RFID Primer

What is it?

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems are one technology many libraries use to make materials handling more efficient and to reduce staff workload.

ISO 28560 RFID in Libraries Standard Published – What Does That Mean?

On 3/22/211, ISO 28560, the RFID in Libraries Data Model and Encoding Standard was published. It is composed of three parts. Part One describes the data models and data elements while Parts Two and Three provide for two options for encoding the data on the tags. The U.S. will eventually select one of these two models and specify the mandatory and optional data elements to be used in libraries. This will be a NISO standard.

ISO 28560 – RFID in Libraries – ISO Standard Only Two Months Away

The RFID in Libaries Standard (ISO 28560) moved to Stage 50.20 today.  In other words, the Standard is about two months away from being finalized.

Why do you care?  Because this standard is going to be the basis for a U.S. Data Model standard.  This is what we’ve been waiting for. Finally, a standard that defines how to organize information on a library RFID tag including recommendations for what data elements can be used and which ones are mandatory.

UHF and HF RFID Tags

I've been focused recently on developments in UHF technology and how it might help libraries improve on the RFID products we currently use (which are  based on HF tags).  My interest, of course, is having something that fits our library applications best and if UHF is a better fit, I'd rather know now than later after we have an even greater investment in the HF technology.