System3 mini card sorter

Philip Nasadowski

punched

breastle

That would've been a microfilm machine.

Larger libraries used "needle" edge notched punched cards. These had the edges punched to denote information. To process the cards, one inserted a long needle through the various holes. Where a hole had been cut out by punching a notch, the card would remain behind while the others were lifted out. By repebreastive pbuttes of the needle the deck could be sorted or selected information pulled from the deck.

Our place converted those cards into IBM punch cards via an attachment on an 029.

On the microfilm system, I believe the return-date cards (the ones notched) were in sequential order. After a time, they were searched for missing cards. Those numbers were then searched (sequentially) in the microfilm for the card holder of the overdue book.

The early checkout computers had their share of problems, often not properly reading the bar codes of the book and library card, or being down altogether, requiring manual transcription of the book loan.

But one nice feature is you can check the card catalog remotely and see if a desired book is in or out.