By Dhel Sue Cabiara
The Silliman University Main Library opened its newest entrance barrier and security gate using a radio frequency identification (RFID) technology for ID card access starting last August.
The library is the first unit in SU to employ the RFID mapping system embedded in student, faculty, and staff IDs, according to University Librarian Rosalina Dinoy.
RFID is a form of wireless communication that uses radio waves to identify an object or person and store information by using a reader to communicate with a tag.
The entrance barrier records entry data for accreditation reports and provides data on library usage by department, college, or program to enhance services based on user demographics.
Meanwhile, the security exit gate ensures that no material leaves the library without being checked out in its Learning Management System (LMS) and Future Of Libraries Is Open (FOLIO) platform.
LMS is a web-based software to manage library resources while FOLIO is an open-source platform for libraries to integrate tools such as circulation logs and attendance records.
Dinoy said that the new installations allows for smoother and faster access without manual logging and assurance that resources students rely on remain protected and available.
“It also provides transparency and accuracy in library usage data, which supports decisions on space planning, services, and collection development—all benefiting the student body,” she furthered.
On the security side, Dinoy said the system reduces unauthorized removal of materials and ensures that collection remains intact and accessible to all.
The library previously implemented a turnstile system but was found “time-consuming, prone to downtime, and had limited reporting capabilities.”
Since 2018, the SU Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and library personnel have explored how the RFID-mapping could enhance the ID system.
The library officially announced the start of its ID mapping and activation service for students to access its facilities last Aug. 15.
However, the new installments are still undergoing adjustments, with 55 to 60-percent of the nearly 12,000 total SU ID cards waiting to be mapped into the system.
Dinoy noted that concerns regarding a number of unreadable SU ID cards to the RFID system, which prevented students entry, were raised to the Office of Student Services (OSS).
She added that they are working closely with OSS and other concerned offices to complete the configuration process and ensure seamless communication between systems.
