1. Quick Response Codes allow users to scan a two
dimensional barcode and receive A LOT of
information.
2. A QR Code is a matrix barcode that is
readable with a smartphone or other mobile
phone with a camera.
QR Code stands for Quick Response Code,
because they access information immediately.
They can also be called 2D Codes, 2D
Barcodes, Matrix Code, and Mobile Codes.
3. They were invented in 1994 in Japan by
Denso-Wave, a Toyota subsidiary.
Denso-Wave holds the patent to QR Code
technology, but they decided to make the
technology freely available to the public.
QR Codes have been widely used in Japan for
years (Hampton, Peach, Rawlins).
4. One QR Code can hold up to:
◦ 7,089 Numeric Only Characters
◦ 4,296 Alphanumberic Characters
◦ 2,953 Binary (8 bits) Bytes
◦ 1,817 Kanji Characters (Hampton, Peach, Rawlins)
QR Codes can link to:
◦ URLs
◦ Phone numbers
◦ Instant Messaging or SMS messaging services
◦ V-cards (electronic business cards)
They can also be encoded with text (Ashford)
7. Commercial Tracking
◦ Capture statistics on who has scanned
Logistics
◦ Tracking mailed items
Inventory Control
Advertising
◦ Embedding product and warranty information
Air Travel
◦ Boarding Passes
Museums
◦ Virtual Tours (Hampton, Peach, Rawlins)
8. Many phones now have QR Code Readers
already installed on them.
If your phone has a QR Code Reader, simply
take a photo of the QR Code and the
embedded information will appear on your
camera.
9. If you have a phone, with a camera, that
doesn’t have a QR Code Reader. . .
You can get one easily, usually for free, from
multiple online sites.
11. While, QR Codes are cool in their own right,
they actually have lots of library uses:
Information Literacy Education
Basic Tools Education
Information Seeking
Reader’s Advisory
Displays
Marketing
Even Shelving
12. Link to
instructional videos
Link to
authoritative
electronic
resources
Link to a quiz that
tests and reinforce
knowledge learned
Link to in depth print
instructions
Link print materials
to online resources
on the same topic,
such as:
◦ Previous Editions
◦ Educational and
Government Websites
◦ Podcasts (Walsh)
13. Layafette College
Library created a
game utilizing QR
Codes that “that
teaches participants
about the library
along the way”
(Porter & King)
Kentucky State
University
Librarians
suggested using QR
Codes to link
students to a short
quiz to assess their
knowledge before a
lecture (Hampton,
Peach, Rawlins)
14. Link to step-by-step
instructions for how
to use mechanical
devices:
◦ Copiers
◦ Scanners
◦ Printers
◦ Microfilm machines
◦ Value Transfer Stations
University of
Colorado at Boulder
librarians created
location specific
signs. Those posted
above copiers
included the
question: “How do I
copy?” with a QR
Code to scan for
the answer.
15.
16. Link from the book
shelves to subject
index for what is
shelved there (Porter
& King)
Link to catalog
record that allows
user to upload call
number information
to mobile device
(Ashford) (Porter &
King) & (Walsh)
Link to an
explanation of the
contents of a special
collection (Hampton,
Peach, Rawlins)
Link to an
explanation of
shelving practices
Link to maps and
video tours of the
facility (Hicks &
Sinkinson)
17. Link to Read Alike
books for popular
titles (Porter &
King)
Link to other
books in a series
for all series titles
Link to Amazon for
customer reviews,
book images, and
tie-ins (Hicks &
Sinkinson)
Link to music sites
for music reviews
18. Abilene Christian
University
Librarians created a
display of books &
photographs
around the book
Same Kind of
Different as Me.
Using QR Codes to
connect to:
◦ Videos of related
events
◦ Complicated catalog
searches
◦ Podcasts
◦ Online registrations
for volunteer
opportunities
19.
20.
21. Link to a library’s text
message reference
service and other
contact information
(Ashford)
Link to the library
calendar of events
Link to renewal
functions (Hicks &
Sinkinson)
Link to reservation
making tools for
Community Use
Room Ashford) &
(Hicks & Sinkinson)
Link to the library’s
Facebook or other
online community
page (Hampton,
Peach, Rawlins)
Link to download of
mobile catalog app
(Porter & King)
22. Link to trailers for DVD s
in the library’s collection
(Ashford)
Link to audiobooks
(Porter & King) and music
(Ashford) in the library’s
collection
Link audiobooks to
author interviews
(Ashford)
Link to reviews of
books in the library’s
collection, written by
in house librarians,
patrons, or on
Amazon
Link to collection
related activities, for
example, Author
Lectures.
23. Kentucky State
University librarians
always need help
shelving, but many
work-study
students do not
work in the library
long enough to
learn their shelving
system.
Using QR Codes
allows student
workers, with little
training, to help
with the essential
task of sorting and
shelving books.
Scanned QR Codes
provide all
necessary shelving
information.
24. Most of the sites listed earlier also allow you
to generate QR Codes through them.
◦ BeeTag: http://www.beetagg.com/en/
◦ Kaywa: http://www.kaywa.com/
◦ Microsoft Tag: http://tag.microsoft.com/home.aspx
◦ QuickMark:
http://www.quickmark.com.tw/En/basic/index.asp
◦ UpCode: http://www.upcode.com/
25.
26. We’ll use this site, because it’s the one I’m
the most familiar with:
http://qrcode.kaywa.com/
But first, we need something we want to link
to, like your local library’s webpage or even a
Facebook page.
Go to what ever page you want to link to and
copy the URL.
Now, go to the Kaywa QR Code Generator.
34. “Information embedded in [QR Codes] can be
changed and updated without the extra
expense of creating new codes for new
promotions” (Hampton, Peach, Rawlins).
QR Codes “follow an international standard
(ISO/IEC18004) that makes the many. .
.applications that create and decode these QR
codes interoperable” (Walsh)
35. “As library users have become increasingly
dependent on electronic access, librarians
have worked to enhance their virtual presence
with services such as instant messaging, with
learning tools such as online research guides,
and with research resources such as
electronic databases. While these services are
indeed valuable, the physical library remains
an essential factor in supporting the research
and learning needs of users” (Hicks &
Sinkinson, p. 60-1).
36.
37. Ashford, R. (Nov 2010). “QR Codes and academic libraries:
Reaching mobile users.” ACRL TechConnect. p. 526-530.
Baker, L. (2010). “Making physicaloObjects clickable: Using
mobile tags to enhance library displays.” Journal of Library Innovation.
1(2). p.22-28.
Hampton, D., Peach, A. and Rawlins, B. (Spring 2011). “Reaching
mobile users with QR codes.” Kentucky Libraries. 75 (2) p. 6-10
Hicks, A. and Sinkinson, C. (2011). “Situated questions and
answers: Responding to library users with QR Codes.” Reference & User
Services Quarterly, 51 (1). p. 60–69
Porter, M. and King, D.L. (May/June 2011). “QR Codes in libraries:
Some examples.” Public Libraries 50 (3). p. 25-7.
Rigby, L. (March 2009)."QR Codes in libraries and higher
education." Just Another Dent in the Damage. Downloaded from
http://www.lexrigby.com/2009/03/26/qr-codes-in-libraries-and-
higher-education/ 11/15/11.
Walsh A. (2010). “QR Codes – using mobile phones to deliver
library instruction and help at the point of need.” Journal of information
literacy, 4(1), p. 55-64
http://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/ojs/index.php/JIL/article/view/PRA-V4-I1-2010-4
Editor's Notes
A traditional barcode typically holds up to 14 numeric digitsAshford, R. (Nov 2010). “QR Codes and academic libraries: Reaching mobile users.” ACRL TechConnect. p. 526-530.Hampton, D., Peach, A. and Rawlins, B. (Spring 2011). “Reaching mobile users with QR codes.” Kentucky Libraries. 75 (2) p. 6-10SMS = Short Message Service; V-card is an electronic business card
Even better, all of these things can be done at the “point of need” because the QR Codes can be placed at the spot where patrons are most likely to have a question (Hicks & Sinkinson) and (Ashford).
University of Huddersfield Library Pilot
Hicks, A. and Sinkinson, C. (2011). “Situated questions and answers: Responding to library users with QR Codes.” Reference & User Services Quarterly, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 60–69
Half Hollow Hills Community LibrarySan Diego State University Library, University of Huddersfield Library3) Kentucky State University Library5) University of Colorado at Boulder Library
1) Contra Costa County Library2)3) Contra Costa County Library
Baker, L. (2010). “Making Physical Objects Clickable: Using Mobile Tags to Enhance Library Displays.” Journal of Library Innovation. 1(2). p.22-28.
a person could look at photos of students helping at the Salvation Army, scan the barcode on the poster, and watch a video of the event on their phone. While perusing books on poverty, a person could scan a barcode and see a real-time search of the library catalog for books on poverty, request books online, and link to book reviews and summaries. The person could check out a copy of the common book and scan 2D codes to download podcasts of book discussion groups on campus. Before leaving the display, the person could scan another barcode to sign up for volunteer opportunities in the community.
Even though the display ran for a little over three months, it always had fresh content because of the real-time electronic material included. The tags for catalog searches were dynamic URLs that executed a fresh search each time the tag was scanned. The results always reflected the latest new acquisitions and book availability. If the tag connected to a web site, library staff could update the site with new links, podcasts, or other resources without having to change the mobile tag itself.
2)Contra Costa County Library
Hampton, D., Peach, A. and Rawlins, B. (2010). “Reaching mobile users with QR codes.” Kentucky Libraries. 75 no2 Spr 2011 p. 6-10
<imgsrc="http://qrcode.kaywa.com/img.php?s=8&d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.manhattan.lib.ks.us%2F" alt="qrcode" />It links to my library’s home page.
There are some options under the QR Code for how to save it. In order to save it to my laptop, I had to Right Click on the QR Code and select Save Image As. That opened up a dialog box that defaulted to a .php file type, but since my laptop doesn’t have a QR Reader on it, I wasn’t able to open this file type. So, I selected All File instead, and added .jpg as the file type to the end of the default name. In this way, I was able to save the QR Code as a picture, which I could then import into PP.
It links to my library’s book reviews.
Hampton, D., Peach, A. and Rawlins, B. (2010). “Reaching mobile users with QR codes.” Kentucky Libraries. 75 no2 Spr 2011 p. 6-10Walsh A. 2010. QR Codes – using mobile phones to deliver library instruction and help at the point of need. Journal of information literacy, 4(1), pp 55-64 http://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/ojs/index.php/JIL/article/view/PRA-V4-I1-2010-4
Hicks, A. and Sinkinson, C. (2011). “Situated questions and answers: Responding to library users with QR Codes.” Reference & User Services Quarterly, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 60–69One of the things that is so interesting to me about the QR Code technology is the ways it allows libraries to intermix their real and virtual tools. The ever increasing use of technology in both professional and social communication, as well as educational opportunities, makes it essential that libraries have a virtual presence, but this aspect of the library is often hidden from patrons. As I discovered during my information seeking interview, even devoted library users often forget the online resources that are available from their libraries.
QR Codes provide an easy bridge between the physical library and its online counterpart, but they also provide a way to link different online tools. Including QR Codes in an online catalog, for example, makes accessing related items, bibliographies, or outside websites incredibly easy.
It is also important to think about how to balance the use of QR Codes with non-technological help services, since QR Codes are only accessible to patrons who already possess the right technology. All of the articles I read about QR Codes pointed to this digital divide.