ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – Life will be easier for patrons and workers at the Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) in the new year.

Work is underway to incorporate Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID technology, into the library’s loan items and scanning systems. It’s a process that began several years back and has geared up recently in anticipation of a rollout next year. Library Director Leslie Tabor, who this week celebrated her first anniversary at the helm of TCPL, tells WHCU about what RFID is and how it will change things at the library.

Tabor says implementing the technology beyond the installation of self-checkout machines is extremely tedious, with every single loan item needing to be tagged by hand.

Tabor says the work has allowed them to do some much-needed trimming and reworking of TCPL’s collection.

Tabor adds that the discarded materials often times find new life because of the Friends of the Library, adding that this area’s affinity for books is unmatched in her experience.

The new system is likely to be rolled out sometime in the first quarter of 2024. More information is available.