[Wactclc-alma] [EXTERNAL*]-Re: RFID question

Thu May 20 12:15:22 PDT 2021

We have PaperCut at BTC. Students have to login a username and password.
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From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu> on behalf of Guidry, Wade <WadeG at bigbend.edu>
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2021 12:13 PM
To: WACTCLC Alma Discussion <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>
Subject: Re: [Wactclc-alma] [EXTERNAL*]-Re: RFID question

I could understand wanting to go with RFID rather than magnetic stripe for PaperCut card readers.

But as Sally points out, it would make sense to consider existing use cases for the pre-existing barcode cards.

I’d be curious to hear from other institutions that use PaperCut. Is PaperCut configured to require a keyed in username/password, or is some form of card access used?

Wade Guidry

Library Consortium Services Manager, WACTCLC

wadeg at bigbend.edu<mailto:wadeg at bigbend.edu>

(509) 760-4474

http://www.wactclc.org<http://www.wactclc.org/>

Schedule a meeting with me<https://calendly.com/wactclcalmaprimo/>

My Zoom Instant Meeting Link<https://bigbend.zoom.us/j/8763410457>

From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu> On Behalf Of Sally Sheedy
Sent: Thursday, May 20, 2021 11:36 AM
To: 'WACTCLC Alma Discussion' <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>
Subject: Re: [Wactclc-alma] [EXTERNAL*]-Re: RFID question

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I found that there are scanners that can do both. Aside from needing to replace all the scanners you have, it might not alter workflow much.

Eg. https://www.systemid.com/learn/motorola-ds9808-r-combines-barcode-scanner-and-rfid-reader

From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu>> On Behalf Of Elena Bianco
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 4:41 PM
To: 'WACTCLC Alma Discussion' <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>>
Subject: Re: [Wactclc-alma] [EXTERNAL*]-Re: RFID question

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Hi Sally:

I don't know how the RFID tags will be incorporated with the cards. I've called a meeting with the "deciders" to see how that's going to work and if we can somehow integrate with Alma for patron id cards. Then there's the whole question of how community borrowers fit in with this whole thing.

Elena Bianco

Systems & Technical Services Librarian

Skagit Valley College Library

2405 E. College Way

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

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From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu>> on behalf of Sally Sheedy <SSheedy at whatcom.edu<mailto:SSheedy at whatcom.edu>>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 12:28 PM
To: 'WACTCLC Alma Discussion' <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>>
Subject: [EXTERNAL*]-Re: [Wactclc-alma] RFID question

Do you know if they are going to drop bar codes on the ID cards, or obscure them with the RFID tags?  Surely the people who chose Papercut (the “deciders”) must have given thought to other ways in which ID cards are used, aside from printing? Hahaha, as if.

We now have RFID in our library (but not on ID cards). You need an antenna to read the RFID. The self-check kiosk and gates have them, and so do the pads at the circ desk and in tech services. So you definitely need something different than your regular scanners to pick up on RFID.

But barcodes didn’t go away -- they are needed on our items and are still put on new ones. The bar codes are the link to Alma. The RFID tags are associated with barcodes, and you connect them one at a time, with the item on the RFID reader pad and the barcode scanner wand at the ready.

(We have some materials (in a closed location) that are not RFID tagged, having only a barcode.

hth

-Sally

From: Wactclc-alma <wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma-bounces at lists.ctc.edu>> On Behalf Of Elena Bianco
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2021 11:27 AM
To: Guidry, Wade <WadeG at bigbend.edu<mailto:WadeG at bigbend.edu>>
Cc: WACTCLC Alma Discussion <wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu<mailto:wactclc-alma at lists.ctc.edu>>
Subject: [Wactclc-alma] RFID question

Hi Wade and Alma List people:

So, we just found out that our campus is moving to a new Papercut print management system that uses RFID stickers on users' ID cards to charge student accounts. They will be implementing this system for students after ctcLink goes live in October. Do you know if that kind of thing can be configured to work with Alma?

Currently, we use barcodes on student ID cards for Alma, and I would love to somehow not have to have students get two stickers on their id cards and just use one system for both the print system and library checkouts.

The problem is our books still use barcodes and we just don't have the staffing to do a whole library RFID conversion project, so we need to keep barcode scanners.  I have no idea how RFID works - guessing you can't use the same scanners for both RFID and barcodes, right?

Anyway, I am looking for some guidance to see if we can simplify things for students so just one system can be used for both the library and the print system. I'm guessing, though, that we are out of luck and stuck with two systems unless the library converts everything to RFID and gets rid of barcodes altogether...

Thanks in advance for any insights...

Elena

Elena Bianco

Systems & Technical Services Librarian

Skagit Valley College Library

2405 E. College Way

Mount Vernon, WA 98273

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