RFID Asset Tracking: Integrated Technology Group To Install RFID Technology At Lewis Library And Technology Center In Fontana, CA
The Integrated Technology Group (ITG), a division of Vernon Library Supplies, Inc., will be installing its Apex RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology in the City of Fontana's $60M Lewis Library and Technology Center. San Bernardino County Library will provide service for this state-of-the-art library scheduled to open in the spring of 2008. The 94,000-square-foot, two-story center will be the city's largest civic project and the largest regional library in San Bernardino County.
"The Lewis Library and Technology Center prides itself on including the latest, proven technology such as RFID," said Mark Nuaimi, mayor of Fontana, CA.
"Electronically tagging every piece of library material will allow patrons to self-checkout and return materials quickly and efficiently, and it will help librarians control the flow of library materials. It also frees up librarians from routine check-in / out duties so they can concentrate on assisting patrons in the library."
The Fontana library will use Apex XpressCheck patron self-service kiosks and Vista Book Drop to speed up check-outs and returns. With the new system, patrons will be able to check out items in a stack rather than one at a time as with bar code-based systems. Waiting times are expected to decrease drastically with the new system. Books returned through the book drop will be automatically checked in at the time of drop off. Patrons will no longer have to ask staff members to check in their returned items before they are able to check out new materials. As a result, staff members will have more time to assist library patrons in locating materials and helping them use library resources.
"This is the fourth library in the San Bernardino system that ITG has helped to implement RFID," said Amy Thropp, product manager with ITG. "We are delighted that the first three libraries were so successful that the system chose to continue the process in the Lewis Library."
The library will take advantage of the increased security provided by RFID and ITG's patent-pending Apex AV Xpress security case unlocking system. Locking cases will help prevent theft of multimedia materials and RFID tags will alert library staff members if a patron leaves with an item improperly checked out.
About Integrated Technology Group
Integrated Technology Group (www.integratedtek.com) develops, markets, and supports library automation technologies that empower librarians to make operations more efficient and better serve their patrons. ITG's products include patron self-checkout, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and Automated Materials Handling (AMH) systems. With over 30 years experience in the library industry, ITG combines smart technology and progressive design to create standard solutions that can be easily customized to meet site-specific requirements. ITG, a division of Vernon Library Supplies, Inc., is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia.
SOURCE: The Integrated Technology Group