Each copy or holding of a physical resource or item must have a unique barcode.  If the item is to be circulated, the barcode must be printed as a barcode label. You can choose to use commercially prepared barcode labels or you can choose to generate and print your own resource barcode labels as required.  Infiniti supports a number of options for barcode generation, barcode label printing (both standard and custom), and practices for barcoding physical resources.


Note: If you choose to generate your own barcode numbers locally, it is critical that each barcode is unique. While the barcode generator will generate unique barcode numbers sequentially using one of the available configurations, if gaps in the barcode number sequence are erroneously generated, or if gaps in the barcode number sequence are created through future record deletions, these gaps cannot be retrieved and/or reused. Uniqueness is the critical issue, consecutive numbering is irrelevant.


Why Generate and Print Your Own Barcodes


If you have pre-printed barcode label stationery, you can choose to either scan the barcode labels as required or generate matching barcode numbers and match these numbers with the matching labels when attaching barcodes to individual resources. If you do not have pre-printed barcode label stationery, you will have to generate barcode numbers and print barcode labels to attach to individual resources at processing time.


Generating and printing barcode labels can be useful under certain circumstances, including:

  1. You do not have ready access to commercially affordable pre-printed barcode label stationery.
  2. You want to provide a quick visual association that a book or other resource belongs to a specific location, e.g., JSL for junior school library, SSL for senior school library, TBK for text book collection.
  3. You wish to generate barcodes and then print them using custom Resource barcode and/or spine labels with information from fields entered during cataloguing of those resources.


Automatic Barcode Setup


Barcodes can be automatically generated during the cataloguing process. Prior to generating or printing barcodes you must setup the generation parameters you intend to use.


Go to: Configure > Settings > Cataloguing 


Set your preference for entering barcodes when cataloguing new resources.


New Resource Barcodes 

  1. Manually scanned one at a time - not generating barcode numbers. Note: This means you will use commercially sourced barcode labels, scanning each barcode individually during the cataloguing process.
  2. Assigned from a Barcode scheme - generate your own barcodes and print your own barcode labels, whether standard or custom:
    • When adding copies, choose to either :
      1.  Leave box unticked and type barcodes manually, or  
         
      2.  Tick the box and choose the number of copies from 1-100.  Assign a range of barcodes automatically from the chosen barcode scheme. 
        1. Default choice from drop-down 'Detect Scheme from Barcode Sheet' :  the scheme will be auto-detected from the first barcode provided for the range when adding copies.  Note: Choosing this option means you are using pre-printed sheets and you wish Infiniti to match the copies to the sheet by supplying the first available barcode on the sheet. Infiniti will generate the number specified. Note: When you first choose to add copies or holdings to a new or existing bibliographic record, the barcode number generator will initially not be activated by default and you will be expected to tick the box and choose the number of copies from 1-100. 
        2. Generate from Custom Scheme - you want to generate automatic barcodes on a regular basis from either:
          1. Built-in Barcode Scheme - an incremental number scheme with no prefix and an auto generated numeric string from 5-18 digits.
          2. Custom Barcode Schemes - choose a custom barcode scheme added in Configure > Cataloguing > Custom barcode schemes.                    Note: Choosing either of these options means that when you choose to add copies or holdings to a new or existing bibliographic record, the barcode number generator will need to be activated and you will be expected set the number of barcodes to generate using the scheme selected at the time.

3. Vendor - pre-printed stationery sheets of labels. Note: This means you will use commercially sourced barcode labels generating one or more barcodes as required during the cataloguing process, and cataloguer will be responsible for ensuring barcode labels match barcode numbers generated at cataloguing time.

  1. Using Alice compatible barcode sheets - if you have pre-printed Alice barcode stationery which includes the embedded check digit. The cataloguer will be asked to scan the next barcode in the sequence. Note: It is not possible to reverse an erroneous starting barcode location after the barcode generator has processed a set of barcodes.


Pre-print Local Barcode Labels On Blank Stationery


If you intend to print barcode labels on blank stationery locally, then you must configure Infiniti to follow the barcode pattern you require.

  1.  Custom Barcode Schemes:
    1. Name - a distinguishable identifier for easy recognition at label printing time.
    2. Prefix - a set of characters (letters of the alphabet, e.g., ABCD, or numbers, e.g., 000) that will prefix the string of digits. Note: Recommended practice is to use three (3) or four (4) uppercase letters of the alphabet, or three (3) or four (4) numbers as a prefix.
    3. Digits - a set of six (6) to sixteen (16) digits that will be appended to the prefix. Note: Most school libraries will be adequately serviced by six (6) to eight (8) digits. Infiniti will determine the starting number after analysing your current barcode numbers.

Note: You can run multiple prefixing schemes to cater for multiple labelling scenarios, e.g., Junior School Library (JSL) and Senior School Library (SSL). Only one scheme can be active at label printing at one time.


Remember toany changes you make.