RFID around-the-clock

Overview

Barwon Health is Victoria's largest regional health service providing care to more than 450,000 people in Geelong and South Western Victoria.

Barwon Health employs over 5000 staff and has an annual operating budget in excess of $330 million.

Barwon Health incorporates a major teaching hospital, associated with Deakin and Melbourne Universities, a major aged care and rehabilitation facility, a mental health service and community health centres.

The Barwon Health Library Service caters for the information needs of professional staff and students associated with Barwon Health. The Library Service supports three main activities within Barwon Health, specifically clinical care, medical research and education.

The library resources comprise a lending collection of 7000 books and a serials collection of 1500 titles.

Project objectives

• Implement an RFID self-check loans system solution to enable books to be borrowed around the clock
• Reduce time spend handling books by staff
• Integrate with the existing Maxus Library Management System (LMS) Inmagic DB/Textworks
• Incorporate a new RFID-based book security system

Solution

• Books are RFID tagged
• Self-check kiosk for loan and return
• Security alarm gates at the library door via RFID tags
• A receipt can be printed listing the items borrowed and the due date
• When books are returned the security tags are automatically reactivated
• All loans data is available to library staff via the library management system

Benefits

• Improved service levels to patrons
• Eliminated queues and delays at the circulation desk
• Enables patrons to borrow books around-the-clock
• Many compliments and no complaints from library patrons
• Simple and reliable to use
• Patron acceptance is high
• Fast return on investment

Hardware and Software

• ASP RF-IDeal middleware
• Maxus LMS
• Feig RFID equipment
• Casio touch terminal PCs
• Star receipt printers
• Denso hands-free desk scanners