[Koha] [BUG] barcode mandatory or not ?

[Regula Sebastiao]

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)

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