The Top 10 Things I Wish I Had Known Before RFID

(Or, How to Stay Sane Dealing with Summer Volunteers)

Megan BowersLibrary AssociateReaders’ ServicesHigh Point Public Librarymegan.bowers@highpointnc.gov336-883-3695

Started in May. Finished in October Training

◦ Staff Train the Trainer

◦ Volunteers Collection Size

◦ Print = roughly 66,000◦ Non-Print = roughly 28,000

A Close Call – completed minutes before going live◦ Red Tags (7 7.5 Gallon tubs)

How Long the Process Really Is…1

Creating an easy to use tag dispenser Not everything will scan right

away when checking in/out◦ Scanned but not desensitized

Used ‘dot system’: tagged/untagged Lingo

◦ Tagged◦ Written◦ Mobile Station◦ Sting Rays◦ Square Tags

You’ll Have to Get Creative2

Our antennas have a range of about 6 inches The size of the books determines how many

can be checked out at once Only 3 DVDs at a time, 4 at most

◦ Troublemaker: DVDs with multiple discs (TV shows)

How Many Items You Can Scan at Once3

Training◦ Roughly 50 volunteers this summer◦ Group training -> Individual brush-up

Volunteer Assignments◦ Assignment sheet specifying

which volunteer worked on which section

Assignments based on ability level

Some Volunteers Just Won’t Get it…4

Double-Sided DVDs◦ Roughly 80-100 DVDs were removed

Books with Metallic Covers◦ Multiple books from Fiction and Nonfiction were

removed Magazines

◦ Still checking out by barcode Children’s Board Books

◦ Still checking out by barcode

There Are Some Collections RFID Just Won’t Work With5

Figuring out the right number of items able to be stacked on an antenna at one time.

Determining if RFID would work with more than 1 disc in a case

Getting used to the different circulation settings

How Important Test Runs Are for Staff6

Even more training…◦ Have staff and volunteers available to help train

patrons with the self-check machine Signs and Handouts Patrons LOVE incentives – even simple

ones◦ Card Holders◦ Pens

Easy access to their account◦ Renewals◦ Items out◦ Holds

Patrons Either Love It or Hate It… And They’ll Let You Know7

Not every item will have been tagged and written correctly – or at all

Already replaced an antenna Square tags won’t stick to some surfaces

How Many ‘After the Fact’ Problems there Will Be8

Missing / Incomplete Items◦ DVDs returned without the disc

DVDs found on the shelf with a missing disc Check-in problems

◦ Returned in the wrong case◦ Customers claiming discs were

missing at check-out

You’ll Have to Come Up with New Systems for…9

Removing Sting Rays from DVDs

Putting DVDs in books to hide them

Ripping back covers (with the square tag) off of paperbacks

Patrons Will Find a Way to Work Around the System10

Questions?