Here is the summary of replies I received to my question on SISAC barcode
readers and routing list printers.

Mary MacWithey
Director, Serials
HAM-TMC Library
1133 M.D. Anderson Blvd.
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713-799-7128
Fax: 713-790-7052
email: marym@library.tmc.edu

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Mary,

We are a SIRSI site, and we started using SISAC barcodes for check-in
last month.  We've been up on Unicorn for over a year, but we didn't try
barcode check-in at first because we assumed some preparation would be
necessary and we didn't want to get into any more work.

The workstations which we use for serials check-in all have Caere barcode
readers.  (These are the same type of readers we use throughout the
library.)  I was amazed that we could wand in a SISAC barcode and
actually pull up the right check-in record most of the time, without any
preparation.

We just wand the barcode into the BAR SICI field on the RECEIVE ITEM
command screen.  If the caps lock key is off, the barcode reader
automatically enters a carriage return.  As you know, the SISAC barcode
includes issue information in addition to the ISSN, but apparently
Unicorn just uses the ISSN part of the barcode.  It doesn't seem to
matter what issue is wanded in -- it always retrieves the next expected
issue screen.

The folks doing check-in tell me that some of the barcodes don't work,
and I'll be looking into that.  However, the big problem is the fact that
only a small percentage of issues actually have a barcode.  I think we'll
save time in the future, when more of the issues have barcodes.
Right now, I can't say it saves much time at check-in.

We print route slips as issues are checked in, using attached
workstation printers.  The printers are set up as receipt printers.
Because we must use the printers for other things, we have the page
length set for full size paper.  This wastes lots of paper on route
slips.  There are some alternatives which we might consider when things
slow down.

Let me know if you find out anything that might help us.

====================================================================
Elsie Pritchard       e.pritch@morehead-st.edu
Asst. Dir. for Tech. Serv./Automation    voice 606-783-5120
Morehead State University (Morehead, KY)   fax 606-783-5037

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Hi,

We have a laser reader attached to the pc we use for serials check-in.
It works quite well.  Not quite half of our journals have the full SICI
on the back (usually) and we do use it if it is there.  It is remarkably
quick...reads and checks-in (including the return for the ITEMS RECEIVED
prompt).  It would really have a big impact if all journals had the
machine readable SICI. As it is, the ones that have it get checked in
really quickly. Sometimes the SICI is wrong...something is not right in
the coding and you have to correct and unscramble.  Most of the time it
is right....

We do not use the little printers for routing.  We don't route that much
material so we simply use the routing system to note who the title goes
to and then use the flags.....it works for us.

* Linda F. Williams   VOICE:  520-626-2937
* Head, Technical Services Department FAX:    520-626-2922
* Arizona Health Sciences Library EMAIL: lfw@AHSL.Arizona.EDU
* 1501 N. Campbell Ave.
* Tucson, AZ  85724

On Wed, 3 Apr 1996 marym@library.tmc.edu wrote:

> Thanks very much for responding.
>
> I don't know if you have SIRSI but I am wondering, when this scanning
works well and the latest issue is in hand, what are the steps a staff
member must perform? If a claimed issue arrives, can these also be scanned
in and received without editing or locating the correct check-in record?

________________________ Reply Separator ____________________________

Yes, we are a Sirsi Library.

If the issues has the SICI bar code, the issue is checked in when the
number is read.  If you mark or tattle-tape the issue you would still
need to do that.  If an issue arrives out of order, due to late receipt
or claiming, you can still check in the issue, provided of course that
you have built a predicted check-in record.  I am making the assumption
here that you will create check-in records beforehand....

* Linda F. Williams   VOICE:  520-626-2937
* Head, Technical Services Department FAX:    520-626-2922
* Arizona Health Sciences Library EMAIL: lfw@AHSL.Arizona.EDU
* 1501 N. Campbell Ave.
* Tucson, AZ  85724