Hi Stephen, > From: ... Jason Griffey > If I were doing this, I'd look into using a bluetooth scanner in combo > with the tablet.
For reading book barcodes (e.g. codabar) I would second Jason's suggestion. We used the CipherLab 1660 Bluetooth barcode scanner when we were field testing an iPad web app for shelf reading and inventory. After figuring out the initial configuration steps, the scanner worked like a charm. I looked at a lot of native iPhone/iPad barcode scanner apps but none of them seemed capable of reading a codabar barcode into a web form input box. -- Michael # Michael Doran, Systems Librarian # University of Texas at Arlington # 817-272-5326 office # 817-688-1926 mobile # do...@uta.edu # http://rocky.uta.edu/doran/ > -----Original Message----- > From: Code for Libraries [mailto:CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of > Jason Griffey > Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 12:27 PM > To: CODE4LIB@LISTSERV.ND.EDU > Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] Tablets to help with circulation services > > FWIW: All of the card-readers I've tested (Square, Paypal) require their > particular apps to "read"...there's no generic output that's readable by > the device. > > At least on iOS, access to the camera is via an API only accessible by > an > app, which means no generic browser based access to the camera output > either. If you were to write an iOS app, of course, all bets are > off...you > could do what you wanted with the camera, including barcode reading. > > Android is much less locked down than iOS, but I'm not as familiar with > it. > > If I were doing this, I'd look into using a bluetooth scanner in combo > with > the tablet. In that case, the scanner just presents as if it were a > keyboard, passing the data off to the tablet just as if it were keyed > in. > That would work in-browser, in app, or where ever. We're considering > this > model as a possibility for some services in our new building, with the > hangup being desensitization of the materials after checkout. > > Jason > > > On Wed, Jan 23, 2013 at 11:34 AM, Stephen Francoeur < > stephen.franco...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > We're looking into ways that tablets might be used by library staff > > assisting patrons in a long line at the circ desk. With a tablet, an > > additional staff person could pick folks off the line who might have > things > > that can be handled on a properly outfitted tablet. > > > > I am wondering if anyone has any examples of a library using the > camera on > > a tablet to scan barcodes on library materials (for check out or check > in) > > or if anyone has used one of those magnetic stripe readers that you > can > > attach to some tablets (such as the Square Register for the iPad which > can > > be used to process credit cards)? I'm sure it's been done with a > netbook; > > we're solely interested in doing this with a tablet. > > > > We're trying to see if we can install the GUI for Ex Libris Aleph on a > > tablet running Microsoft RT. If this might work on tablets running > Android > > or iOS, that would be interesting as well. > > > > Any examples or thoughts about this would be most welcome. > > > > Thanks! > > > > Stephen Francoeur > > > > User Experience Librarian > > > > Newman Library > > > > Room 516 > > > > Baruch College > > > > 151 E. 25th Street > > > > New York, NY 10010 > > > > > > > > 646.312.1620 > > > > stephen.franco...@baruch.cuny.edu > > > > http://stephenfrancoeur.com > >
