User authentication in a removable media storage system

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• authenticating access to a tape cartridge library;
• displaying, on a user-interface, available drives in the tape cartridge library;
• determining a set of user-owned cartridges and empty cartridges in the tape cartridge library;
• receiving a drive selection through the user-interface;
• receiving a request for a cartridge in the tape cartridge library;
• determining the cartridge is an empty cartridge;
• recording user information on a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag in the empty cartridge to create a user-owned cartridge;
• loading the user-owned cartridge in a drive associated with the tape cartridge library;
• and
• granting access for processing data on the user-owned cartridge;
• wherein:
• the user information includes a password, a username, and a security preference;
• the security preference includes encryption software to be used for data encryption on the user-owned cartridge;
• the request for the cartridge is received from a geographically remote device;
• the tape cartridge library is accessible to a plurality of users;
• authenticated access is available individually to a plurality of users according to respectively corresponding credentials;
• and
• only a portion of tape cartridges in the tape cartridge library is accessible by authenticated access based on credentials corresponding to a user of the plurality of users.