Biometric Recognition: A new Approach for Library Patron Authentication

This paper discusses a new patron authentication approach in an automated and modern library based on the biometric recognition. The person working at the entrance or at the circulation desk of the library needs to either confirm or determine the identity of an individual requesting service in library. Presently, almost all of the libraries are using identity cards (ID card) for this purpose including photo-based, smart card based or RFID based etc. With the proposed authentication scheme it is possible to confirm or establish an individual’s identity based on “what one is, or how one behaves”, rather than by “what one obsesses” (e.g., an ID card) or “what one remembers” (e.g., a password). The purpose of such authentication system is to ensure that the rendered services are accessed only by a valid user, and not any other else.