Club Libraries' Checkout/Checkin Systems

[Rick M]

Like others before him, our new Club Librarian would like to move away from manually written lists of hand coded labels/cards in our Club's library of books and DVDs. After a moderate amount of research, I've seen several requests about bar code based systems, but only one forum member mentions having a (MS Excel-based) working system in use.

In our case a commercial grade hand held scanner has already been donated, but more details would probably help other clubs, too. In addition to a scanner, PC, driver(s) to interface the scanner to the PC Operating System,

1. What software (open source or other) is recommended to read data from the scanner?
2. Same or separate software (database?) to track materials checked out to specific member?
3. Same or separate software to print bar coded labels and membership cards?
4. Which bar code format? (we'd like human readable alpha-numerics along with the bars)

As for anyone considering a recommendation to just donate the materials to the local public library system, it's a good thought, but our club is too large and geographically dispersed for that to be a workable alternative. The bar code data I've found thus far is enough to make your head swim, so I'm hoping others here can offer a big boost up the learning curve.

 

[jschnell1203]

Rick, I've been looking at Barcode systems also for years and finally got a cheap one at http://www.groqit.com/ to play with to catalog my own library but after the initial playing with it I got onto something else and just found it last week when I painted my office. I will be looking at it again soon. I even thought about writing my own system when I have nothing better to do and maybe this would be a good driving force to push me to do it. If you find a cheaping barcode scanner I wonder be very interested in it. One of features I was looking for is wireless or scan and upload so that I can inventory remote boxes of books in the studion (garage). I was even looking at a plug in barcode card for the palm/windows cell phones.

 

[Rick M]

Hmm-m-m. After taking a quick tour of the site, that groqit system looks pretty capable for inventorying applications. From the digging I've done, if you're looking for some other scanner, it seems scanners are the "easy" part of the puzzle to locate and choose. My hat's off to you if you're able to write your own application to get one to fit your situation ideally.

I see a good number of places offering scanners as well as software and other components (including consultation) to put a complete system/application together, but I'd rather stay away from pricey corporate "vertical application" software that depends on periodic re-licensing and ongoing "support" from the vendor(s).

Meanwhile, I haven't given up hope that there's capable software to meet the requirements--that even if not free--is at least priced commensurate with the purpose and budget of a woodturning club with a few hundred items in their Library. Some of these items are club-produced, requiring the ability to barcode custom alpha-numeric IDs that have no reference in the commercial market.

 

[Greg Ketell]

collectorz.com

While not free this is really good software for tracking your dvd collection. They have desktop software for mac and PC, supports all sorts of bar-code scanners, has "on-loan" record keeping and has an iphone app so you can carry your database around with you.

http://www.moviedatabase.net/

We use it at home and it is really nice.

They also have a book database with all the same feature sets.

GK

 

[jschnell1203]

looks great also look at others they have to offer.

http://www.collectorz.com/