How the Bar Codes and book numbers are assigned, and how stock checks work

Every book should have a unique ten-digit number beginning 570, assigned by the union catalogue. It also has a non-unique classmark of the form 170 DOG, assigned by the Darwin librarian.

Note that, while the union catalogue allows multiple copies of single books to be given a single catalogue entry with only one ten-digit number, we have decided to ensure that all multiple-copy books have distinct ten-digit numbers. (Otherwise when such a book is returned, we don't know which borrower returned it.)

Where to put the bar code labels

First stock check (including new labels for all books)

New books

Future stock checks

How book checkout could work

Note we can automate the sending of reminder emails to people with overdue books.

And returned books can be logged using the barcode reader.

Label sizes