This UTV news report comes from the public library in Bangor, Co Down. The reporter interviews one of the librarians who reveals that they are an extremely busy branch and that to help them with queuing and keeping track of the books they have introduced a new computerized system. A demonstration is given with a chunky light pen being rubbed across a barcode inside the books to record it being loaned out – although it seems to struggle to register the barcode on camera.

The device at the library desk is rather primitive looking and looks like a case with a keyboard on it and a tiny LCD display. Of course, despite these awkward baby steps into the new technology barcode scanning did indeed become the future with regards to every angle of buying and lending in the years to come.