context of Emerging Library Automation Trends"

Many
aspects of technology supporting the automation of libraries are
changing rapidly. Service-oriented architecture, Web-based computing,
increased integration of social networking concepts, as well as cloud
computing such as software-as-a-service characterize this emerging
landscape. Products and services making use of RFID technology have to
exist in an automation ecosystem increasingly reshaped by these
technologies. Breeding will present a view of how RFID and related
technologies fit into this evolving environment, some of the challenges
involved such as the need for more modern protocols for
interoperability, and some of the opportunities enabled for new
efficiencies and innovations. He will also review some of the changes in
the global RFID business landscape and comment on its implications for
libraries that depend on their products and services. (Presentation available here)

Mick Fortune (Consultant for UK libraries)

A
former Systems Librarian at the British Library Mick Fortune also
managed Ameritech Library Systems’ European Division and led Nielsen
BookNet during a career in library automation that has lasted almost 40
years.
Since returning to the library scene in 2006 he has been
monitoring the progress of RFID in libraries – with a particular
interest in the integration and of RFID solutions with existing systems
and their impact on services. A member of both the UK national committee
on RFID use in the library, and the British Standards Institute Mick
has worked hard to convince the UK market of the importance of standards
to improve both interoperability and integration.

Mick will be
reviewing the progress of RFID in libraries with particular reference to
his domestic market – the UK. In particular he will be examining the
likely impact of the new ISO data standards published earlier this year,
and how the position taken by UK RFID providers is likely to change
both the procurement and development of solutions in the future. (Presentation available here)

Edmund
Balnaves (Director, Information Technology by Prosentient Systems in
Ultimo, NSW, Australia and member of IT-section as Information
Coordinator & Editor of Newsletter)

RFID is showing
progressive takeup in logistics but very little in the retail chain in
Australia. However there has been quite widespread adoption of HF and a
smattering of UHF implementations of RFID in public libraries. Of the
400-odd special libraries that form my client base only a smattering use
RFID at all.

While the UHF technology looks very promising, both
from a cost and reading point of view, the HF implementation is
self-fulfilling in Australia as most "standard-form" tender documents
mandate the specific technology. From a purely technical point of view
the Gen 2 UHF tags are otherwise quite attractive and have some utility
in stocktake that can't be said of HF.

Libraries should be careful
not to lock in the specific technology but aim for data standards. This
is particuarly empahsised by recent innovations in printable RFID at
Sunchon National University.