OT: Cheap/free barcode-based library software?

[Roger Mills]

I'm interested in trying to computerise the way in which copies of sheet music are issued to members of a male voice choir to which I belong.

I envisage each choir member (about 30) having a library ticket which carries a unique barcode. Each item of music (several hundred titles, multiple copies of each title) would have a unique barcode - identifying the title and copy number. A record would be kept of who had what by scanning a member's card, followed by the scanning each item issued to him.

The software would need to be able to:

• Print 'library' tickets for members

• Print barcode labels to attach to sheet music

• Record the issue and return of music

• Produce reports on what music has been issued to whom, overall stock levels, etc.

In fact, more or less what any library does, but on a much smaller scale than your average public library.

Are any of you involved in anything like this, and/or do you know of any Freeware or relatively inexpensive software with this sort of functionality?

Obviously, we would need to buy a barcode scanner of some sort. These seem to range in price from a few pounds to a few hundred. Can anyone give any advice about what we would need to go for - which would work reliably without breaking the bank?

Google hasn't been that helpful because most references to music or library seem to be to collections of MP3 files, etc. or subroutine libraries - hence the request for any first-hand experience of the sort of things I want to do.

TIA.

[Nick Odell]

Would something like this work for you?

work for a school music service where the music library is just too massive and unbarcoded for us to do something like you describe without an awful lot of work so we are still fully manual. However, one of the schools where we provide classes and ensembles has recently gone over to something similar to the above (I can ask them exactly what they use, next week, if you like) and it seems to be working for them

Nick

[dom]

For a cheap(free) barcode reader, many smartphones can read barcodes with their camera.

QR codes may be what you're looking for

there are freeware apps to tie the whole thing together into your application, you will have to research for yourself.

[Paul - xxx]

used this a few years ago for something totally different, but similar requirements. (Tools and calibration)

We bought a cheap < £30 barcode reader from Maplins I believe. It all worked well. I imagine with todays PC's and newer soft/hardware it'd work even better! ;)

Frankly there's loads of cheap (free) barcode software about (google for it) and loads of readers, maybe even ebay for very cheap, that it'd be worth downloading a few softwares and simply trying them .. ;)

[Adam Aglionby]

Barcode readers just act as keyboard input peipherals, look out cheaper ones on ebay may be PS2 or even AT keyboard wedges, goes in line with keyboard and acts auto muber pad, more recent will be USB.

Wobbly laser single line scanners tend to be cheaper and less robust than full CCD ones.

But basically look for database software that suits you and theres loads of barcode printing freeware around.

Cheers Adam

[Bob Eager]

To get you started, look for a CueCat scanner. These were given away free in the USA for a doomed, dubious marketing scheme. Unmodified ones encrypt the output, but the encryption is trivial (shift and XOR).

I have a couple, and have scanned thousands of items (books) with them. They work as a wedge on a PS/2 keyboard interface.

eBay and elsewhere.

[Brian Gaff]

Well we as a talking Newspaper use bar codes, we had to buy the bar code font, a bar code reader and then basically the bar code is read into the input field and so i'd imagine any database would work. I found that printing thermally seemed more reliable but I'd imagine a modern laser might be just as good. I think the more you pay for a bar code reader the more reliable it seems to be is all i'll say. Not up to speed with current ones but one would hope they have come down in price by now. Ours shows visible light as a guide for the placement of the code. It does not seem to matter what the orientatation is but reflections and muck can confuse it. Brian

[Alan]

In message , Roger Mills wrote

Not a complete solution but consider...

Lots of free software on the web to generate bar codes - but consider using a QR code instead

Lots of web sites will generate QR codes for free.

Free Apps for any smart phone will read QR/bar codes.

These applications use the phone's camera. Using a web cam on a computer may be a cheaper solution than buying a dedicated scanner. -- first hit in Google for "bar code reader webcam" -- so not a recommendation.

[Roger Mills]

Many thanks for the offer - yes please, details of what they use would be useful.

I had actually come across the link which you cite, when Googling, and thought that it looked interesting. It appears to do most of what we want - and more in some cases - but I'm not sure how, if at all, it caters for having multiple copies of the same book (or piece of music in our case) and distinguishing between copies so when a particular copy comes back we can work out who has returned it. The bit about using a web-based database to identify a book from its ISBN number wouldn't be of any interest to us.

It seems that the software is only free for schools - and we're not a school - and there are much cheaper barcode readers around - but it may be worth pursuing anyway, to see what sort of deals are available for organisations other than schools.

[Roger Mills]

Thanks for the suggestion. There are indeed some modified ones on Ebay for about £12 - including shipping from USA. The current ones seem to be USB based rather than in-line with a PS/2 keyboard.

I guess that I need to settle on a barcode format before going much further. Someone has suggested some free barcode generation software which produces barcodes in '3 of 9' format and someone else has suggested using the 2-D QR codes. CueCat doesn't seem to handle QR codes. I'm not sure about about 3 of 9. It does mention CODE39, but I don't know whether that's the same thing?

[Dave Liquorice]

Has any of the sheet music already got a barcode on it? Might be worth a bit of effort to find the format of those. Having said that I suspect such a barcode will be the same across all copies of the music, no unique ID per sheet which is part of your spec.

Which leads to another problem of how to attach durable barcodes to the sheet music.

[Alan]

In message , Dave Liquorice wrote

Laser printer sticky labels?

In this application I would also include the information in plain text.

[Dave Liquorice]

Quality of labels varies considerably, some adhesives dry out/degrade and fail and/or soak into the paper. It's not quite as simple as getting some own brand laser labels from a chain store. It needs to research to find labels that won't damage the sheet music or fall off after a year or two.

If you notice moast (all?) barcodes have the numeric representation underneath them for manual entry when the code won't scan...

[Steve Firth]

Use a Brother P-touch USB printer or similar. We used one to produce bar code labels for stock in my wife's business. The labels are good quality and available in continuous rolls or rolls carrying pre-cut labels ins a range of sizes.

Much easier than piddling with laser/inkjet labels. I know that from bitter experience.

[Owain]

Barcodes aren't compulsory.

I used to work in a library headquarters and not all our terminals had barcode scanners. If we were bulk issuing dozens of books between branches we used a terminal with a scanner but if we were doing less intensive work we just keyed the numbers into the appropriate fields.

The library suppliers supplied pre-printed and laminated sheets of barcodes - you just tell them the start number and the code format and they generate the codes including check digits.

Owain

[Roger Mills]

No, but they're pretty desirable for a choir - where you might have a queue of 30 people, each being issued with several pieces of music. Keying everything would be a nightmare!

[Nightjar]

These stick to just about anything, last for years, even outdoors (which is where most of my products end up), and print very clearly from a laser printer.

connection with the company, except as a customer)

Colin Bignell

[Nightjar]

It is the same thing, but it is also a rather primitive bar code, with low data density and no check digit. Code 128 is much more efficient.

Bignell

[Nick Odell]

I had a chat with the teacher in charge of the school library. The program is entitled - in a startlingly original vein, don't you think?

- "Junior Librarian." I presume it's googlable. Anyway, he's very happy with it and says it does exactly what it says on the tin and he's going to give me the guided tour sometime soon when both of us are free. Do you want me to report back?

Nick

[Roger Mills]

Many thanks for the info. It can indeed be Googled - and there's an on-line demo. Having watched the demo, I don't think it's quite what I'm looking for because it's web based (and I need a stand-alone solution) and it's very school/child oriented - doing lots of wonderful things, but not some of the things I need.

But I appreciate the fact that you have followed it up - thanks.