Use and Effects of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology on Theft Detection for Library Resources Management in Two Private Universities in Abuja, Nigeria

Volume 7 Issue 2 July - September 2018

Research Paper

Use and Effects of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology on Theft Detection for Library Resources Management in Two Private Universities in Abuja, Nigeria

Yusufu Shehu Amanyi*, Philip Usman Akor**, Everest C. Madu***

*Librarian, Sunrise International School, Abuja, Nigeria.

**_***Associate Professor, Library and Information Technology, School of Information and Communication Technology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria.

Amanyi,Y.S., Akor,P.U.,and Madu,E.C.(2018). Use and Effects of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology on Theft Detection for Library Resources Management in Two Private Universities in Abuja, Nigeria . i-manager's Journal on Wireless Communication Networks,7(2), 19-31. https://doi.org/10.26634/jwcn.7.2.15610

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the use and effect of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology on theft detection for library management in two private universities in Abuja, Nigeria. Three objectives and three research questions guided the study. The study adopted descriptive research design. The population of the study comprises of 234 postgraduate students and 9 librarians in the two private universities in Abuja metropolis. Total enumeration method was employed and a self-designed closed ended questionnaire was used to collect data from respondents. Frequency counts, tables, percentages, mean and standard deviation were used for data analysis. The results indicated that the tags, readers, handheld readers, servers, antennae, RFID label printer, and external book return kiosk were available, installed and in use in the libraries, except for handheld readers that are rarely in use. The study further revealed that despite the positive effect of RFID technology in reducing book theft in the library, much still needed to be done to revamp, upgrade and make functional RFID equipment that are obsolete as well as boost manpower development through training to enhance librarian’s productivity and efficiency in using the RFID technology to check library theft. Based on the findings it was recommended that the management of Nile University of Nigeria (NUN) and African University of Science & Technology (AUST) should invest more in other technologies to compliment RFID technology through upgrade and periodic maintenance; it also recommended that training and retraining of librarians should be advanced in the use of rarely used facilities such as handheld readers, in order to boost their morale and productivity toward a more efficient and effective service delivery.