Note 11 - Operating Segments (Details Textual) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2021	Jun. 30, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	$ 13,562,000	$ 12,874,000	$ 37,952,000	$ 36,907,000
Revenue Benchmark [Member] | Product Concentration Risk [Member] | Non-US [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage			4.00%
Traditional Business [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	4,083,000	3,131,000	$ 11,071,000	11,195,000
Traditional Business [Member] | Transferred at Point in Time [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	2,957,000	1,872,000	7,613,000	7,338,000
Traditional Business [Member] | Transferred over Time [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	1,126,000	1,259,000	3,458,000	3,857,000
Journal Technologies [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	9,479,000	9,743,000	$ 26,881,000	$ 25,712,000
Journal Technologies [Member] | Revenue Benchmark [Member] | Product Concentration Risk [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage			71.00%	70.00%
Journal Technologies [Member] | Transferred at Point in Time [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	4,312,000	4,258,000	$ 11,029,000	$ 9,889,000
Journal Technologies [Member] | Transferred over Time [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	$ 5,167,000	$ 5,485,000	$ 15,852,000	$ 15,823,000