It depends on the technology implemented. For UHF systems, we typically do not store the borrowing status in the tags; it remains managed within the library system. Therefore, the item can still be handled in the usual ways — whether using barcodes or manually searching for the item in the library system. Thus, the use of RFID is entirely optional; those accustomed to the barcode system can continue to use it. The security gates operate based on querying the status within the library system (known as online operation).
In HF systems, we generally store the borrowing status in the tags, and the gates alarm accordingly. Therefore, if a document is borrowed without using an RFID reader, the gate will still alarm, even if the item has been borrowed in the library system (known as offline operation).

It mostly depends on the library system, as many still support handling items individually (similar to barcode usage). Therefore, it's advisable to continue handling items one by one at the librarian station. However, there's no need to open the book and search for the barcode; RFID tags can be read through the cover. Self-service and return stations can handle multiple copies simultaneously, as they do not use the library system interface directly but connect via the SIP2 interface.  

Yes, this can be a real issue with any RF technology, where if a book's cover is printed with metallic ink, it may prevent or make it difficult to read a tag, possibly requiring the cover to be opened to read the tag. It's advisable in such cases to place the tag on the inner pages of the book, preferably on an area without metallic parts on the cover (and ideally not covering any text). Another alternative could be to rebind the book.

We usually ensure that tagging data is stored on a separate server accessible to track when and by whom specific barcodes were tagged. This allows for retrieval of tagging details. Additionally, after tagging is completed, an inventory of the tagged items is generated, which can be downloaded in CSV format.

The ISO 28560 standard allows for various types of data, but nowadays we primarily store:

• ISIL code (library identifier)
• barcode (item id)

This clearly identifies a specific item and distinguishes between copies of the same barcode used by different libraries.
For HF tags (and some UHF systems), we also store the borrowing status in the tag so that gates can alarm offline based on this information. This status is automatically updated by RFID transactions at librarian stations and self-service stations after transactions are completed.
The other parts of the ISO 28560 standard define applicable encodings as well.

We will look into this before installation; if the library does not yet have one, it can be requested from the OSZK (National Széchényi Library). The data of all Hungarian libraries is available here:

https://ki.oszk.hu/dokumentumtar/isil-azonositok

We have already built RFID support for most Hungarian and major foreign library systems, including Aleph, Alma, Corvina, Dawinci, Huntéka, Symphony, Szikla, TextLib, …

The connection is made partly via the mostly standardised SIP2 interface and partly through custom solutions – tailored to the library system. Further modules may need to be activated on the library system’s side; please ask your library system supplier about this.

Please contact us using any of our contact details. The devices that can be used and where they can be placed depend largely on the layout of the environment, which would be difficult to describe here in a few points.

The speed of tagging depends on several things. Encoding the tag itself takes about 1 second, but beforehand the item has to be picked up, its barcode found and scanned, which takes longer. In some extreme cases, where the library has no barcodes and only hand-written shelf marks, entering these manually takes even more time; where there are no shelf marks at all, or they are ambiguous, an item can usually be unambiguously selected only from a search list downloaded from the library system (e.g. by title, author and some other identifier), and this takes the most time.

In some libraries we have also provided a tagging service. Based on our experience there, it is advisable to work in pairs: one person brings and takes away the books, while the other programs and sticks on the RFID labels. 

Using a handheld reader for tagging can speed up the process further.

For barcoded collections, a tagging pair can tag as many as 1–2 thousand items a day.

With the search-based method this is only a few hundred a day.

In online systems, the alarm is already triggered for an item queried from the library system (e.g. via the SIP2 interface), so we know the barcode and title of the item that triggered the alarm. Alarms can (mostly) be followed on a website operated by us. In offline systems, too, we know the barcode that triggered the alarm, on the basis of which the item can be queried separately from the library system.

The gates can control other devices (e.g. a turnstile) and stop it in case of an alarm.

The sensors used to start reading also make it possible to count the traffic passing through the gate, which can likewise be followed on the website mentioned, in 15-minute breakdowns. If there is only one sensor in the gate, the in/out direction cannot be distinguished; in that case it is advisable to take half of all passages as the basis for daily statistics. Two-sensor counting is more accurate, as it counts the in and out directions separately, and a separately installed camera-based people counter is more accurate still.

Yes, it is possible. A locker does not require RFID to be introduced in the library; all that is needed is an activated SIP2 module in the library system.

Similarly, the Bibliobox can work without an RFID module; in that case, of course, we cannot make a list of the items dropped in, nor automatically take them back.

We always store the data in the labels locked with a password, so only authorised persons can change the contents of the labels. This is true for both UHF and HF technology.

This is an important factor, because most mobile phones today have an NFC module, with which the contents or theft-protection status of HF tags can be modified if they are not locked. Writing UHF labels is typically not available on “average” smartphones on the market, but some manufacturers integrate UHF modules into Android devices; you can see such a device among the handheld readers as well.

The user interface of the self-service lending station and of the other devices we distribute can be customised freely: your own logo, colours and fonts can be used, and individual modules (lending, returning, renewal) can be switched on and off.

Email and print templates can be configured. On request, the library’s own advertisements can also be placed on the interface.

Most of our devices can be expanded modularly, so it is possible to add, e.g., a printer or an NFC reader later on.

In such cases we recommend mobile internet operation: the device is built with a SIM card slot, and the library only has to arrange the subscription.

This mostly comes up as a requirement concerning the design of the security gates. Taking the characteristics of the technology into account, we can change the standard design of the devices. Since UHF systems have fewer restrictions on antenna placement, the antennas can easily be hidden, for example, behind a wall covering, or hidden in the floor or mounted on the ceiling.

The self-service lending station can also be built into your own furniture.

If new acquisitions also receive a barcode, the procedure is the same as for earlier items, but it is also possible for us to give the library pre-written labels, which do not need to be written; the code stored in the tag only has to be recorded in the library system. Since we program the labels with an RFID printer, it is even possible to print the item identifier stored in the label as a barcode on the label, so barcode-based handling remains an option.

Yes, a system support contract can be concluded, which provides access to the latest software versions and support for changing settings and remote troubleshooting.