India's Panjab U Library Pursues 24-Hour Service with 3M Automation

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 12/11/08
Panjab University Library in Chandigarh, the capital of the Punjab region in northwest India, will be implementing a radio frequency identification (RFID) system from 3M Library Systems for circulation and inventory management and security. With the implementation, the library hopes to be able to remain open 24 hours a day, once the installation has gone through a trial period.

3M Library Systems will integrate and install the RFID systems, and do staff training. The library, officially known as the A.C. Joshi Library, will receive an initial volume of 400,000 RFID tags, which the vendor has guaranteed for the life of the objects to which they are attached; two SelfCheck System R-Series units for unassisted customer checkouts; a SelfCheck System C-Series book drop for automated returns; two Model 8900 single-aisle detection systems for security; and two Digital Library Assistants for collection management.

This first full-scale library RFID installation in India is expected to be completed by mid-January. The library contains about 700,000 books and audio/visual items. Panjab University has 9,000 students.

"We conducted very intensive research into this technology and its vendors, consulting with libraries in India and many other countries," said V.K. Anand, chief librarian. "The road led us to 3M because of its experience, accomplishments in this field, and reputation for supporting its installations."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • two large brackets facing each other with various arrows, circles, and rectangles flowing between them

    1EdTech Partners with DXtera to Support Ed Tech Interoperability

    1EdTech Consortium and DXtera Institute have announced a partnership aimed at improving access to learning data in postsecondary and higher education.

  • Abstract geometric shapes including hexagons, circles, and triangles in blue, silver, and white

    Google Launches Its Most Advanced AI Model Yet

    Google has introduced Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental, a new artificial intelligence model designed to reason through problems before delivering answers, a shift that marks a major leap in AI capability, according to the company.

  • laptop on a clean desk with digital padlock icon on the screen

    Study: Data Privacy a Top Concern as Orgs Scale Up AI Agents

    As organizations race to integrate AI agents into their cloud operations and business workflows, they face a crucial reality: while enthusiasm is high, major adoption barriers remain, according to a new Cloudera report. Chief among them is the challenge of safeguarding sensitive data.

  • stylized AI code and a neural network symbol, paired with glitching code and a red warning triangle

    New Anthropic AI Models Demonstrate Coding Prowess, Behavior Risks

    Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, its most advanced artificial intelligence models to date, boasting a significant leap in autonomous coding capabilities while simultaneously revealing troubling tendencies toward self-preservation that include attempted blackmail.