Abstract: A device for reading data encoded on a form has a removable scanning wand and a housing defining a slot for receiving the form. The wand functions as the input means of a slot reader when received in the housing, and is useful independently of the housing as a hand held scanning wand. The slot of the housing receives the form so as to position data on the form at a predetermined position and the wand is directed at the predetermined position when received in the housing. The wand, or other similar data read head for bar code, magnetic strips, OCR characters or the like, is preferably positively positioned in the housing by a spring biased clip releasable by finger pressure. The wand can be coupled by a connecting lead to a further terminal apart from the housing, to which terminal the housing can preferably be attached to add a slot reader capability.