The basic
library application goes beyond just the tracking of books; similar product and
information flows are experienced in manufacturing tool rooms, hospital radiology
departments, and insurance company claim folder tracking. Items are stored in a central
location, then loaned to borrowers, who agree to return the items within a predetermined
time period.
Effective
library systems require that each book be labeled with a bar
code. In order to ensure adequate symbol life, the label can
be placed inside the front cover, or protected by a laminate
if place on the outer cover. Each book has a unique code:
the ISBN number can be used or sequential license plate can
be generated. A database management program links the bar
code to the publication’s name, author, and other catalog
data.
Each authorized borrower is
issued a card that includes a bar code symbol. This borrower number can be a social
Security number or a sequentially assigned code. An appropriate flag character may be
included in at least one of two symbol types to avoid mistaking borrower numbers for book
numbers.
At each check-out/check-in desk,
two transaction symbols are permanently and conveniently placed on the work surface. A bar
code reader (probably equipped with a handheld, moving beam laser) is interfaced to the
system’s microcomputer or minicomputer. One transaction symbol contains data that
will be recognized by the computer as indicating that a book has been borrowed, while the
other symbol is used when a book is returned.
When borrowing books, the patron
takes them to the desk and presents the borrower card. The attendant then:
- Scans the borrower’s card.
- Scans each book’s symbol.
- Scans the borrow transaction symbol.
The complete transaction sequence
is prompted either via a program running in the reader itself or by the attached computer.
Error indications are given if the data is entered out of sequence.
The computer’s database has
now linked the book’s code with the borrower’s code and a date. After the
allowable loan period has expired, the computer can automatically generate suitable
reminder letters to the delinquent borrower.
When books are returned, they are
automatically removed from the database’s OUT file as they are scanned in conjunction
with the RETURN transaction symbol. If the book is overdue, an indication of this fact
(and the associated fine) can be made automatically.
Inventory checks can easily be
conducted using a portable bar code reader. This process is accelerated if the book
identification symbols are on the outer cover. If the shelves are also bar coded with
location codes, an inventorying operation can also confirm the books are filed in the
correct area. |
