QR codes in the Library

QR codes in the Library Library staff away day, 5 July 2011

What?
A potted overview of QR codes:

QR = "Quick Response"
2-dimensional barcode
Can be read faster than a conventional barcode
And hold 500 times as much information
Developed in Japan to track car parts
Snap it on a 'smart' mobile phone camera
Display/send SMS text; call a number
Or link to a web page in the phone's browser
Linking physical and virtual resources
(A bit like RFID, then...)

How?
QR code generator – including:

Bitly: http://bitly.com/
Google: http://goo.gl/
Kaywa: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
QR stuff: http://www.qrstuff.com/
ZXing Project: http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/
Linking You: http://lncn.eu/

How 2
QR reader software for smartphones
Often built in to the phone (Blackberry; some Nokia)
Lots of free apps for iPhone and Android – including:
Beetagg
Optiscan
I-nigma
Kaywa Reader
University of Lincoln app (*may not actually exist yet!)

Who?
"Smartphone use nearly doubles in one year among college students" (Ball State University, 2010)
Which HE libraries in the UK are using QR codes in their services?
Google: "qr code" ~library site:ac.uk

Who?
Bath
Bedfordshire
Cambridge (Faculty of Philosophy)
Edge Hill
Exeter
Huddersfield
London (School of Pharmacy)
LSE
Queen Margaret
Salford
Sheffield
So'ton Solent
Swansea
Wellcome Library
Tesco

At home...
What are ICT/Estates up to?
Posters
Asset-tagging (PCs, printers, rooms, etc. )
Users scan an asset code: "report a problem with this X"
Link to Support Desk: http://support.lincoln.ac.uk/
Maintaining Linking You (QR code generator)
Designing a "wrapper" to go around & explain QR codes

...and away
Examples of library QR codes in the wild!
Mostly found using Flickr (Creative Commons) image search

Poster. http://flic.kr/p/9mdWx6

On-screen display. http://flic.kr/p/9gpcxy

Shelf-side help with searching. http://flic.kr/p/89ujc1

Links to e-versions of magazines. http://flic.kr/p/8DVR34

QR code link in OPAC to the bib record.

Author interview on Youtube. http://flic.kr/p/8DV8yZ

Promoting the library's mobile website. http://flic.kr/p/81i47V

Mobile version of e-database platform. http://flic.kr/p/8dLywK

Reserve a study room. http://flic.kr/p/8DVR2r

Treasure hunt! http://flic.kr/p/8CSHpY

Recommendations
What could we do with QR codes?
Just a few ideas:

Shelf end labels – browse by classmark/Dewey tutorial
"Report a book missing from this shelf"
Maintenance records – shelving/weeding checks
Online chat with library support: "help me use this X"
Audio tours (these things are telephones after all!)
E-journal holdings on boxes of printed journals
Catalogue records: reservations/e-book/reading lists?
Totems (help) and self-issue barcodes (check my account)

Caveat
Whatever we do, we need to ensure that the content we're linking to is designed for mobile/handheld display.

Further reading
QR codes in libraries: a bibliography!
http://lncn.eu/gmp
Walsh, A. (2009) Quick response codes and libraries. Library Hi Tech News [Online], 26 (5/6). pp.7–9. Available from: http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/5209/ [Accessed on 1 September 2010]

Thank you!
Dr Julian Beckton (CERD)
Phil Cross
Chris Leach
Marie Nicholson
Paul Stainthorp
Elif Varol
ICT – all the QR codes in this presentation created using Linking You ( http://lncn.eu/ )

Any questions? Library staff away day, 5 July 2011

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QR codes in the Library

by Paul Stainthorp

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