JustBooks is a Bangalore based startup that is using technology to change the way books are rented. Justbooks has library chain in Bangalore and has over 20,000 books. The company has automated some parts of one’s library usage, for instance RFID based unmanned kiosks.
Owing to RFID tagging, JustBooks’ kiosks have the real time information about books (current owner/location of the book etc) that helps them keep the cost low.
The unmanned kiosk outside the library equipped with the Library Management Software (LMS) and the tag reader acts as a one-stop shop for all requirements of the reader, right from finding the book of choice to depositing it after reading. The kiosk has a touch screen to help the reader navigate and find the book on the basis of titles and author names.
The LMS is mapped according to the layout of the library and is also linked with the inventory and back-end, which helps to point the exact location of the book.
There is also a reconciliation tool that has been jointly developed with Orizin Technologies, which directs the library staff to place the book in the right rack and shelf if it is found in the wrong shelf during their periodic checks. “The scanning device used by the library staff has the master information about the book’s original position. In case if the book is placed on the wrong shelf, information can be triggered from the scanning device about the original position of the book. The information travels in real time to the LMS after the reconciliation takes place. There is also software developed for doing periodic rescheduling of the books as new purchases are made.
JustBooks offers subscription plans that ranges from monthly to annual payment, depending on one’s appetite for books.
Do give JustBooks a spin and share your take on the model – If RFID implementation is their core, shouldn’t they be licensing the model to other libraries?
What’s your take?
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Is it my browser or the site is really bad for browsing catalogues?
Hi Ashish..What makes you feel that the Just books team is so tech savvy that they developed their in house library automation system using RFID. I think its a standard product which is developed by Orizin technologies and used by just books.So if any credit has to go to any one for the development of this technology it should go to Orizin technologies.Infact there are a lot of other libraries in India which are using similar RFID systems. So its not that just books is some pioneer in RFID.
It’s about the execution and implementation..I have mentioned that the RFID part is done by Orizin.
At this point we at Just Books are busy trying to be a good library ourselves! So enabling other libraries is not yet in the radar. We may be a good story though, to watch out for – given that we are sufficiently tech savvy guys choosing to focus on other aspects of the business first before zooming in on technology behind the business.
Kindle kind of technology is whats needed, when Hindustan times have launched their kindle edition, who will read magazines getting it from a library! second hand books make sense not new ones. I am sure kindle or similar tech will become cheaper, look for different fields guys than plain inventory management, i dont see whats the big deal abt rfid taggin! Just too many startups in bangalore wanna be libraries, don’t know whats driving them , throw some light on it if you can