Automatic library control apparatus

Claim 1

A data processing system for use in a library in controlling the circulation of items and checking the status of users and items, said system having computer means coupled to data storage means, said data storage means having circulation storage locations and status storage locations, said system comprising: a unique circulation storage location for each said item of said library, at least one circulation station within said library having reading means for reading machine readable label means, means for coupling said computer means to said circulation station, machine readable label means secured to each item for identifying said item, machine readable means for identifying said user, means for storing in status storage locations of said data storage means: data signals corresponding to a delinquent status of a user label means, and data signals corresponding to an overdue status of an item label means, said reading means, upon reading a user identifying label means, generating electrical user identifying data signals, said reading means, upon reading an item identifying label means, generating electrical item identifying data signals, means for directly accessing a user status storage location in said data storage means said user status storage location having an address directly determined by said user identifying data signals, means for generating on-line a user status signal responsive to data in said directly accessed user status storage location, said user status signal corresponding to a delinquent status of said user label means, means responsive to said user status signal for storing on-line at a specified address of said circulation storage locations of said data storage means representations of said user identifying data signals from said recording means, said circulation storage locations address directly specified from said item identifying data signals and being in one-to-one correspondence therewith, whereby each specified address corresponds to a unique one of said items of said library, means for directly accessing an item status storage location in said data storage means, said item status storage location having an address directly determined by said item identifying data signals from said reading means, means for generating on-line an item status signal responsive to data in said directly accessed item status storage location, said item status signal corresponding to an overdue status of said item, means responsive to said item status signal for directly accessing specified address of said circulation storage locations of said data storage means, said specified circulation storage locations address directly determined by said item identifying data signals from said reading means, and means for deleting from said specified address of said circulation storage locations said corresponding representations of said user identifying data signals, whereby an on-line circulation file is maintained for associating library users and items and for providing on-line delinquent and overdue status checks.