If you want to use good labeling system, shouldn't  you go with the 
transfer printers? They differ from inkjet in that the ink is on a foil 
that is thermally transfered to the labels (we have a special  label 
printer). This is supposed to be fade proof. Anyone has long term use of 
these that can give input? Personally I hate labels because they peel 
off eventually. I do get boxes in to transfer occasionally that have a 
bunch of unidentified tapes and a mess of labels on the bottom of the box.

Marie O'Connell wrote:
> I was planning on using archival foil backed labels.  Opinions here?
>
> Marie
>
> On Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 11:00 PM, Pekka Gronow
> <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
>
>   
>> Hi Marie,
>>
>> Your decision to use bar codes in this cases seems well founded. However,
>> my some types seem to fade spontaneously over a longer period, depending on
>> the type of paper and ink used. In  your case, you don't want to replace
>> them every ten years. We learned this the hard way...
>>
>> Pekka
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marie O'Connell" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 11:14 AM
>> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] RFID
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you
>>     
>>> We are not a library, we are a  broadcasting sound archive.  Most, and I
>>> mean most, of our items may get pulled out once in 10 or 12 years, or
>>> never
>>> (depending on anniversaries, etc).  My gut instinct is to use barcodes,
>>> because we can do that for virtually no investment and maintain our
>>> accession number, which has been the whole purpose of this exercise,
>>> re-numbering artifacts that have no meaningful number when we go to
>>> preserve
>>> it.  Plus, the only people handling these are archivists, and not
>>> patrons/normal humans (hehe), so I would trust the barcode would remain
>>> intact for a long time.
>>>
>>> I looked at the Wiki page and found it kinda useful.
>>>
>>> Will keep you posted as to what we do.
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>> Marie
>>>
>>> On Mon, Dec 14, 2009 at 9:55 PM, Corey Bailey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Marie
>>>       
>>>> I'm not sure how much research you have put into RFID yet but Wikipedia
>>>> will at least give you some idea:
>>>>
>>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio-frequency_identification
>>>>
>>>> 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
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>           
>
>