Before Converting
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Form a management team.
Who will attend vendor training?
Who will train taggers?
Who will tag: volunteers, sub-contractor,
regular staff, temps?
• Test a few tags at BRK, SUD, WEL, CAM if not
buying from Bibliotheca!
• How to keep track – BRK used red china
markers.
RFID Labels
• Can buy from Bibliotheca/Tagsys or another
vendor such as 3M – get samples and test at
BRK/WEL/SUD/CAM if you have any doubts!
• ISO Data Model 60 in BiblioChip.ini file
– Only barcode + security bit; no title, patron info
• Imprint? No one has done this yet: adds
expense; tags cannot be centered so they do
not look like book plates; delays receipt of
order.
• Placement of labels is important
Disc Labels/Media Packs
• Interfere with playing in some devices
• Provide security
• Do not need to check for contents if all discs
are tagged.
– Zero on-disc labels (WEL)
– One on-disc label per set (SUD)
– Up to two on-disc labels (BRK) + color-coding
– Only donut labels (CAM)
Metallic Items
• Blu-Ray Discs, Books with foil covers/metallic
inks
– Guinness Book of World Records
– Artemis Fowl, Dorling Kindersley, many others.
• Thick books: often works to put RFID label in
center near bottom edge (BRK)
• BRK reserves barcode prefix 317128 for metallic items;
programs barcode scanners at self-checks to
read all barcodes with ‘8’ in 6th position,
but no other barcodes beginning with ‘3’
Build Your Own Conversion Cart
•Laptop, barcode reader, mouse
(optional) & RFID pad on top.
•Power cords and RFID controller
box below
•UPS optional – only if you can’t
plug into wall.
•Room for labels.
* Some libraries eschew rolling carts. They just load items on book
trucks and take them to a stationary conversion station.
WEL & BRK: Rubbermaid Media Master Three-Shelf 33" Open
Electronic Media AV Cart, Black 9T28 (PICTURED)
SUD: Endura Computer Workstation with Leg Room, LEM32T by
Luxor
Staff Conversion Station
• Label dispenser on left,
RFID pad and barcode
reader on right
– Opposite sides helps
prevent accidentally
encoding labels on
dispenser.
• Bibliotheca license based on
network card MAC address +
computer name
Staff Circ Station & Express Lane Setup
• III’s Item Status API allows interaction
between Millennium & RFID
software/hardware
• Give IP addresses or address range (DHCP) of
stations to MLN; RFID JARS will install
• Install IIS (Microsoft’s Web Server)
• Get Bibliotheca license for staff & EL stations
Going Live
• Vendors: When 70-80% of collection is tagged
– BRK over 90% — depends on your comfort level
– Have a place to put RFID problems
• Give staff an Express Lane self-check to use for
checkout a few weeks before going live
• Turn off gates for first few weeks, so items
returned don’t drive you crazy
• Turn around the self-check(s) for public
Self-Check – Build Your Own
• CPU
• Touch screen (e.g., ELO
1729/1529, integrated MSR)
• Barcode reader (e.g.,
Motorola LS2208)
• Receipt printer
• RFID pad (controller box
hidden)
• Furniture (if not on circ desk)
• Cheapest option, but you are
your own engineer
Self-Check – BayScan
• Touch screen (ELO 1529
with integrated MSR)
• Mounting sleeve integrates
barcode reader
– But not as good as LS2208
• ~$1900 for above
• Other components
provided by library,
including CPU
Self-Check – Bibliotheca
• Touch screen, CPU, RFID pad
are integrated, compact
• Integrated barcode reader
– not great, not configurable
• MSR option?
• Looks great
– BRK Coolidge branch has one
• ~$10K but engineering mostly
done for you
• Must install Express Lane or
purchase SIP License to use
Bibliotheca software
Signage — Brookline
Signage — Sudbury
Training the Public
• Staff in front of desk
• Volunteer self-check ambassadors — the older
the better!
• Do it for the reluctant patron at a self-check
• Emphasize
– 3 (?) items at once
– # items on screen must match # items on pad
– Wait for green
– Bring red or problem items to desk
Public Response
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80%+ self-check in Brookline (with self-pickup)
Patrons help each other
“You could teach the supermarkets a lesson.”
“This is fun!”
“Oh that was easy!”
“Are you going to lose your job?”
“I won’t do anything that’s going to take away
someone’s job.”
Gates and Gate Tracker
• Can paste barcode into MillCirc
• With SIP license, Gate Tracker can
get title automatically
• “Oh, it looks like Cleopatra didn’t
check out properly. Let me fix that
for you.”
Delivery Checkin
• Separate returns, network transfers, and NT
from RFID libraries
• Check in returns 3 at a time with RFID
• Check in NT with RFID one at time, because of
the slips
• Check in non-RFID NT with barcode –
optionally encode a temp RFID card so patrons
can use RFID to check out.
Checkin Advantages
• RFID stuff: 3 at a time
• Media packages: 70% (?) need not be opened
• Both of the above features of RFID save time
and reduce repetitive stress
• Network items which require slips or don’t
have RFID reduce the advantages, but still a +
• Automated sorting is huge theoretical
advantage if you have space and $$$$