RFID for Special Libraries: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library

*Note: All photography credit goes to Media Collections, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/library

Special collections need special consideration. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library in Williamsburg, VA serves the information needs of employees, visiting researchers, and faculty and students of the adjacent College of William & Mary. This supports the mission of the Foundation to restore, recreate, preserve, and interpret eighteenth-century Williamsburg and to teach the history of early America in an Atlantic world context.

Departmental collections dating back to 1926 were consolidated in 1985 to create a central library funded by the non-profit Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. The library’s open-stack collection of books and periodicals now totals over 70,000 items. Most recently, researchers there are using the library’s collections of rare books, manuscripts, and secondary sources to explore the “hidden histories” of this early American community and its residents.  

According to Melissa Schutt, Content & Access Services Librarian, the library decided in 2023 to implement RFID to solve several problems.  

• Security gates at the library had failed, leaving the open-shelf specialized collection at risk and no longer providing necessary gate count data.  

• William & Mary had implemented RFID with Tech Logic earlier and reciprocal borrowing between the two libraries would be easier with RFID.

• The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation requires an inventory of the library’s collection every four years, a challenging and time-consuming process for a small staff.  

“While this was a project that the library knew for some time that they would need to undertake, it wasn’t until surplus capital expenditure funds were made available that the dream became a reality.” – Emily Guthrie, Rockefeller Library Director  

The library selected Tech Logic as their RFID provider following the success of the RFID implementation at the College of William & Mary. Schutt managed the tagging project using staff and volunteers working at the shelves on Tech Logic portable tagging stations. The project began in December 2023 with a tagging blitz with the library closed over the holidays. Over the following three months tagging was completed, and the collection was ready for scanning with Tech Logic’s staffCIRC TRAK shelf manager.

‍

“We were able to complete a collection inventory immediately following the tagging project – I was amazed at how quickly it went using the Shelf Management Wand and software in conjunction with our Alma ILS.” –Melissa Schutt, Content & Access Services Librarian

‍

‍

If other special libraries require solutions to similar problems as those encountered at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation library, Schutt recommends RFID as having improved security, accountability, and efficiency for their library. Their successful RFID implementation turned the page to another chapter for this historical treasure trove.

*Note: Thank you to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s John D. Rockefeller Jr. Library for their story and to the Media Collections team at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for all the photos they provided.

Thinking about optimizing RFID in your library? Have a question about a Tech Logic solution? We're here to help!

Tech Logic connects libraries with their communities through dynamic, innovative, and efficient workflow technologies—delivering unparalleled service and outstanding patron experience. Since 1997, we have worked exclusively with libraries to develop solutions that empower library patrons and staff.