An Internet of Things-Based System for Book Shelving Accuracy Improvement in Libraries

Abstract

The Internet of Things serves as a crucial hub for the advancement of several types of systems. Despite the development and numerous advancements that have been observed in traditional library management systems as a result of technological progresses, the system still faces the persistent problem associated with book misplacement, wrong shelving, and resource management. This research reviewed approaches proposed by researchers in the following areas: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN). It presents a four-tier design architecture which includes the following sections: human and resource identification, a cyber-physical system, an application programming interface (API), and a Web-based Library Management System (WLMS). The Cyber-physical systems block includes the input, the output, and the processing module that simulates the RFID reader functionality using PHP and MySQL Web Technology. The cyber-physical system communicates with the WLMS through an API, using LEDs for display feedback. The system sends upon detection of a library resource about to be placed in a wrong shelf does not open the shelf's door, and at the same time sends a signal to the user via the interfaced LEDs. The system’s evaluation of the time it takes to respond from the point of trigger averages to 5 seconds. The internet connection was provided through an MTN Nigeria Mifi device. The results indicate an acceptable improvement in the library incorporating this technology.