In today’s busy library environment, the staff cannot afford to lose valuable time checking-in and checking-out books or pursuing the time-consuming process of manually re-shelving books. These costly activities put financial pressure on library management. There are now modern library solutions designed to provide maximum flexibility in the way libraries are operated. Library Solutions for Item IdentificationThe Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is an innovative technology which provides a perfect solution for item identification and intelligent shelving. This technology uses electromagnetic fields to identify and track tags attached to objects by reading electronic information stored in those tags. Output can be improved by using specially designed RFID labels. There are now companies manufacturing equipment for producing RFID book labels with printed logos in full colour or monochrome. The use of these labels can be extended to other media formats such as the CD and DVD. They can also be produces in various sizes and finishes for the protection of circulating and non-circulating collections. Automating the Return ProcessManually sorting returned library products is laborious and expensive. A better way is to use a fast and efficient automated materials handling system that uses a sorter built up in modules. Each module is capable of feeding 2 or 3 sorting bins and every module is designed to handle items of any size flawlessly. The bins are made of light weight aluminium to facilitate handling. They have a moving bottom to prevent materials from falling down. This is one of those library solutions developed after extensive study to automate the return process. Self-Service Library SolutionsLibrary self-service units provide flexibility to the use of libraries. They are ergonomically constructed with modern designs that fit perfectly into a library’s work-flow. Their compact high-quality housing makes it easy to relocate them anywhere in the library. They are equipped with HD touch screen monitors and integrated receipt printers, readers and bar code scanners. They are powered by in-built full circulation software that enables check-in, check-out and renew functions. |