No Bar Code - Now What?

During a recent library visit, I found a crochet book I hadn't seen before.  It looked interesting and I wanted to take it out.

I brought it to the librarian in this small library.  She looked at the book.  She looked at the book again.  She looked at me.  She looked at the book.

Finally, she turned to me and told me there was a problem.

No bar code.

Our local library system transitioned to a bar code system for keeping track of inventory several years ago.  "I don't know how this one could have been missed", the librarian mused, apologetically.

She thought for a minute.  "I could check this out for you, but..."  She turned to her computer.  I wasn't local.  This was a small library that (I assume) knew most all their patrons.

"There are several other libraries [in our four county system] that have this book", she said.  She named two of them near me.

Good to know.  I didn't want to cause her any problems, and told her I would get the book elsewhere.

But this librarian looked close to my age (in other words, we were both senior citizens), so I told her my memories of how libraries checked books out when I was young.

I grew up in New York City.  Those libraries had a machine that would take a picture of the book "lending card" and your library card.  The lending card was removed. Then the librarian would stamp a card with the due date and put in a pocket attached to the inside cover.  I don't know what happened to the picture (put on microfilm?) but I remember that flash of light when the picture was taken.

It appears this was high tech compared to how the libraries where I live now did it (she did remember, and there was no picture taking machine involved) but it was effective.

Now, without a bar code, a library can't even let you borrow the book.

Sometimes, I can wish for the good old days.