Having followed the different mails about Barcodes mandatory or no, i'd like to share a few thoughts on the subject: Barcodes mandatory or not? ------------------------- Why not plan on having the system create "artificial numbers" which can be distinguished as such from "real barcodes" and thus the above question can be decided by each library (parameter to be on or off)? Real barcodes are meant to identify each book and link it to the dataset in the database. In my opininion the non-MARC and MARC should offer the same possibilities. So if there has to be a choice made now : go for the "no barcode necessary" in MARC either. In practice, libraries often don't want to allow issueing or returning without a barcode, as it means they don't have the book in their hands. and in the lending process the question is: "what's the use of issuing a book or returning it, if it isn't there?" But I'd recommend this to be a "on/off" possibility too, as there might indeed be situation where a barcode is not needed. Personally I do not understand, why a library would want to leave out the possibility of using a barcode on a physical item*, as the barcode's task is simply to ease the loan/issue/return process with or without librarians. when using a barcode reader and no search or typing is needed to identify your item (nor the reader for that matter). and if you are short of a barcode reader for any reason, the system should allow just to use a search by author or/and title or callnumber to get to that book, and it's still possible to type in the barcode number by hand too. and - the so called self-registration-process - when the user lets a machine read his card and the book's barcode would not work without them. Regarding loans, i do fully agree that a library system should provide a functionality allowing something like "transfer", which would allow to transfer directly a book to the next reader, bypassing a return and a issue to the next reader. (must admit, i can't remember wheter koha offers this possibility already... ) Note: *physical item opposed to a dataset describing a virtual item, which does not need a callnumber, shelving location etc. and will not be the subject of the circulation process, thus the barcode question is not relevant for datasets for "virtual items" Regula Sebastião (Librarian, Switzerland) ________________________________________________________________________ Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE Yahoo! Messenger http://mail.messenger.yahoo.co.uk