INTRODUCTION :

Nearly every type of industry is using barcode technology to replace

keyboard data entry because bar coding is much faster and more accurate than
keyboard data entry. A bar code is a piece of Automatic Identification Technology
(Auto ID) that stores real time data. It is a series of vertical bars or a graphical bar
pattern which can, (depending on the width and pattern) encode numbers and letters
in a format which can easily be retrieved and interpreted by a bar code reader. The
circulation work in an automated library involves keying in a large amount of data.
Sometimes, the library staff at the counter has to retype the same information due to
error in data entry. A bar code reader decodes a bar code by scanning a light source
across the bar code and measuring the intensity of light reflected back by the white
spaces. Nowadays bar-codes are cheap to print and the reading technologies are
varied and reliable. Barcoding is a computer aided process of generating codified
information, which is subsequently printed on a predefined stationary, invariably on a
self-adhesive label for several later applications. This technology plays a vital role in
automating the functions of library, especially the circulation system.

WHAT IS BARCODE
Barcode are a pattern of bars and spaces of varying width that represent
digits, letters or other punctuation symbols to identify an item or object. Barcode by
itself is not a system but an identification tool that provides an accurate and timely
support of data requirement for sophisticated management systems. Bar code is a
predefined format of dark bars and white spaces. Structured to contain a specific
piece of information. It allows real-time data to be collected accurately and rapidly.
Combination of barcode technology with computer and application software
improves performance, productivity and profitability. Originally barcode stored data
in width and spacing of printed parallel lines. In other words we can say that barcode
are series of black and white bars arranged in a pre-defined form to represent known
coded information. A linear barcode is a binary code (1s and 0s).The line and Barcode
technology and its application in libraries and Information centers www.ijnglt.com
International Journal of Next Generation Library and Technologies space are of
various thicknesses and printed in different combinations .A device known as barcode
scanner reads this code. The most common is laser barcode scanner .Bars are darker
and non –reflective element of barcode. The gaps are white and known as inter
character gaps .The space is known as reflective element of barcode. Each barcode
represent a number .A special pattern of bars and spaces use to identify the beginning
of a barcode symbol is known as start character. A special pattern of bars spaces used
1
to identify the end of a barcode symbol is known as stop character. In other words we
can say that Barcodes are self-contained machine-readable identification labels with
information encoded in a series of black bars and white spaces of var that represent
digits, and other punctuation symbols. These are readable only by a scanner.

OBJECTIVES OF BARCODING
The main objectives of barcoding documents in a library are:
To achieve accuracy Time saving of users
To reduce overall cost
To make stock verification an easy process
To Improve operational efficiency

SYMBOLOGIES
The mapping between messages and barcode is called a symbology. The symbology
is a language used to represent or arrange the bars and spaces. It defines the
technical d particular type of barcode: the width of the bars, character set, method of
encoding, checksum specifications, etc. The specification of an symbology includes
the encoding of the single digit /character of the message as well as the start and stop
markers into bars and space ,the size of the quit zone required to be before and after
the barcode as well as the compilation of a checksum. Since this arrangement can be
varied to suit the different applications, there evolved a number of symbologies over
the years. There are more than fifty different coding symbologies. Some of the
popular symbologies areas are as follows:

Continuous Symbology
Linear symbologies can be classified mainly by two properties:
1.Continuous vs. discrete
2.Two-width vs. many width
2
Some of the common formats are:
1. Universal Product Code: US standard to encode only digits, UPC-A to encode 12
digits or UPC-E to encode 6 digits. It is the common code extensively used in retail
trade. Its standardization in a form tha organizations throughout the world to
interpret the same data is its prominent advantages. It also uses the space efficiently
to record the data. Its limitation is that it can only record certain length of numbers.
2. Interleaved 2 of 5 (I 2 of 5): Supports only numeric characters but can be used for
variable length. It is very compact. But it can only record numbers. The code
represents the number of even length. It is possible to scan only a part of the barcode
and obtain something that looks like a valid result.
3. Code 39 (Code 3 of 9): Encodes capital alphabets, numerical and few special
characters like $, +, %. Asterisk (*) must be used as the start and stop character.
Lowercase alphabets cannot be encoded. It is alpha and numeric and can represent
even some special characters such as ‘ $ ‘,‘ / ‘, ‘. ‘, ‘: ‘, ‘ + ‘, ‘ – ‘, ‘ % ‘ and can enclose ‘
space ‘. The code can be of any length. It can enclose all the capital letters of the
alphabets but lower case letters can’t be enclosed. The code 3 of 9 is always started /
ended with an asterisk (*), known as start / stop character. Bars and spaces are used
to encode an individual character. 5 bars and 4 spaces, three of which are wide,
represent each character and six are narrow.
4. European Article Number (EAN): European code to encode digits, available in two
variations: EAN-8 to encode 8 digits and EAN13 to encode 13 digits. The EAN is only
numeric but Code Bar is having facilities to enclose ‘ $ ‘, ‘ / ‘, ‘. ‘, ‘: ‘, ‘+ ‘, ‘– ‘, ‘% ‘in
addition to numerals. It is available in two variations: EAN 8 to encode 8 digits and
EAN 13 to encode 13 digits
5. Code 128: Encodes both the lower and the upper case letters, numeric and special
characters found on the keyboard. It is a continuous alphanumeric symbology of
variable length encoding full 128 ASCII character set. Every symbol starts and stops
with a unique start/stop character.
6.Coda bar: Encodes only numeric and few special characters and is the most widely
used coding format. Generally, libraries use this symbology to encode books and
borrower cards. It is a discrete, self-checking numeric symbology including six other
characters and four unique start/stop characters. Each character has three bars and
four spaces. It encodes only numeric and few special characters and is most widely
used coding symbology. Generally libraries use this symbology to encode books and
borrowers card. 7.Code 49: Code 49 is a first two-dimensional barcode symbology. It
is a multi-row, continuous and variable length symbology encoding the full ASCII 128
3
character set. Each row is composed of 18 bars and 17 spaces. Each row contains a
row number and the last row contains information regarding the row number in the
symbol.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR BARCODE APPLICATION
Implementing barcodes in library applications following hardware and software are
required:
 Inventory Control Barcode Scanner;
 Decoder;
 Printer;
 Printing Software;
 Communication Software;
 Database of Library Holdings;
 Library Software;
 and Membership Database;
 Personal Computers,(PCs)
USE OF BARCODE SCANNERS
Barcode scanner is a device used to extract information optically from the barcode
.Barcode scanners are of various types .These may be hand –held or fixed type.
Barcode symbols consist of series of vertical dark bars separated by light spaces.
When illuminated reflected light is detected by electro optical sensor .The intensity of
reflected light from the dark bars is less than that of spaces (white lines) .Reflected
light is converted into electronical voltage signals.

Types of Barcodes: Choosing the Right Barcode

Posted 27 Jan 15 at 20:36h in Barcode Scanning on Android, Barcode Scanning
on iOS, Blog Series by Scandit 0 Comments
4
When choosing the right types of barcodes for your products, inventory or assets,
you face many options. Today, we’ll help you choose the right types of barcodes
by walking through all the major 1D and 2D barcode types. We’ll highlight the
common uses for each one, as well as constraints that help you narrow down your
options: perhaps your products have less than a square inch of printing space, or
you might need to print on corrugated cardboard, or you need extra-secure codes.
No matter what you need, we have the information you need to get started today.
Let’s begin with an overview of 13 major one-dimensional and two-dimensional
barcode types. We’ll cover UPC, EAN, Code 39, Code 128, ITF (2 of 5), Code 93,
CodaBar, GS1 DataBar, MSI Plessey, QR, Datamatrix, PDF417, and Aztec
barcodes.
If you need more information related to specific barcode scanning use cases and
industry benefits, check out our free eBook Choosing the Best Barcode for your
Business.
One-Dimensional (1D) Barcode Types
One-dimensional, or 1D barcodes, systematically represent data by varying the
widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or one-
dimensional. These include some of the traditional, or most well recognized
barcode types such as the UPC and EAN code types.
UPC CODE
UPC barcodes are used to label and scan consumer goods at points-of-sale around
the world—mainly in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom,
Australia, New Zealand and other countries. The UPC-A variation encodes 12
numerical digits while UPC-E is a smaller variation, which encodes only 6
numerical digits.
Industry: Retail
Variations: UPC-A, UPC-E

EAN CODE
EAN barcodes are also used to label consumer goods worldwide for point-of-sale
scanning, primarily in Europe. They look very similar to UPC codes, and the main
distinction is their geographical application. While EAN-13 (comprising 13 digits)
5
is the default form factor, you’ll find EAN-8 (covering 8 digits) barcodes on
products where only limited space is available, like small candies.
Industry: Retail
Variations: EAN-13, EAN-8, JAN-13, ISBN, ISSN

CODE 39
Code39 barcodes (or Code 3 of 9) are used to label goods across many industries,
and are often found in the automotive industry and the US department of Defense.
It allows the use of both digits and characters, and its name originates in the fact
that it could only encode 39 characters—though in its most recent version the
character set has been increased to 43. It’s similar to, but not as compact as, the
Code 128 barcode, which we’ll talk about next.
Industry: Automotive and Defense

CODE 128
Code 128 barcodes are compact, high-density codes used in logistics and
transportation industries for ordering and distribution. They’re geared toward non-
POS products, like when supply chain applications label units with serial shipping
container codes (SSCC). Code 128 barcodes are powerful and can store
diversified information because they support any character of the ASCII 128
character set.
Industry: Supply Chain

6
ITF (Interleaved 2 OF 5)
ITF (or Interleaved 2 of 5) barcodes are used to label packaging materials across
the globe. Since they can deal with high printing tolerances, they are good for
printing on corrugated cardboard. ITF barcodes encode 14 numeric digits and use
the full ASCII set.
Industry: Packaging

CODE 93
Code 93 barcodes are used in logistics to identify packages in retail inventory,
label electronic components, and even provide supplementary delivery
information for the Canadian Post. Like Code 39, it Code 93 comes with full
ASCII support, but it improves upon and complements Code 39. It enables
additional security within the barcode itself, and its high density and compact size
makes its labels around 25% shorter than barcodes produced in Code 39.
Industry: Retail, Manufacturing and Logistics
Learn more about Code 93 barcodes on the Scandit Blog.

7
CODABAR
Codabar barcodes are used by logistics and healthcare professionals, including
U.S. blood banks, FedEx, photo labs, and libraries. Its main benefit is that it is
easy to print and can be produced by any impact style printer, even a typewriter.
Therefore, a user can create many Codabar codes using consecutive numbers
without the use of a computer. It was designed to be readable when printed from
dot matrix printers for multi-part forms. Codabar is a discrete, self-checking
symbology that encodes up to 16 different characters with an additional 4
start/stop characters.
Variations: Codeabar, Ames Code, NW-7, Monarch, Code 2 of 7, Rationalized
Codabar, ANSI/AIM BC3-1995, USD-4
Industry: Logistics, Healthcare and Education
Learn more about CodaBar barcodes on the Scandit Blog.

GS1 DATABAR
GS1 DataBar barcodes (formerly known as Reduced Space Symbology) are used
by retail outlets to identify consumer coupons, produce, and perishables, as well
as small objects in the healthcare industry. They are more compact than typical
consumer-facing barcodes. GS1 DataBar was introduced in 2001 and became the
mandated barcode type for retail coupons in the US.
Variations: GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional, Truncated, Stacked, Stacked
Omnidirectional, Expanded, Expanded Stacked
Industry: Retail and Healthcare
Learn more about GS1 Databar barcodes on the Scandit Blog.

8
MSI PLESSEY
MSI Plessey (or Modified Plessey) barcodes are used for inventory management
in retail environments, such as labeling supermarket shelves.
Industry: Retail

Two-Dimensional (2D) Barcode Types

Two-dimensional, or 2D barcodes, systematically represent data using two-
dimensional symbols and shapes. They are similar to a linear 1D barcode, but can
represent more data per unit area. These include some newer barcode types such
as the QR Code and PDF417 code types.
QR CODE
QR codes are 2D matrix barcodes with a strong consumer focus, often used in
tracking and marketing such as advertisements, magazines, and business cards.
Free to use, flexible in size, have a high fault tolerance, and have fast readability,
though they can’t be read with a laser scanner. QR codes support four different
modes of data: numeric, alphanumeric, byte/binary, and Kanji. QR code growth
began in Japan and use continues to grow today. They are public domain and free
to use.
Industry: Retail, Entertainment and Advertising
Learn more about QR codes on the Scandit Blog.

DATAMATRIX CODE
Datamatrix codes are 2D barcodes used to label small items, goods, and
documents. Their tiny footprint makes them ideal for small products in logistics
and operations. In fact, the US Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) recommends

9
that they be used to label small electronic components. Similar to QR codes, they
have high fault tolerance and fast readability.

What are barcodes used for?

If you run a busy store, you need to keep track of all the things you sell so
you can make sure the ones your customers want to buy are always in
stock. The simplest way of doing that is to walk around the shelves looking
for empty spaces and simply refilling where you need to. Alternatively, you
could write down what people buy at the checkout, compile a list of all the
purchases, and then simply use that to reorder your stock. That's fine for a
small store, but what if you're running a giant branch of Wal-Mart with
thousands of items on sale? There are many other difficulties of running
shops smoothly. If you mark all your items with their prices, and you need
to change the prices before you sell the goods, you have to reprice
everything. And what about shoplifting? If you see a lot of whisky bottles
missing from the shelves, can you really be certain you've sold them all?
How do you know if some have been stolen?

Using barcode technology in stores can help to solve all these problems. It
lets you keep a centralized record on a computer system that tracks
products, prices, and stock levels. You can change prices as often as you
like, without having to put new price tags on all your bottles and boxes.
You can instantly see when stock levels of certain items are running low
and reorder. Because barcode technology is so accurate, you can be
reasonably confident that any items that are missing (and don't appear to
have been sold) have probably been stolen—and maybe move them to a
more secure part of your store or protect them with RFID tags.

A barcode-based stock system like this has three main parts. First, there's
a central computer running a database (record system) that keeps a tally
of all the products you're selling, who makes it, what each one costs, and
how many you have in stock. Second, there are the barcodes printed on
all the products. Finally, there's one or more checkout scanners that can
read the barcodes.

How barcodes represent the numbers 0-9

A barcode is a really simple idea: give every item that you want to classify
its own, unique number and then simply print the number on the item so
an electronic scanning device can read it. We could simply print the
10
number itself, but the trouble with decimal numbers is that they're easy to
confuse (a misprinted eight could look like a three to a computer, while six
is identical to nine if you turn it upside down—which could cause all sorts
of chaos at the checkout if you scanned your cornflakes the wrong way
up). What we really need is a completely reliable way of printing numbers
so that they can be read very accurately at high speeds. That's the
problem that barcodes solve.

ADVANTAGES OF BARCODE SCANNERS

Error Reduction. Using barcode scanners reduces rates of human error.
When people are manually entering data, the possibility of errors is only
part of human nature. The FDA reported that in the medical industry, over
a nine-year period, barcoding reduced its medication error rate by 86
percent. Medical workers are able to scan barcodes to view the
medications and doses patients need. This helps them administer the
correct drugs.
Inventory Control. Barcode scanners help users keep track of inventory.
Some allow users to set up alerts for items that are out of stock so orders
can be filled promptly.
Time Savings. Not only does it keep your inventory under control and
organized, your time spent doing inventory checks are minimized. Since
barcode scanners are quick and easy to use, the amount of time being
11
 saved continues to decline with each barcode release. The most recent
barcode scanner is the Intermec CK3X Mobile Computer. This brand new
barcode scanner is one of the fastest in the market.

USE OF BARCODE TECHNOLOGY IN LIBRARIES

Barcode is coded information in the form of bars that can be read by a
special type of image scanner(barcode scanner). Image scanner also called scanner
converts any printed image into electronic form by shining light into the image and
sensing the intensity of light reflection at a point. This device read barcode, which are
patterns of printed bars that appear on the barcode labels pasted on the book. The
barcode identify the book and the barcode reader /scanner emits a beam of light –
frequently a laser beam- that is reflected by the barcode image by recognizing bars.
The white spaces reflect light, which are translated into relevant signals for the
computer to read, without the risk of human error. After detector has identified the
barcode, it converts the individual bar patterns into numeric digit-code that computer
can understood.

12
 CONCLUSION
Implications of automated and barcode technology is one of the best techniques to
minimize the time taken at the circulation center. Barcoding by itself is not system but
an identification tool that provides an accurate and timely support of the data
requirement for the sophisticated management systems. Barcode usage increases
accuracy in the data collection, save time of the users and the staff and improves
efficiency in various library operations. Every library needs the application of new
technology to develop its existing methods. This time thus saved can be utilized for
developing advance and additional techniques in the library. It minimizes errors and
increases the efficiency at the circulation desk. It also reduces the operational cost by
eliminating book cards and book pockets. Barcoded labels with both accession and
call numbers on it can also be used as a book tag. Contribution of barcode technology
with computer and application software improves performance and efficiency in
various library operations.

13
REFERENCE
1. Anil Singh(2002). Application of Bar Code Technology in Libraries.
Library Herald. .40, ( 1), 43-47.
2. Barcode basics, http://www.makebarcode.com/info/info.html
3. Bhaskar Raj, A.S.( 1995). The barcode technology and applications.
Electronics For You, April, 99-105. 4.Gample, S R and Wadyane, H S. (1993).
Using Barcode for Circulation in the Central Library of IIT Bombay. Annals
of Library Science and Documentation. .40, (1 ),12-20

14