If any library go for barcode solution will they be able to do the following activities.
1. Security is not possible right !!
2. Inventory Management if they use a wireless barcode scanner or docking station barcode scanner might be able to address the same.
3. Searching is only possible if the barcode labels are pasted on the spine of the books.
or they go for Electromagnetic Solution
1. Then i believe they will not be able to do stock taking
2. Security become active all time, unless you have activation or deactivation machine with you.
3. Searching of items is not possible as there is no memory to store the unique id of the books in it.
if they go for RFID
1. Searching and stock taking possible as the RFID Tags store unique id of the items and released RF signals which easily capture by the RFID Handheld Reader.
2. Security is also possible if the RFID tags are not deactivated or activated as per requirement (10,00,000 process or 10 years of life)
Any technology be it Barcode, EM or RFID if able to help the library professional to reduce the time in issue and return or searching (maximum time he/she spends in searching the books which is already available in the library) or stock taking (a 5000 book collection library will be spending 1-3 weeks for doing a manual stock taking) and next 1 week to generate a proper report.
Today government also understand the importance of libraries, and they like more to say as knowledge centre than mere collection/store house of books. To make a knowledge centre you need a technology which ease your job and help in INTERACTING MORE WITH USER AND DEVELOP COLLECTION FOR THEM....
Really RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION is far better than bar coding, at presentr iam collecting data but i recomended one should go for RFID in place of bar coding