[Web4lib] QR Codes

[Memo Cordova]

Hi Sharon,

All very good questions! QR code use is a growing trend and one that has, so
far, very slow traction. However, I think that those of us who are
proponents of QR codes and their use in libraries see the connection between
a fast growing smartphone market, and people's nascent awareness of the
potential these phones offer. Once people start exploiting their phone's
capabilities, including the use of scanning software/cameras, it's likely
that they'll want to experiment with all sorts of things, including 2D
codes.

As I mentioned before, I barely started using Bit.ly as a QR code tracking
device for the QR codes I use, so I don't have any hard data. However, since
services that track QR code traffic is also limited--at least, for those
services that are still free--I'm not sure measuring the effectiveness of QR
codes is, well, measurable. Yet.

Personally, I think QR codes and their use will be seen as untapped
potential.

Memo

Memo Cordova
Assistant Professor, Librarian
Albertsons Library, L207D
Boise State University
Boise, ID 83725-1430
(208) 426-1270
http://library.boisestate.edu
http://works.bepress.com/memo_cordova/
memocordova at boisestate.edu


On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 1:43 PM, Sharon Whitfield <whitfies at tcnj.edu> wrote:

> Memo,
> Just out of curiosity... Do you have the statistics on how many people have
> used the QR codes?  Would you be willing to share them?  The skeptic in me
> is still not convinced that QR codes are catching on in popularity.  I see
> them as a fantastic technology, but I can not even identify early adopters
> for QR codes, yet.  When you ask students about a QR code, the majority seem
> to say they don't even know what it is.  The literature I have been reading
> seems to state the same.
>
> Personally, I had dabbled with QR codes over a year ago.  I like the ease
> of pointing people with a smartphone directly to the site
>
> My Toyota dealer has QR codes at each Service station.  Intrigued, I asked
> how many times someone has scanned the QR code.  He said once, but he
> doesn't even know what it does.
>
> Are we rushing into a technology or is this technology at the slope of
> disillusionment and will rebound?
>
> _________________________________________________________________________
> Sharon Whitfield
> Emerging Technologies Librarian
> The College of New Jersey
> Email:whitfies at tcnj.edu <Email%3Awhitfies at tcnj.edu>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Memo Cordova" <memocordova at boisestate.edu>
> To: "Antoinette Turner" <Antoinette.Turner at utsouthwestern.edu>,
> web4lib at webjunction.org
> Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 3:29:13 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
> Subject: Re: [Web4lib] QR Codes
>
> Antoinette,
>
> I used QR codes in my library but am now starting to keep track of scanned
> codes using Bit.ly, both to shorten URLs and to generate and keep traffic
> statistics of the codes I have used. I also created a libguide on QR codes
> for anyone interested in knowing more about them:
> http://guides.boisestate.edu/qrcodes
>
> Memo
>
> Memo Cordova
> Assistant Professor, Librarian
> Albertsons Library, L207D
> Boise State University
> Boise, ID 83725-1430
> (208) 426-1270
> http://library.boisestate.edu
> http://works.bepress.com/memo_cordova/
> memocordova at boisestate.edu
>
> On Thu, Jan 13, 2011 at 12:38 PM, Karen Knox <karen.knox at rhpl.org> wrote:
>
> > Antoinette,
> >
> > I have just drafted the first use of a QR code for our library to be
> > used in our next newsletter. So we'll see how it goes... I have started
> > seeing them all over, in magazines and such...so could be interesting.
> >
> > Karen Knox
> > Associate Director
> > Rochester Hills Public Library
> > 500 Olde Towne Road
> > Rochester, MI 48307
> > 248-650-7123 (office)
> > 248-650-7121 (fax)
> > 248-930-5668 (cell)
> > karen.knox at rhpl.org
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> > [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Antoinette Turner
> > Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2011 8:58 AM
> > To: web4lib at webjunction.org
> > Subject: [Web4lib] QR Codes
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > Has your library implemented QR codes?  If so, what are you seeing in
> > terms of usage or average scans per code each month?  Have you found
> > that certain uses of QR codes in your library caught on more quickly
> > with clients than others?  If yes, how so?  Please share your
> > experience.
> >
> > Antoinette Turner
> > UT Southwestern Medical Library
> > antoinette.turner at utsouthwestern.edu<mailto:antoinette.turner at utsouthwes
> > tern.edu>
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> >
> > UT Southwestern Medical Center
> > The future of medicine, today.
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> >
> >
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