MANAGING SECURITY AND PRODUCTIVITY CHALLENGES WITHIN LIBRARIES. Mr. Freddie Yong 3M Asia Pacific Private Limited, Malaysia

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1 MANAGING SECURITY AND PRODUCTIVITY CHALLENGES WITHIN LIBRARIES By Mr. Freddie Yong 3M Asia Pacific Private Limited, Malaysia INTRODUCTION Over the past 15 years, libraries have seen a significant and somewhat surprising increase in use. The advent of a vast global digital communications network has given individuals access to an astonishing range of information, culture and entertainment. One can read a periodical s latest edition or a recent government report, classic texts and many popular modern books, music and video in a format that can be easily downloaded into a home computer or to handheld devices. This decentralization of information and other content can lead to a reduced dependence on centralized repositories such as public and academic libraries. Contrary to expectations, though, libraries in communities of all sizes have seen increases in circulation. Collections are growing in size and as the proportion of expensive DVDs and CDs increases- value. Budgets have also increased, although frequently these increases have not kept pace with the increases in circulation. As a result, in many libraries relatively fewer librarians are available to monitor security and they are often challenged with demands to increase their productivity and improve customer service without adding personnel. These trends have created a troublesome situation for libraries: Increases in the value of collections and in traffic combined with flat or very modest additions to staffing- have led to increases in theft. This problem has been exacerbated by the rise of Internet auction and sales sites that have created a global flea market for any items that have been stolen from collections. 1

2 The persistent threat of item theft- once the concern of rare bookshops and some academic libraries must now be confronted by large and small public libraries in communities of all sizes, in all regions. While there are several technological options to having a resolution of security gaps, librarians are also encountered with the issue of choosing the right solution that will balance their needs for security and productivity and more importantly a return on their investment. Impact on Libraries The financial impact of thefts can be significant. When libraries conduct periodic inventories, they typically find that about 4 per cent of their collections are missing. At a cost of $30 per item, a 100,000-item collection will spend about $120,000 replacing those stolen and misplaced materials. 3M has developed a Loss Reduction Calculator which can be found in the Resources section of the 3M library Systems website ( Based on calculations made by the Loss Reduction Calculator, at an annual loss rate of 0.5 per cent, the yearly replacement would be $15,000. Some studies put the figure considerably higher. Library thefts can also have an institutional impact. Continued losses are sometimes seen as a sign of poor management of community resources, with repercussions for the Management and budgets; county auditors and other officials have stressed libraries responsibility to local taxpayers. In other communities, however, library boards appear willing to accept a level of theft as a cost of business that can be predicted and reflected in library budgets. These differing levels of acceptance will thus form the basis of the type of security technologies the libraries will adopt and invest in. To curb losses, some libraries have decided to limit access to certain parts of their collections, especially videotapes, CDs and DVDs. On going losses can also change expectations about staff responsibilities, with more emphasis placed on monitoring of customers. This can affect staff productivity, staff job satisfaction and customer service. Responding to Security Issues When institutions or organizations are faced with a potential security problem, there are three affordable options that libraries can choose to do: a) One response is to do nothing. This can be an acceptable solution in small communities where funding is limited and customers are well known by librarians although even modest thefts can have serious financial and 2

3 institutional repercussions for these smaller systems and their staffs. In larger communities where the customer librarian relationship is less familiar, this response is usually inadequate. In the judgment of most librarians and boards, the risk of inaction outweighs the cost of effective security. b) A second and the most common response is the use of an electromagnetic (EM) security system. These systems are affordable and highly effective for alerting staff that an item is being removed from the library without properly being checked out. It is based on a proven technology which uses a magnetic strip that is adhered to a book, CD or a DVD or a videotape with a covert appearance. Due to its covertness, their presence and location in books/print materials are difficult to detect and remove. It is also not easily shielded by human body or most materials. High quality strips can be turned on or off repeatedly with no degradation of signal strength. As a result, unwanted alarms are rare and becoming more so. EM security systems are currently installed in thousands of libraries worldwide where they protect billions of books and other media. EM systems, however, like other public appliances, should be thoroughly tested by a third-part product safety testing and certification organization. Most small and medium-sized libraries will find that cost of an EM security system (including strips, detection equipment and accessories) is recouped in a year or two through reduced expenditures on lost items. Staff time required to implement an EM system will vary depending on the model and manufacturer. (Some manufacturers offer an application process that can be up to five times faster than hand insertion.) Once installed, maintenance is typically not a major consideration as the detection and activation devices are durable and effective; the magnetic strips require little or no upkeep or replacement during the lifespan of the item. Integrating new items into the collection requires only the application of the EM strip. c) A third option is the installation of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) System. For the library s circulation and shelf-management functions, RFID technology offers significant advantages over barcode and manual systems. Most RFID systems also incorporate a security function that alerts staff when a customer is attempting to remove an item without checking out. 3

4 The primary benefits of RFID technology are in speeding customer checkout and improving the productivity of library staff. While the technology s security capabilities are real, there are also limitations in which a tag s ability to sense and communicate with readers can be affected by metal containing items (such as DVDs) and some metal can also shield tags. Tags are generally less covert and they can also be easily removed or tampered with. What to look for in a Security System? All security systems are not alike. Library boards and Staff should keep the following in mind as they consider the purchase of a security system. a) Work with a comprehensive supplier. Niche suppliers- those with a narrow product line- can offer only a limited range of solutions. When libraries work with a multiproduct, multi-technology supplier, they can expect a solution that is tailored to their specific needs and budget considerations. b) Look for matched components. Suppliers with a full line of products can also offer components that have been engineered to work together. Libraries can be confident that all components of their circulation and security systems are seamlessly integrated. c) Don t let yourself become a product tester. You wouldn t buy a toaster from a company that didn t conduct rigorous product testing. You d also expect certification from a third-party product safety testing and certification organization. Your security system should have the kinks worked out before you buy it. This is especially true for any new products in which the performance is yet to be proven from a technological perspective. d) The classics in your collection withstand the test of time. Your security system should, too. Expect your system to last throughout the lifetime of an item, whether it s a dense treatise that is checked out twice a decade, a popular DVD, or a beloved children s book. Any claims of durability should be backed with a meaningful guarantee. e) Too often, distant service is no service. Some problems can be cleared up over the phone. Some can t. If your service agreement doesn t promise local or regional support, you could wait a long time before any problems are fixed. 4

5 Investment of RFID Technology for Productivity Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology is an investment for libraries. To decide if the rewards justify making this investment, library management must look at the benefits, the near-term costs, and the arguments for waiting or using another technology. In recent years, many large and small library systems have installed RFID systems. Usually, they identify four reasons for making what can be a significant investment: Customer satisfaction. Books and other materials move out of the library faster with RFID. Using a self-service system and RFID, customers can check out multiple items at once. This means they spend less time waiting in line at the self service station or the circulation desk. When RFID technology is combined with automated materials handling systems, it can also speed the process for getting CD, DVDs, videotapes and books including frequently checked-out best-sellersback on the shelves where customers can use them. And those items are more likely to be shelved accurately, which increases customer convenience and reduces frustration. For many customers, though, the greatest benefit comes from more interaction with the library staff. When librarians spend less time on routine physical tasks, they can pay more attention to the needs of customers. Please refer to the two case studies on Kent District Library and Farmington (N.M.) Public Library at 3M website for more details. Staff Productivity and satisfaction. With RFID, Librarians can do more in less time. Some of the most time-consuming tasks-check-ins, checkouts, searching for holds or lost items and shelf management- are fully or partially automated. That opens up opportunities for improving current services and for enhancing the mission of the library. In some systems, the installation of an RFID system has allowed librarians to provide language training, to create new programming for children and seniors, and to address other evolving community needs. For some libraries, this boost in productivity isn t an opportunity for enhancement; it s a chance to return to the level of service customers enjoyed before circulation increased. To others, RFID is a proactive step, an investment today that will ensure adequate service if staffing levels don t keep pace with constant increases in circulation. 5

6 Staff Health. We don t have good information on repetitive stress among librarians, but many professionals believe that some circulation activities increase the occurrence of these injuries. These activities include handling volumes, desensitizing and resensitizing materials, and opening DVD and video cases to check contents. RFID systems do not eliminate these activities, but they clearly reduce item handling by librarians. For this reason, some libraries have turned to RFID systems as a strategy for reducing manual materials handling that can lead to repetitive stress problems. Fiscal Responsibility. For many Library Boards, the strongest argument for investing in RFID is that the systems usually pay for themselves in two to three years. With rising circulations, RFID systems can help keep staff costs constant and predictable. Material costs due to lost or misplaced items can be reduced. (In fact,many libraries find thousands of dollars worth of lost items when they first implement an RFID shelf management program.) After the investment has been recouped, RFID systems should generate benefits for ten years or longer. Other data: Visit the 3M Library Systems website and try the 3M Loss Reduction Calculator. To find out about the 3M Self Check System Return on Investment Calculator, contact your local sales consultant. Reasons to Wait Most Librarians acknowledge the benefits of RFID, but some still haven t made the decision to go forward with an installation. We broadly classify as follows: Privacy Concerns: For some librarians and some citizens, privacy issues are preeminent. They want assurances that the government (or a technically astute neighbor) won t be tracking their library materials (or them) using RFID chips. We agree that privacy is very important and we do not claim to know the intentions of the government or your neighbor. We are, however, confident of the technical capabilities of RFID and we believe these limits should alleviate much of the concern over what can and cannot be known using this technology. The high frequency tags used in library items cannot normally be read at a distance of more than 18 to 24 inches from a reader antenna. In rare instances, they might be picked up at three or four feet. To get to five or six feet, you will need a reader the size of a garden shed, which is highly impractical for covert surveillance. Beyond six feet, the physics of RFID make it virtually impossible to find out what s in your briefcase or backpack. 6

7 Expense: Some Library Boards like the idea of installing an RFID system, but they want to wait for another year (or two) before making the investment, hoping that prices will drive down. This will be a persuasive argument if RFID systems didn t generate significant savings in library operating expenses. As it pays off in just a few years, an investment in RFID can be justified at any time that a library can acquire the funding. Another reason to wait is book hunger. For many librarians, the desire to have more books and other media is more impending. Some of the collections have been depleted through loss or theft. Other collections were started with modest resources; an infusion of new books, CDs and periodicals will make the library more useful to customer and increase its legitimacy as a community resource. To these librarians, RFID might appear to be a competing use for funds. It is actually not. An investment in RFID quickly generates savings (which can be applied to books and other media), reveals the location of misplaced items that were thought to be lost or stolen, and- by improving customer satisfaction- adds to the community s perception that the library is a valuable and efficient resource for citizens. Disruption: Occasionally, a librarian may find the conversion process too disruptive for them right now. In reality, conversion to RFID can be swift and painless. With the more efficient systems, most customers won t even know the conversion is taking place because only one volume or item is removed from the shelf at a time. In these systems, a cart is positioned in the aisle between shelves and the staff person works item by item, converting from barcodes to RFID. The process is fast and with practice, staff or contract workers can convert 500 items an hour. Meanwhile, customers can still access the shelves and they experience virtually no inconvenience. What to look for in a Productivity System based on RFID? Library Board members and staff must consider the potential pitfalls when contemplating a significant investment. Typically, they start by researching other libraries experiences with RFID. When they do, they find that catastrophic failures are virtually unknown. Research also shows that some libraries have a smoother implementation than others, and some are more satisfied with post implementation functionality and technical support. In most cases, problems can be avoided by taking a few simple precautions. 7

8 a) Consider only established suppliers: your system could last a decade or more, so you will need a supplier with that kind of longevity. Ask for references. b) Once you have decided on the best match for your needs, don t be afraid of commitment. The most successful RFID installations result from a close working relationship between the library and a single supplier that owns the system. Insist that the supplier assume responsibility for hardware, software, integration with the ILS (integrated Library System), initial training and technical service. If the supplier is unwilling or unable to play this role, consider using another supplier. (This of course means that the supplier has a local or regional presence. If your technical support provider is across the continent-or on another continent- your downtime may be unacceptable.) c) Be attentive to system design. As RFID systems bring immediate and dramatic improvements in productivity, staff might be tempted to overlook small deficiencies in system design. They are willing to accept what appear to be minor annoyances in order to enjoy the benefits as soon as possible. This is understandable but ill-advised. In a short time, small annoyances grow large. For example, some RFID systems have a clumsy interface with the ILS. The result is an overly complex circulation system and an ILS with less functionality. Staff and customers quickly take the benefits of RFID for granted and focus on those once small deficiencies. Look around; there are affordable systems that don t require you to compromise on efficiency. It is also important to look for systems that have a modular design and there must be upgradeability consideration in the design of the system. d) Get a system with a mobile conversion station. Some librarians recall the transition to RFID as a long-running imposition; others remember it as a task among other tasks. Libraries that used a mobile conversion station are usually in the latter group. A mobile station allows staff to work among the stacks, converting a volume at a time. This makes the process faster, easier on staff (no hauling a cartful of books to a separate location and then hauling back) and less disruptive for customers. You don t need to purchase the station; often the mobile conversion stations can be rented for the conversion process. e) Avoid proprietary RFID tags. In the early days of RFID technology-before standardized protocols were adopted by the industry- every company came up with its own vision of what would be practical for users. Today, most tags use industry standards that will continue to be recognized as 8

9 the technology evolves. Some proprietary tags remain, though; building a new system using these proprietary tags could limit your options going forward. It is also important to consider vendors who are able to provide you an upgrade path (where technology permits) to migrate to an industrial standard. What is more important to your Library- Security or Productivity? There are differing needs of the librarians with respect to the importance and emphasis they placed on security versus productivity. From our earlier discussion, we understand that EM provides a higher level of security as they are less susceptible to interference and they are covertly applied on the library collections. Security detection is achieved through the EM detection gates installed at the entrance/exit of the libraries. EM is a less expensive way to have a high level of security. A pure RFID system or what commonly termed as single tag Library system provides a lower level of security as RFID tags are more susceptible to interference and the tags are not covertly applied which open up to vandalism and removal. With single tag Library solutions, achieving productivity will be the main emphasis and security will be less of a concern. There is also equal emphasis placed for both security and productivity by the librarians. In this case, a combination of EM and RFID (what we commonly termed as two tag solution or RFID with Enhanced Security) will achieve the objective. In this solution, the security will be achieved by EM strips and detection gates and RFID will provide the required productivity in the overall library management. It is essential when embarking on a two tag solution to go for suppliers that can provide an integrated product platform that will ensure seamless and a single step process in handling self check-in and self check-out of collection items. For customers who have already invested in an EM system, going into RFID is simply adding on the RFID tag and associated equipment without need to change the EM detection gates. For customers who decide to migrate to purely RFID for both security and EM, you can change the EM gate into a RFID gate. Whatever solution the library chooses, the reliability, experience, vendor reputation and a proven implementation concept with good performance are critical factors when choosing a vendor and a technological platform. New Technology which has yet to be proven in terms of performance is nice to have but can cause unforeseen issues and problems. It will have to be valued against the real benefits in rationalizing the library process among competing resources. 9

10 Notes 1) Adapted from Worth the Risk? Library losses: Magnitude of the problem and response options by Loren Bregel, 3M Library Systems 2) Adapted from RFID 101 Four reasons for a library to invest in RFID technology and three reasons to wait, 3M Library Systems 3) Adapted from RFID 201: The Basics An introduction to using RFID technology in your library, 3M Library Systems 3M Asia Pacific Pte Ltd 10