Library to reopen April 26... with RFID tags

Mostly closed this week for a technology upgrade, the Old Colorado City Library is on schedule to reopen with normal hours Monday, April 26, along with a new system for checking out books, DVDs and other items. Part of the crew affixing some 30,000 radio frequency indentification (RFID) tags onto items at the Old Colorado City Library this week were (from left) David Rasmussen, Abby Simpson and Cynthia Carter. Westside Pioneer photo        But until Saturday, April 24, the facility is only open from 3 to 6 p.m., so people can pick up holds.        The changeover was going well as of April 21, according to Julianne Rist, the former Old Colorado City Library manager who is overseeing the effort throughout the Pikes Peak Library District this spring.        As at other branches in the district, employees and volunteers are placing a radio frequency indentification (RFID) tag on each item (roughly 30,000 in all) in the Old Colorado City Library.        However, because 40 percent of the collection is checked out, the district's libraries will have to keep some equipment to tag “straggler” items as they come in, Rist said        The small tags make it easier to self-check out books (no more scanning UPC codes; also multiple books will eventually be processable at one time). Another feature will be theft reduction, because the tags will be tuned in with security gates that are due for installation in early May. Westside Pioneer article