The holographic scanner includes a rotating glass disk (20) having an annular track of sectorial holographic diffraction gratings or holofacets (22) for deflecting an impinging laser (24) beam along arcuate scan lines. The beam which sweeps along these scan lines is redirected by beam folding mirrors (30), to create specific scan patterns focused in predetermined regions (36,38) adjacent a scanner window (32). Similar or dissimilar scan patterns can be generated depending upon the characteristics of the holofacets (22) and the placement of the beam folding mirrors (30). The scan patterns can be focused at different distances from the scanner window (32) to increase the size of the "gate" through which a label must pass in order to be successfully scanned. The returning light is focused by a lens (40) onto a photodetector (42) which generates an electrical signal proportional to the reflected radiation amplitude.