QR codes - libraries and craft
What they found:
- many people were curious about QR codes but weren't sure what they were for
- suggestions for how the library could use them included: bibliographic information in books, Endnote citations, room bookings, contact details
Rowan and Craig showed us some images of the fetishism of QR codes. There is a community of geeks that just love them. Rowan also pointed out the similarity between QR codes and PacMan!! Daggy 80s retro. Their conclusion was that the time of the QR code has not arrived yet. There is novelty value but library users aren't ready.
Some tips from RMIT:
- link to mobile friendly sites
- check to make sure links work
Check out wikipedia article if you want to know more. According to Craig at the last ALA conference QR codes were touted as the next big thing. However there were no examples of how they were beING utilised in a meaningful way in libraries.
The video below is a good overview of QR codes:
http://cnettv.cnet.com/use-qr-codes/9742-1_53-50085349.html
UTS are also using QR codes to link library users to further information about services. Sophie McDonald (UTS) noted that many of the students had difficulty scanning the codes, an issue also highlighted by RMIT.
I still think that they have lots of potential and Sophie's blog posts about QR codes are well worth looking at. I am interested in how QR codes can help you find things on the shelf.
A treat for you
Here are some links to QR code related craft:
For your information: I am using the i-nigma app on my iphone to scan QR codes and it also has a good generator. You can try scanning the codes above and see where they take you. I couldn't get a QR code to link successfully to youtube. If you know how let me know.
