Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2024 02:29:58 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <1558154374.89.1711704598420@DESKTOP-IQF616V> Subject: Exported From Confluence MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="----=_Part_88_410112842.1711704598419" ------=_Part_88_410112842.1711704598419 Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: file:///C:/exported.html
How helpful was this page?
Each copy and patron in your library is assigned a unique barcode that A= lexandria uses for identification. A barcode can be scanned or typed into t= he Circulation command line.
Read important Barcode Guildelines.
A typical barcode label consists of three pieces of information:
You will need to put barcode labels on all of the items in your library.= You may also want to barcode objects such as audio-visual equipment, compu= ters, desks, and tables, so you can use Alexandria to inventory these items= .
You can also keep temporary records of items such as magazines and newsp= apers. Temporary items (i.e. periodicals) can be assigned a barcode and the= n circulated like permanent items. A barcode is assigned to a temporary ite= m only while it's checked out.
Symbology
COMPanion uses the barcode symbology Code 39, also known as Code 3 of 9,= which is the industry standard for industrial and commercial applications,= including libraries. It provides a high level of data security with error = rates between 1 in 3 million and 1 in 70 million characters scanned. Code 3= 9 does not require a check character in normal commercial and industrial ap= plications. It is also bi-directional, which means it can be scanned from l= eft to right or from right to left.
Each copy is assigned a unique barcode up to 15 characters long, based o= n the value set in Preferences= strong> > Items. The copy barcode is stored in fiel= d 852_p of the MARC record and can be changed in the copy record. Patron barcodes can be changed in each <= a href=3D"http://support.companioncorp.com/display/ALEX/Patron+Records" rel= =3D"nofollow">patron record.
We recommend using the simplest numbering scheme that still meets your n= eeds. For patron barcodes, you may want to consider using an employee ID or= student number, as long as they don't coincide with item barcodes. If you = have more than one library in your system, use a unique barcode numbering s= cheme for each library's collection. Then if items are moved between collec= tions, the barcodes will still be unique and won't interfere with existing = item barcodes.
Here are some specific things to remember while barcoding your collectio= n with Alexandria:
Barcodes can be 3-15 characters in length, but we recommend using 8-14 c= haracters to allow for growth. Also, because item and patron barcodes canno= t overlap, we recommend using a different but consistent length for each, l= ike 8 characters for patrons and 10 for items.
These are set in the following places:
Items Management > Copies > Actions > Duplicate Title > = Beginning barcode
Preferences > Patrons > Patron Defaults > Next Barcode
<= /li>Preferences > Textbooks > Item Defaults > Next Textbook Bar= code
Preferences > Items > Item Defaults > Next Barcode
Preferences > Items > Item Defaults > Beginning Temporary B= arcode Number
Preferences > Items > Item Defaults > Ending Temporary Barc= ode Numbers
Imports > Patrons > Starting Patron Barcode
Imports > Items > Starting Item Barcode
Imports > Textbooks > Starting Textbook Barcode
While it is possible to do this, keep these things in mind:
Imports allow barcodes ending with alphas.
Ending alphas will not be stripped when searching for barcodes, but = leading alphas will.
Preferences and Import fields relating to starting barcodes never al= low barcodes with ending alphas.
Existing barcodes will not be changed by Alexandria.
Like call numbers, barcodes are treated as words, which means they are s= orted alphabetically, not numerically.
:tick: Alphabetical |
:cross: Numerical |
---|---|
123456= span> 1377 200 45658 62930 89702 |
200 1377 45658 62930 89702= 123456 |
We support leading alpha characters. However, if Preference= s > Barcode > Ignore Patron/Item Barcode Leader of is filled i= n, leading alpha characters will be stripped upon scanning. Learn more= in Barcode Preferenc= es.
Also know that if you have old Follett Barcodes that start with P or T, = you should not set any new barcodes to start with, say, TSD, = because the T will be stripped off.
In Items Management, a search for items within a barcode range will retu= rn only copies which fall within the range specified. For example, a range = of 11 through 375 will return only 2 and 3-character barcodes: 11, 113, 22,= 234, 30, 370, etc. A search for a larger number through a smaller number (= like 375 through 11) is not valid and will not return any results.
The best library management standards highly recommend not having duplicate barcodes in a centralized management setup. Sometimes,= however, sites can merge, or become a central union, or otherwise run into= a situation where copies across sites share barcodes.
The best thing you can do for the integrity of your catalog is t= o re-barcode these duplicates as soon as possible.
If you are coming from a different system and want to start using Alexan= dria before you have a chance to re-barcode, we can help you out. Talk to o= ur Sales representatives at 1.800.347.6439 to discuss your duplicate barcod= e situation.
This example uses a 9-digit barcode scheme for items and patrons: the fi= rst three characters identify the library site, the fourth character identi= fies the item or patron group, and the last five characters identify the sp= ecific item or patron record. Each library in the district will have a uniq= ue barcode range so item and patron barcodes will not overlap.
Your barcode scheme will vary from this example. Use this example to bui= ld your own system.
For example, 100 is Eastside Library, 200= is Westside Library, and so forth. Use three digits to more narrowly group= your libraries:
The next digit should identify the patron= or item group:
The last five characters identify the spe= cific item or patron record. If you have a smaller number of patrons t= han items, you can use fewer characters for patrons.
Avoid starting barcodes with zeros. Barcodes can cont= ain only letters and numbers; spaces and punctuation are not allowed.