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Big Changes Ahead for RFID in the Library?The Library RFID market in 2015.

Mick Fortune

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Today’s Agenda

• Current uses of RFID in the library

• 2014 RFID survey

• Why haven’t we done more?

• Overcoming the obstacles.

• Big changes?

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Current uses of RFID in the library

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Replies were also received from Belgium (2 ), Guadeloupe (1 ), Indonesia (1 ), Ireland (2 ), Malaysia (2 ), Martinique (1 ), Switzerland (3 ), United Arab Emirates (1 )

2014 Library RFID Survey

Australia, 86

Canada, 8

France, 60

Germany, 19

Netherlands, 10New Zealand, 11

United Kingdom, 144

United States, 68

Major Participating Countries

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Public, 251University, 107

Other academic, 28

School, 18 Other, 15

Type of Library

“Others” comprised Health (6), Special (4), National (3), Public/Academic combined (1), No answer (1)

2014 Library RFID Survey

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2014 Library RFID Survey

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2014 Library RFID Survey

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• What does your supplier do best?

• Answering helpdesk calls? 61%

• Providing professional advice 56%

• Speed of implementation 56%

• Response to equipment failures 55%

• Quality of project management 52%

• Response to software problems 52%

• Quality of after-sales support? 50%

• Development requests 40%

2014 Library RFID Survey

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Why haven’t we done more?

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Supplier-driven development?

• RFID was first used when 3M combined security and self-service on a single tag.

• Many stock management applications were developed by companies whose experience was in the retail supply chain.

• Only a few RFID applications have been developed in response to requests from librarians.

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Slow adoption of standards

• Initially all UK suppliers used proprietary data models.

• Learning from US and UK experiences many Scandinavian librarians – notably the Danes –insisted national standards.

• In 2011 UK suppliers agreed to support the newly published international data standard –ISO 28560.

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Limited Interoperability across LMS Platforms

• All UK (and most of the world’s) RFID solutions link to an LMS.

• This link is most often facilitated by 3M’s Standard Interface Protocol (SIP).

• SIP was/is designed to support circulation.

• Over 25 years old it has been in revision by a NISO working party for the past 3 years.

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3M’s SIP still dominates RFID use

297

2213

SIP

API

SIP and API

Numbers of libraries using SIP, API or both

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Poor LMS engagement

• In the past many LMS suppliers failed to recognise the potential of RFID (myself included)

• A few have developed APIs to supplement SIP and/or meet development demands from RFID partners.

• More recently (in the UK) they have begun to co-operate on developing more interoperable solutions.

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Overcoming the obstacles

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Overcoming the obstacles

• Supplier driven development

• Set the agenda yourselves

• Run your own procurement

• Standards adoption

• Keep abreast of industry changes

• Insist on compliance

• Poor interoperability/poor engagement by LMS

suppliers.• Support BIC initiatives to avoid ‘lock-in’

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Book Industry Communication (BIC)

• A charitable organisation owned by its members with close links to both NISO and EDITEUR.

• Almost all major suppliers of RFID and management systems operating in the UK, library bodies and librarians working together.

• Financially supported by the Booksellers and Publishers Associations, British Library and CILIP

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The Library Communication Framework (LCF)

• Developed by BIC

• Bridges the communication gap between library management and other systems.

• Designed to inhibit the growth of proprietary solutions.

• Defines data elements and values.

• Not prescriptive in terms of communication methodology

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How it’s managed

• Requests from developers are made online and reviewed by a panel within 28 days.

• Quarterly review board oversees the work of online panel.*

• New functionality based on LCF is already being delivered by Bibliotheca, Axiell, Capita, 2CQR, and D-Tech International.

• Mandated in many UK system procurements.

* Panel members also include Infor, SirsiDynix and 3M – in addition to those mentioned.

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Who can use it?

• All deliberations and decisions open to all

• BIC membership is not a requirement

• New elements and values are vetted for possible duplication but otherwise added automatically

• Three Project Editors ensure no commercial bias

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Big Changes?

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Big Changes?

• LCF • will make it easier for developers to create

interoperable solutions

• NFC• allows direct interaction between mobile users and

stock

• New apps for circulation and discovery

• D-I-Y solutions

• “Supertags” • may change the dynamics of LMS/RFID

• Internet of Things.

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RFID – the ubiquitous chip

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Where next?

• Suppliers have led RFID development for almost 30 years (someone had to) but who chooses which changes are needed?

• Most of the barriers to innovation have been/are being removed.

• Ultimately librarians will choose – either actively through engagement, or passively through disinterest.

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Thank You!(more survey details at http://www.mickfortune.com/Wordpress/?p=1093)

e: mick@mickfortune.comw: http://www.libraryrfid.co.ukt: +44 7786 625544

@mickfortune