Databrae
The Short Story
RFID is expensive and requires expensive equipment to make it work in a library. So instead, this project uses a small data matrix barcode added to the spine label, or to the spine of the item. This barcode is simply another way of accessing the item's barcode you'd normally find on the cover, the one that would be scanned at a circulation desk or by a self-check machine. This allows the item to be scannable while sitting on the shelf.
Using an inexpensive 2D barcode scanner -- something that a library might already have on hand -- library staff can act upon individual items or work with them in bulk. This allows for inventory, shelf-reading, weeding, and other library tasks that can be performed in a manner similar to what is done with RFID, but at a fraction of the cost.
IUG Speaking Proposal
One of the dreams of the Circulation Librarian is the ability to access and evaluate the items on the shelves without touching every single item. If you're running an inventory, or checking last circ dates for a weeding project, or checking for errant item statuses, the process is the same: Scan the item into your ILS and move on from there. RFID promised a solution for this, with handheld wands that are supposed to read the tags and you never have to touch the items.
Except for two problems: One, everything about RFID is expensive and two, wands don't always work. Sooner or later, you'll run into an issue where you cannot scan an RFID tag and need to pull the item off the shelf. And for some libraries, the expensive nature of RFID, from the price of tags to the price of equipment, hampers their ability to improve their workflows and make their jobs easier.
I have an idea. I admit, it's a crazy idea, but it's everything RFID isn't. It's inexpensive, the software is free and open source, your library won't need to buy a lot of special equipment, the price of conversion is pennies on the dollar compared to RFID, it doesn't matter what ILS you're running, and there's a good chance you already have everything you need.