Material Check Out/Authentication
Libraries continue to look for new methods for allowing users to check out
their own materials in an effort to reduce reliance on stationary checkout
desks, reducing lines and wait times, and reallocation of staff to other service
areas. With a secure NFC ID solution in place, an application installed on
NFC-capable mobile device, and with materials identified with NFC tags,
customers could literally checkout materials from any location within the
library as soon as the material is taken from the shelf. Customers could even
check the due date or extend the lending period and manage their materials
from wherever they are. Bibliotheca, a vendor that provides similar solutions
including those using RFID, already markets such a system.24
Libraries have used many different techniques over the years to authenticate
customers at public access computer terminals. Many libraries have
small group study rooms that require registration or key access. With a NFC
enabled ID or registered device and a card reading station, customers could
access workstations or study rooms in the same way one would use a smart
wallet at a retailer, eliminating the need to remember or enter a username
and password combination. Of course, the use of a PIN code would provide
an extra level of security. Integration with an online signup system could
also activate and deactivate individual access permissions.
Expanding the Collection
There are many possibilities for NFC to be used to help customers interact
with collections. Individuals with enabled devices could touch it to kiosks
located throughout a library to receive resource recommendations based on
their subject interests, past transactions, or a predefined profile. Supplemental
information could provide details about a resource or object, including
background information about the author/creator, access to related multimedia,
connections to online links, or to display related resource guides. While
technologies such as QR codes could also be used to access such supplemental
information, they generally perform a single function or reroute to a
single resource. NFC, on the other hand, has the capacity to perform multiple
functions based on the functionality of the reader software.