TERRELL— Hulsey Public Library staff is converting their collection to RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. Library Director Rebecca Anderson said the conversion will help streamline the checkout process, prevent losses, and give staff more time to assist patrons with programming and reference services.
TERRELL— Hulsey Public Library staff is converting their collection to RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. Library Director Rebecca Anderson said the conversion will help streamline the checkout process, prevent losses, and give staff more time to assist patrons with programming and reference services.
Libraries started using the technology in the late 1990s to replace traditional barcode security systems. Last year, the Terrell City Council approved funding the new technology at approximately $33,000.
"The staff has been working on the conversion the past few months, focusing on the smaller collections first. In addition, the library will be closed for three staff development days, where the entire staff will work on the conversion process," Anderson said.
Since the cost of the conversion is based on the size of the collection, Anderson said it is much more cost-effective to begin the process now while the size of the collection is about 60,000 instead of waiting until the library's new facility is completed, which is projected to house at least 100,000 items.
The conversion is a three-step process, tagging the book inside the back cover with a Racetrack RFID tag, encoding it into the system software, and then scanning it into the collection database. To ensure all items are tagged, items returned by patrons are placed on a shelf in the staff work area for inspection before they are returned to the collection.
"We are so grateful to the City Council for the budget enabling us to fund this project. It is a major step forward for us as we begin the long-term transition process to a new facility," Anderson said.
In addition, Anderson said the library used grant money in 2020 to purchase a Tech Logic self- check station where patrons can check out their own materials. Staff members are working one-on-one with patrons to train them on using the new station in hopes that they will become comfortable with it, reducing their wait time and allowing them to check out books.
Anderson said she is confident that the self-check station will grow in popularity due to its ease of use. “We have lots of younger patrons, some as young as 2 or 3, who use it regularly," she said