How do I setup a card swiped updatable attendance database?

[Guest]

I will be setting up a database for an organization here at my University. I
wanted to use magnetic or bar code id cards to, not only help enter data
initially, but to use them to keep attendance in an Access Database on a
weekly bases. If there are better, fairly economical, alternatives please
tell.
Thank you.

-Beginner in Access, the simpler the better please.

 

[Larry Linson]

I will be setting up a database for an organization here at my University.
I
wanted to use magnetic or bar code id cards to, not only help enter data
initially, but to use them to keep attendance in an Access Database on a
weekly bases. If there are better, fairly economical, alternatives please
tell.

I can't discuss magnetic coded ID cards, but my user group used a small
hand-scanner attached to a PC to scan the bar code on membership cards for
checkin.
Initially, the success rate was low, but as they learned about it and were
careful in the preparation of bar codes, success improved. Even so, the
(backup) ability to check in by searching for name or typing in membership
number was necessary, because it never was able to read every card
presented.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP