For archival storage you would have to consider passive RFID because
the active versions require a battery. To my knowledge, there is no
evidence of RFID chips having any affect on nearby magnetic media.
The chips are being implanted in credit cards and passports for
example which have adjacent magnetic stripes. The RF power generated
by even the high output active RFID chips is so low that it's hard to
imagine how they would affect the coercivity of pre recorded audio
tape. Video tape (I would think) with it's very high coercivity would
be out of the question.
You would be using passive RFID that would only be read (energized or
resonated if you will) once or twice a year for inventory purposes. I
can't imagine their being a problem for long term storage.
I suspect that your biggest consideration at this point would be
cost. The technology may not be cost effective unless you have tens
of thousands of units to inventory.
My greatest concern would be backwards compatibility. If you
implement RFID 4.0 today will it be readable in 25 years by RFID
10.2.1? For the present, I wouldn't abandon your barcode system and
look into the possible addition of RFID.
I'm still a fan of the old fashioned printed label on the binder or
somewhere else in addition to whatever computerized system that's in
place. It only takes one data entry error and then........
Keep us posted!
Cheers!
Corey Bailey
At 07:37 PM 12/13/2009, you wrote:
>Hi all
>
>We need to renumber some of our older accessions and have been considering
>barcodes with the accession number included. It was suggested to me today
>that we could be using RFID (radio frequency ID). As I know virtually
>nothing about them I have an uneasy feeling about applying this technology
>to magnetic tape boxes and reels.
>
>Does any audio visual archive use this technology on its tape boxes and/or
>reels?
>Is there any danger to the magnetic tape itself, considering both the box
>and reel would need the same identifier?
>Can the actual accession number be put on these so as to be seen visibly?
>
>Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
>
>Cheers
>
>Marie
