The Upsides To The Downsides of RFID continued

The next few 'cons' in the PLA's guide to RFID all deal with the ability to compromise this technology, both accidentally or maliciously. The first is basic, deliberate interference with the signal. It is possible for some RFID tags to lose signal when they are surrounded by tin foil; it's very similar in theory to a conspiracy theorist's belief that tin* foil can block government brainwashing signals. Except the government would use much more powerful signals than cheapo library tech. Once the RFID tag is discovered the thief would then need to sandwich it between two sheets, smothering the signal. This is not a 100% possibility for all types and brands of RFID technology. Likewise, some tags are vulnerable to scrambling it they are layered too near to another tag. This is a bit trickier than the last technique since you have to significantly cover one tag with another but a lot less obvious since you're not waving around loud, shiny tin foil. This is also just a possibility, not an inherent issue with all RFID tags. There is the other issue of how easy it is to remove exposed tags from books, making them a moot point. I can definitely see the drawbacks. In the school library of my first high school they used RFID tags but they were very thick and rigid and the adhesive used to apply them was never allowed to properly dry. I would occasionally pick these tags off unconsciously. Nowadays however, the design of the antenna and chip inside of the tags has increased to be much thinner. Then it's just an issue of placement.The common sense answer would be to place them on the book behind the dust jacket but not every book has one. However, they also design some tags to have the library logo on them. Then they are hiding in plain sight as bookplates, something a prospective thief might not think to remove.

One thing I feel can not be stressed enough however is the comparison of RFID to regular tags. Yes there are there are engineering loopholes specific to some brands of RFID, but there are much simpler loopholes for the current common bar-code system with none of the benefits. If someone is just so determined to steal a library book, which is pathetically uncool as far as possible miscreant behavior goes, that they bring random kitchen supplies or methodically layer the materials they want to steal, not having RFID tags is just going to make it simpler for them. RFID tagging systems with audible alarms should deter some of the lazier ne'er-do-wells or shame others from further attempts. Even in the accidental compromise of RFID tags you only render them about as useful as, I don't know, a common bar-code. So yes, there are weaknesses, but they are only recognizable as weaknesses because the system is in general so much better than a regular one. Plus, the time and effort is takes to employ the weak spots on RFID tags make it far easier to catch possible thieves than when they can practically shove things in their bags and walk off with materials. And I'm being generous when I say practically.

Which brings me to the next so called downside, what they call "exit" sensors or what I've been calling security sensors. These larger sensors need to read the tags further away and more quickly than a hand-held reader which is used for inventory and weeding. I don't really see the issue here. Yes, they have to be spaced far enough to get a readable signal from the tag, but that's more an issue with the tags design and the strength of the signal it puts out. Also, these sensors are much larger and less mobile than hand held readers and need less information off of the tag itself. One would think the size and lack of portability would improve the processing abilities of it, just as PCs can be more powerful than laptops.

The last and silliest failing, at least to me, is that they might compromise a patron's privacy. There is the theoretical concern that someone may scan the tag in a checked out book and find patron information. Except RFID tags in books themselves generally hold information just about the book, even the statistics that may be stored on it would be focused on the number of time it was checked out instead of who did the checking out. RFID tagging of "smart cards" hold patron information such as name and printing balances, but this type of tagging is very uncommon, and rarely to my knowledge mandatory. Yet even if you had the reader to read a tag, it's the connection with a library's system that really decrypts such data. You'd need a handheld RFID reader from that library specifically, which makes the scenario all the less likely, not to mention that the reading ability of such devices is quite limited given the size and signal capabilities of library tags. If someone stood less than a foot from you with, say, the star-trek-esque device from a few weeks back, it might be less conspicuous to just steal your wallet at that point. The main upside to this con is if they concoct this elaborate scheme to steal your information from a tagged book or card, they are probably not smooth enough to actually take your wallet and your information is probably safe.



*By tin foil I mean aluminum foil. It's the same thing to me. I know technically they are different metals, but it's just how I talk.

References

American Library Association. (2011, October 10). RFID technology for libraries. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/pla/tools/technotes/rfidtechnology

Bhargava, H., Campbell, A., Das, A. M., Haines, B., Kleinschmidt, & J.Thornton, F. (2006). RFID security. Rockland, MA: Syngress Publishing.

Dorman, D. (2003). RFID poses no problem for patron privacy.  American Libraries, 36(11), 86-87.

(2004). RFID technology: What the future holds for commerce, security, and the consumer : hearing before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, second session, July 14, 2004. Washington: U.S. G.P.O.. 

I'll Be Watching You...Watching Me

In fiddling with actually posting draft posts of late, I found the stats page! Fun with statistics! I can even see what pages you were on before you clicked on mine. I got a nice ego stoking from my page view numbers which was quickly deflated by realized that about half of those visits were me checking for comments. Alas. This blog is also coming to end as well. I'd like to say I'd keep it up but there's every possibility that real life will get in the way of my individual pursuits. This is why I have a massive backlog of fiction to read.

More to the point, I've been fiddling around on the ALA website of late. I have recently located the PLA branch of it as well. On the PLA website they have a technological toolkit that includes a simple guide to the benefits of RFID technologies. A lot of the things on it are things we've previously discussed in the blog like improved service and reliability but they also include a list of cons. The only real con I've included thus far have been the expense of such systems to implement and operate. I thought it might be useful to enumerate the ones they specified and discuss the costs and benefits of each. Yes I'm going to try to find benefits to cons. Deal with it.

First and foremost there are the compatibility issues. This is an issue for most modern technology, not just RFID tags. Just like you can't use a Wii disc on a PS3, you generally can't use RFID tags with systems they aren't directly made for. Even if they are made in the same place by the same people. Even if the RFID tag vendors merge. It's an issue in how the tag is coded that makes them essentially incompatible. This makes buying RFID tags at all a bit pointless, because you have to buy a whole new system plus tags when a new breakthrough comes, which is exactly what I said about PSPs. (And who still uses PSPs?) At least that's what the PLA tells you. In later paragraphs they go on to explain newly enforced production standards that would allow for interoperability in tags and systems. Which makes the only people who are bothered by this point the ones that already have these systems and probably won't be reading that article. The one remaining issue to this point is that some companies might fail to actually implement these standards because they might hurt the profit margins for such vendors. This is a valid point, but even the stingiest vendors have to comply to demand eventually especially as other vendors work with the standards and start to monopolize the available costumers. The real issue here is that librarians could be purchasing less wisely than they should. Discuss the interoperability of the product you're looking for and be willing to put off RFID tag integration until such a time as the standards are more...well, standard.

Well it's getting pretty late actually. Or early. Depends on how you look at it. I'll post part two of my discussion of RFID tag weaknesses tomorrow once I have written it. Goodnight!

EDIT: I thought these were self explanatory but a friend told me I should specify that Wii, PS3, and PSP are gaming systems. The last two stand for Playstation 3 and Playstation Portable respectively.

References

American Library Association. (2011, October 10). RFID technology for libraries. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/pla/tools/technotes/rfidtechnology

Pandian, M. P. (2010). RFID for libraries: A practical guide. Oxford: Chandos. 

How to Make An Oktoberfest Joke Unfunny

In searching for some commercial RFID videos I stumbled across this beauty produced by the Munich public library system. Initially I just enjoyed the announcer, who seemed to be literally possessed by the spirit of library efficiency but otherwise the video is quite pleasant and does a good job in showing how RFID can improve a large system in a way that is more than theoretical. Fair warning, this video is partially in German though it is subbed. If any German speakers watch this blog, feel free to correct any glaring mistranslations in the comments!