Note 11 - Operating Segments (Details Textual) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020	Mar. 31, 2021	Mar. 31, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	$ 13,970,000	$ 12,356,000	$ 24,390,000	$ 24,033,000
Revenue Benchmark [Member] | Product Concentration Risk [Member] | Non-US [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage			7.00%
Traditional Business [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	3,459,000	3,932,000	$ 6,988,000	8,064,000
Traditional Business [Member] | Transferred at Point in Time [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	2,330,000	2,646,000	4,656,000	5,466,000
Traditional Business [Member] | Transferred over Time [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	1,129,000	1,286,000	2,332,000	2,598,000
Journal Technologies [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	10,511,000	8,424,000	$ 17,402,000	$ 15,969,000
Journal Technologies [Member] | Revenue Benchmark [Member] | Product Concentration Risk [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage			71.00%	66.00%
Journal Technologies [Member] | Transferred at Point in Time [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	4,848,000	3,177,000	$ 6,717,000	$ 5,631,000
Journal Technologies [Member] | Transferred over Time [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	$ 5,663,000	$ 5,247,000	$ 10,685,000	$ 10,338,000