Barcode Symbologies

Typically, you only need to configure your barcode symbologies when setting up Destiny. You can set the preferred barcode symbologies for:

  • Library Materials
  • Textbooks
  • Patrons
  • Resources - Assets
  • Locations

Barcodes used for library materials, textbooks and resources are usually composed of the following four pieces of information:

  • Type identifier: A character used to distinguish the barcodes belonging to patrons, library materials and textbooks. Part of the Fixed Characters.
  • Location code: Up to 5 characters that represent the institution or library housing the item. It serves to identify the materials that belong to a particular school or library. Part of the Fixed Characters (see below).
  • Item number: A sequentially-assigned number, up to 9 digits long, representing the barcoded item.
  • Check digit: The last character in a barcode for Code 39 Mod 10, Code 39 Mod 43, and other symbologies. It ensures accurate readings when barcodes are scanned. An algorithm based on the previous characters determines this character; therefore, it changes for every barcode.

Only the item number is required; the rest of the components are optional. The check digit component always remains in the last position, but the remaining components can be in any order.

Fixed Characters

Destiny groups the Type identifier and Location code into the Fixed Characters.

To determine the characters in your barcodes that are fixed, examine several existing barcodes and identify the characters that do not change from barcode to barcode. These are at the beginning (left) of the barcode. Fixed characters always include any letters at the beginning of the component.

Preferred Barcode Symbologies

Destiny recognizes the following barcode symbologies:

  • Follett Classic
  • Generic Code 39
  • Code 39 mod 10
  • Code 39 mod 43

Follett Classic

These barcodes are a family of barcode symbologies consisting of a maximum of seven visible characters. They have no check digits.

The Follett Classic family of symbologies includes:

  • Generic Code 39
  • Interleaved 2 of 5
  • Codabar
  • LabelCode IV
  • LabelCode V

Code 39 (sometimes called 3-of-9)

Each data character encoded in a Code 39 barcode consists of 5 bars and 4 spaces, for a total of 9 elements. Each bar or space is either wide or narrow, and 3 out of the 9 elements are always wide.

For Destiny, Code 39 barcodes can have up to 14 characters. The character set consists of 26 uppercase letters (A-Z), 10 digits (0-9) and 7 special characters: - (hyphen), . (period), $ (dollar sign), + (plus sign), % (percent sign), / (forward slash), and the space. The item number portion of the barcode must always be numeric.

Note: All of the Code 39 style barcodes can be 8 to 14 characters, but most are 14 characters.

Generic Code 39

These barcodes do not have a check digit.

Code 39 Mod 10

Barcodes use the Mod 10 accuracy-checking algorithm, that always produces a numeric (0-9) check digit.

Code 39 Mod 43

Barcodes use the Mod 43 accuracy-checking algorithm. This produces a check digit that can be any of the 43 characters in the character set (above).

Note: If you are converting from Circulation Plus/Catalog Plus, your Type identifier and Location code usually make up the fixed characters.