RFID and the Metric
System: Lessons to be
Learned?
Lori Bowen Ayre
Principal Consultant
The Galecia Group
RFID in Libraries Conference, London
November 15, 2012
About Me
Lori Bowen Ayre
Former IT Director of Law Firm
Technology Consultant
Librarian
Automated Materials Handling
RFID
Open Source LMS Software
Local Roots
The “Galecia” Group
Galecia lived in the 13th Century, during the reign of Henry III, in
the ancient forest of Melksham, in Wiltshire.
She was married to Humphredi le Eyr.
Galecia owned property which she handed down to her son,
Nicholas who carried on the name Eyr.
Over many, many years, the name was changed to Eyre and
finally Ayre.
Many years later, The Galecia Group was founded.
What About You?
RFID installed already today?
Looking into converting existing system to UKDM?
Thinking about ways to extend use of RFID?
Considering implementing RFID for first time?
Will demand vendors provide UKDM system?
Will demand vendors provide BLCF support?
US Adopts ISO 28560-2!
Was hoping to come here and relish in our success but
you seem to be over it…
no one here cares about data models
all your vendors have shared their data models
Our “standard” is easy to ignore
“RFID in Libraries: A recommended practice of NISO. Prepared
by the NISO RFID Revision Working Group”
NISO RP-6-2012
US vs UK RFID Markets
Libraries still not 100% sure about RFID for libraries
when the tags cost 5 cents I’ll jump in
ominous rumblings: privacy, tag replacement
is something better going to come along?
More focus on staff workflows than self-service
could be just me…
automated check-in/sorting doesn’t require RFID
Lack of engagement on issue
library staff not well-educated on issues
vendors not engaged in the same way either
RFID Penetration
in US Libraries < 10%
o Small percentage of US libraries using RFID compared to
Europe and elsewhere
o Reasons they choose RFID
o
increase self-check-out use
o
o
o
o
automated materials handling implementation
handle more work with existing staff
improve security for media
Keep up with the Jones’
o RFID still seen as a super barcode
o
o
expensive
somewhat risky
What I wish libraries wanted
RFID to help them do
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
optimize resource-sharing workflows
untethered sorting
security of non-circulating material when offline
security throughout ILL life cycle
encode ISBN to for smartphone apps
use Set Info to reduce media handling
analyze usage (e.g. track number of check-outs and
last check-out, track in-library use)
RFID Standards Compliance is
Important for Interoperability
Vendor interoperability – ability to buy tags and RFIDenabled equipment from any vendor
Library interoperability – ability to read tags from other
library systems
LMS interoperability – ability to change to a new LMS
without fear that your RFID system will break
Beyond the Data Models
Data Model not enough
SIP2 and NCIP2 aren’t enough
Work of BCLF to define what we need is excellent
What we need to exploit RFID
What we need to do our jobs
How can we get USA involved?
How about via Open Source LMS movement?
Open Source LMSs
Koha
Developed in 2000 in New Zealand
Designed originally for smaller libraries
Now widely used worldwide by libraries of all sizes and types
Evergreen
Developed in 2006 in USA
Designed originally for consortia
Now used by hundreds of libraries in USA
Open Source Libraries and
RFID
Both products, Koha and Evergreen, have libraries
using RFID via SIP2
RFID vendors (like everyone) have complete access to
the system so they can write interfaces that go
beyond SIP2 and NCIP2 (theoretically)
The first BLCF API…any vendors volunteer to write
it?
Grand Rapids Public Library’s
Open Source RFID System
Running Evergreen Open Source LMS
Developed their own Open Source interface for their RFID
system
Their RFID system is based on UHF RFID because they
wanted to use “commodity” hardware
This is Good News and Bad News
What’s Good and Bad
About That?
Good
Demonstrates initiative on part of library
Gives Evergreen users an free / cheap way to implement
RFID
Bad
Doesn’t help non-Evergreen libraries at all
UHF system is not interoperable with HF
Not connected in any way to BLCF
Changes Resulting from Open
Source LMS Adoption
• Software developers are getting hired by libraries
• Librarians are writing development specs and
learning more about standards and protocols and
how important they are
• Libraries are beginning to take control of their
technology in new way
• Libraries are collaborating with each other instead of
relying so much on “The Vendor”
RFID Challenges in U.S.
US libraries are moving to RFID but very few insist on ISO
28560-2
US libraries are not thinking expansively about how to
exploit RFID technology
US libraries do not have a good record for “holding their
vendor’s feet to the fire”
US libraries are unaware of BLCF (or even the thinking
behind BLCF)
Opportunity for International
Synergy
Let’s build on two important initiatives:
1.Open source LMS -use these open source products to build
interfaces for LMS products that are open, put pressure on LMS
vendors to build standard interfaces
2.BLCF – promote BLCF internationally to ensure consistency
and interoperability as we expand the uses of RFID using those
new interfaces
3.Lori, Alan and Mick - track developments related to BLCF and
LMS support for BLCF