RFID as a locator??

[jenr015]

we plan to make a book locator in a library using RF technology...

the idea is that a student will type in the book title on a computer.. and then... the computer database will check if the book is available or not. if yes, the RF device on the computer will send interrogation signal and when the tag(which we are still undecided whether we will put it on the book itself or on the bookshelf where the book is located) receives the interrogation signal, a certain indicator will be activated so as to give the location of the said book.

now, the question is, is it a good idea? what do you guys think? or shall we use other technology? like bluetooth? or do you think it is feasible?

 

[MikeMl]

Since the range of passive RFID is only a few cm, you will have to have thousands of interrogators, one or two per shelf. You will have to query them starting at the shelf where the book is normally shelved. If it is not there, where do you look next? The drop bins, the sorting converyor, the carts used to haul the books back for refiling? etc.

 

[jenr015]

if the book is out or is currently being used by other student, the computer on the front desk will tell you , i mean, u will see on the monitor that the book is in used or out, etc.. so no indicator will be activated... thats the idea...

 

[MikeMl]

I worked in a library. Books get misfiled all the time. Books get left out of the shelves if used in the library for reference. Books wind up on carts. The computer at the front desk knows nothing about where a book is.

If you want to propose something useful, you will have to be able to locate a book regardless of where in the library it is at that instant. You cannot place an active RFID in a book, so you will have to have hundreds to thousands of interrogators....

 

[jenr015]

why cant we place an active RFID on a book?

 

[MikeMl]

why cant we place an active RFID on a book?

Who is going to replace all the batteries? At what cost? How often?

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Hopefully someday soon the paper book will go all digital. The future will be eink. Tree rejoice

 

[mugwamp]

jenr, chaeck out the book "RFID Toys". It's available from Amazon. (Or maybe even your local library.) There's a project in there to create a RFID bookshelf which will automatically inventory stuff. Might be sort of what you're talking about.

Since RFID is being used in warehouses and for inventory control, putting tags on all the books in a library to track them isn't as far-fetched or expensive as it sounds. In fact, the Denver Library is asking for volunteers for a project like that right now.

 

[Hero999]

Hopefully someday soon the paper book will go all digital. The future will be eink. Tree rejoice

Will probably never happen.

Have you ever seen those films from the 70s about the paperless office of the future?

 

[blueroomelectronics]

Will probably never happen.

Have you ever seen those films from the 70s about the paperless office of the future?

Yes, but offices don't print books you'd find in a Library, they print ledgers and shred them when the taxman comes.

eBooks will happen, I predict sooner than later.
Google Books Library Project - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
**broken link removed**

 

[jenr015]

Who is going to replace all the batteries? At what cost? How often?

think we will use passive rfid...

 

[blueroomelectronics]

think we will use passive rfid...

That's what Libraries use.
LibBest - Library RFID Management System
**broken link removed**

 

[jenr015]

we end up having a revised bookshelves... ^_^ the books are automatically dispensed if searched.

 

[jenr015]

That's what Libraries use.

yeah, I've seen that site... thanks anyway