diff --git a/src/app/input/staff-select/staff-select.component.ts b/src/app/input/staff-select/staff-select.component.ts
index cb46e25..605b768 100644
--- a/src/app/input/staff-select/staff-select.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/input/staff-select/staff-select.component.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { Component, OnInit, HostListener, ViewChild, ElementRef } from '@angular/core';
 import { FormControl, FormGroup } from '@angular/forms';
 import { ActivatedRoute, Router } from '@angular/router';
-import { PitchClass, NoteItem, RestItem, Accid, LigStatus, PlicaStatus, ColorStatus } from '../../utils/MusicItem';
+import { PitchClass, NoteItem, RestItem, Accid, LigStatus, PlicaStatus, ColorStatus, BarlineItem } from '../../utils/MusicItem';
 import { StateService } from '../../state-service.service';
 import { InputService } from '../input.service';
 import { vrvToolkit } from '../../utils/verovio';
@@ -235,6 +235,12 @@ export class StaffSelectComponent implements OnInit {
           this.processColor(event.key);
           event.preventDefault();
           break;
+        case '=':
+        case '|':
+        case '/':
+          musicList.addBarline(event.key);
+          event.preventDefault();
+          break;
         case 'r':
         case 'R':
           if (!musicList.hasOpenLigature()) {
diff --git a/src/app/utils/MusicItem.ts b/src/app/utils/MusicItem.ts
index 53f975a..4a502e2 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/MusicItem.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/MusicItem.ts
@@ -457,6 +457,55 @@ export class NoteItem implements MusicItem {
   }
 }
 
+export class BarlineItem implements MusicItem {
+  readonly m_type = "barLine";
+  m_line = -1;
+  m_id: string;
+  m_barline: string;
+
+  constructor (bar?: string) {
+    if (bar !== undefined) {
+      this.m_barline = bar;
+    }
+  }
+
+  getHumdrumLine (): string {
+    let output = "";
+    switch (this.m_barline) {
+      case "/": output += "=|"; break;  // single barline (@form = single in mei)
+      case "|": output += "=||"; break; // double barline (@form = dbl in mei)
+      case "=": output += "=="; break;  // final barline (@form = end in mei)
+      default: output += ""; break;
+    }
+    output += "\t.";
+    return output;
+  }
+
+  static parseXML(element: Element): BarlineItem {
+    let barline = new BarlineItem();
+    if (element.hasAttribute("xml:id")) {
+      barline.m_id = element.getAttribute("xml:id");
+    }
+    if (element.hasAttribute("form")) {
+      switch(element.getAttribute("form")) {
+        case "single":
+          barline.m_barline = "=|";
+          break;
+        case "dbl":
+          barline.m_barline = "=||";
+          break;
+        case "end":
+          barline.m_barline = "==";
+          break;
+        default:
+          barline.m_barline = "=."; // probably an error, so we are marking it as a dotted barline
+          break;
+      }
+    }
+    return barline;
+  }
+}
+
 export class MusicList {
   m_list: Array<MusicItem> = [];
   m_index = -1;
@@ -568,6 +617,11 @@ export class MusicList {
     this.runNotationCallback();
   }
 
+  addBarline (bar: string) {
+    this.m_list.push(new BarlineItem(bar));
+    this.runNotationCallback();
+  }
+
   getLastNote(): NoteItem | null {
     for (let i = this.m_list.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
       if (this.m_list[i].m_type === "note") {
diff --git a/src/app/utils/mei.ts b/src/app/utils/mei.ts
index 5463de1..9a409de 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/mei.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/mei.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Part, Tenor } from './part';
 import { System, Pb, Sb } from './system';
-import { ClefItem, NoteItem, RestItem, MensurItem } from './MusicItem';
+import { ClefItem, NoteItem, RestItem, MensurItem, BarlineItem } from './MusicItem';
 import { Voice, Mensuration, Contributor, Sign } from './definitions';
 import { IRI } from './definitions';
 
@@ -260,6 +260,9 @@ export class MEIDocument {
         } else if (child.tagName === "mensur") {
           let mensur = MensurItem.parseXML(child);
           activeSystem.contents.m_list.push(mensur);
+        } else if (child.tagName === "barLine") {
+          let barline = BarlineItem.parseXML(child);
+          activeSystem.contents.m_list.push(barline);
         }
       }
     }