Solution · Education & Public
Library Management
Issue a stack of books in one action, shelve accurately, and complete a full inventory in a day.
- One action
- A whole stack issued together
- 1 day
- Full shelf inventory
- On the shelf
- Misplaced books found on a walk
A library's two chores are issuing books one at a time and finding the ones that are shelved wrong. RFID removes both. A pad reads a whole stack at the counter, a handheld walks the shelves and reports every misplaced item, and a gate at the exit catches books that were not issued.
The problem today
What it looks like before
If two or three of these describe your operation, this solution is worth a conversation. If none of them do, it probably is not.
What we hear
Issue and return is one barcode at a time, which makes a queue at peak hours.
Books shelved in the wrong place are effectively lost until the annual stock check finds them.
A full inventory means closing the library for days, so it is done rarely.
Books leave without being issued and are only missed much later.
How it works
Step by step, on site
Not an architecture diagram — the actual sequence of what happens to a physical thing.
- 1
Tag the collection
An RFID label goes inside each book, encoded with the accession number, alongside the existing barcode.
- 2
Issue a stack at once
An RFID pad at the counter reads every book in the stack in one action and issues them together.
- 3
Self-service where wanted
A self-issue kiosk lets members issue and return their own books, which removes the counter queue entirely.
- 4
Shelve and audit with a handheld
A walk down the shelves reads every book and reports misplaced, missing and unexpected items against the catalogue.
- 5
Secure the exit
A gate at the door alarms on books that were not issued, and can name the item on a screen.
Software used
What changes
Results and benefits
Figures come from real deployments. They depend on site conditions, which is why we commit to numbers for your site only after a trial.
- One action
- A whole stack issued together
- 1 day
- Full shelf inventory
- On the shelf
- Misplaced books found on a walk
- Counter queues disappear at peak periods.
- Shelf accuracy means a catalogued book is actually findable.
- Annual stock checking stops requiring a closure.
- Staff time moves from transactions to helping members.
Example deployment
What one site looked like
Client names are withheld until we have written permission to publish them.
College library, 62,000 volumes
The full collection tagged over a vacation period, with a counter pad, one self-issue kiosk and an exit gate. Issue time at the counter fell by roughly two thirds at peak. The first full shelf audit, which had previously taken a week of closure, was completed in a day with two handhelds while the library stayed open.
Implementation & support
How the project actually runs
Including the parts that take the longest and the parts you have to own rather than us.
- 1
Collection tagging
Labels applied and encoded against the catalogue, usually during a vacation, at roughly 300 to 500 books per person per day.
- 2
Catalogue integration
Linking to your existing library management catalogue, or moving to our module if you would rather consolidate.
- 3
Counter and kiosk
RFID pads at the issue counter and self-service kiosks where member volume justifies them.
- 4
Gate installation
Exit gates tuned so that issued books pass silently and unissued ones do not.
- 5
Audit routine
A shelf audit schedule established with handhelds, so accuracy is maintained rather than restored once a year.
Library Management solution brief
Stack issue, self-service kiosks, shelf audit with a handheld and exit security.
This is the document that used to live at /pdf/library.pdf on the old site. The content is now on this page; the PDF stays available.
Questions
Before you commit
Where does the tag go in a book?
A thin label inside the back cover or on an inner page, positioned so that stacked books still read reliably. Thin books and metal-content covers get special placement.
Will it work with our existing library software?
In most cases yes, through its API or database. Where it cannot integrate, our module can take over cataloguing and circulation.
How long does tagging 50,000 books take?
Around 300 to 500 books per person per day including encoding and verification, so a 50,000-volume library is a few weeks with a small team, typically over a vacation.
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Read moreTalk to us about library management
Send your site details and what you need to track. We come back with a specification, a hardware list and a read-rate trial plan — before you commit to anything.
Or call +91 97305 32888 — Monday to Saturday, 9:30 am to 6:30 pm.