I borrowed a couple of books from the local library today. The checkout process involved using a new-fangled radio frequency identification device (RFID).
The technology uses radio waves to transfer data from an electronic tag, called RFID tag or label, attached to an object, through a reader for the purpose of identifying and tracking the object. Some RFID tags can be read from several metres away and beyond the line of sight of the reader. The application of bulk reading enables an almost-parallel reading of tags.
I knew this gadget had been installed, because we ran a story about it in the paper, but I had no idea how to use it.
Fortunately, there was a friendly librarian on hand to explain it all.
Firstly, I placed my library card on the screen for it to read the bar code. Then I simply had to place the books on the screen; it didn’t matter which way around.
Bingo! The machine printed a docket, I pressed an “exit” button and the process was complete.
I said to the librarian that I hoped this machine wasn’t doing her out of a job. She assured me it wasn’t; that she’d have more time for other important things.
Still being a little nostalgic from the previous post, I remember joining the Traralgon Library in the early 70s while a student at St Michael’s Primary School.
We were given pink library cards, about 2×1 inches. The whole “checkout” was manual — no such thing as bar codes then.
