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Kevin Campbell-Wright Scott HibbersonE-Learning Advisor (ACL) E-Learning Advisor (LR)

www.rsc-yh.ac.uk RSCs – Stimulating and supporting innovation in learning

A Quick Response To Promoting Library ServicesHow You Can Use QR Codes

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QR Codes: What are they?

• QR (Quick Response Code) – A Two-Dimensional bar code

• You can create text (250 characters), web links (URLs), Phone Numbers or SMS Messages (160 characters)

• Can be scanned using any device with a camera and a QR Reading Application. Available for most SMART Phones, NOKIA & Sony Phone

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A Brief History

• Originated in Japan in the 90s where it was created by Toyota subsidiary Denso-Wave• Initially used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing• QR is the acronym for Quick Response, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed

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Common Applications• Predominantly employed in marketing to promote commercial products and services to mobile phone users• Many examples available on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/groups/qrcodes)

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Challenges to using QR Codes

• Still relatively new concept for many libraries• Increasing awareness of QR codes • Carefully marketing services based on QR codes to our users• QR Readers differ between devices and applications• Digital Divide – not all users will have a QR Code reading mobile device

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Some Practical Suggestions for Libraries

• Audio greeting messages at entry/exit points to the library• Embed web links to the OPAC and other e-resources• Text based information with factual info – i.e. opening times,

etc• Promote special events or embed as part of an active learning

activity in an information lieracy session/library induction• Link to library presence on subject gateways and Social Media

sites (i.e. Library Twitter feed, Facebook Library Group pages, etc)

• Add vCard contact to the user's device for the enquiry desk (telephone numbers for renewals, email addresses, etc)

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USEFUL LINKS

Useful site to get a QR Code reader appropriate for your mobile device: http://percentmobile.com/getqr

Walsh, Andrew (2009) Quick response codes and libraries. Library Hi Tech News, 26 (5/6). pp. 7-9. ISSN 0741-9058:

http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/5209/2/QRCODESWalsh.pdf

QR Code generator sites: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/ and http://www.qrstuff.com/

Overview of how the University of Bath library is using QR Codes: http://www.bath.ac.uk/library/services/qrcode.html

Some examples of how QR Codes could be used on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/qrcodes