Notice: As of April 8, 2013, we are changing our barcoding procedure for books printed right-to-left
For the majority of books, the barcode is placed in the lower right corner, inside the right-hand cover.
This means that:
- For books printed left-to-right (English, German, Russian, etc.), the barcode is placed on the inside of the back cover
- For books printed right-to-left (Arabic, some Chinese, Hebrew, etc.), the barcode is placed on the inside of the front cover
Note: Before April 8, 2013, right-to-left printed books were barcoded inside their back cover (which would often be the left-hand cover). However, our self-checkout machines cannot be used with this barcode placement, so right-to-left books processed after that date will be barcoded as described above.
Exceptions to the usual barcoding procedure include materials such as WRC books and rare materials, maps, books that need a pocket attached, books that need special binding, etc.
Barcode Placement Examples
| Left-to-right printed materials | Right-to-left printed materials |
|---|---|
| The majority of books we process are printed in a language that reads left-to-right. The barcode is placed inside the book's back cover. | Some books are printed in a language that reads from right-to-left. The barcode is placed inside the book's front cover. |
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Information on various writing systems: