The Washington County, Oregon library system is set to roll out an automated RFID system across its 15-library network, according to The Oregonian.

3M Library Systems was selected as the vendor of choice to monitor the countywide library collection of more than 1.6 million items including books, movies and music discs. The 3M installation comprises entry and exit security gates, staff workstations and customer self-service kiosks.

That RFID system uses a conveyor belt to automatically sort books dropped off by library patrons into separate bins. This presorting allows staff to focus their attention on patrons and customer service.

The RFID system will enable multiple checkouts at once, meaning any number of books can be placed and read simultaneously on a self-service checkout kiosk. Adding increased security, exit gates will read each RFID tag passing through and sound an alarm if the item hasn’t been checked out.

The system will also remove the need for staff to repeatedly open and close media cases to ensure the right disc has been returned. The RFID tag will automatically indicate if a case is empty.

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