QR Codes

[Liz Hubert]

I'm so gratified by all of the helpful answers to this question! I also consider myself a QR code evangelist. I could talk for ages about them (and have, I've spoken at several conferences) but I think there's two reasons they haven't taken off in the United States. The first, as someone else mentioned, is education. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen someone take a picture of a code with the camera on their phones. People just don't understand how it works. The second reason is that people who create the QR codes are often pointing their users to stuff online that does nothing at all to help their users. QR codes should take the user to something that is immediately relevant and useful, otherwise what's the point? My friend Leah talks about seeing a QR code on the menu at a restaurant. When she used the code, it took her to the online version of the menu. I think we've probably all seen something like this, and I think we can all agree
 that it's a waste of time. Our library is currently primarily using QR codes on shelf talkers. The shelf talker (on the shelf under, say, James Patterson) has a picture of the librarian who likes that author, a list of a few readalikes, and a link and QR code to an online booklist that has more readalikes. 

At any rate, several of the first posters asked what the problems with the code generators were. There were two separate issues. With Kaywa, my codes all completely stopped working. When I used a reader on my phone (or other phones, we tried a number of them) I got a generic error message. I don't recall what the message was as it's been probably a year, but things seemed to be dead ending at Kaywa-they never made it as far as the URL at all. I switched over to myqr.co and haven't had a problem for at least six to eight months. Now we're having trouble signing in. When we can sign in, the creator can't seem to come up with a code about half the time. The codes are still working on my phone, but they're taking up to a minute to load, which is unacceptable. We are already in the process of redoing our shelf talkers and codes since we've just switched to Polaris and need to link everything to the new catalog, so this is a good time to switch from
 myqr.co. 

I love the idea of using bitly for a QR code creator-for some reason, I had no idea that they also did QR codes. Has anyone used them? I would assume they're probably pretty reliable since bitly has been around a while.

Thanks again to everyone for so much help!



________________________________
 From: Steffen Schilke <steffen.schilke at GMAIL.COM>
To: WEB4LIB at LISTSERV.ND.EDU 
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2012 10:02 AM
Subject: Re: [WEB4LIB] QR Codes
 

Dear Max,


On Sun, Apr 15, 2012 at 3:21 PM, Max Anderson <maxlibris at gmail.com> wrote:

...
 
What I tend to see missing from where QR Codes are placed: instructions on how to actually use them. 

I created a little flyer to telling the people how to use it: http://www.scribd.com/doc/82531164/How-to-scan-QR-Code - on other flyer's we have a line saying "Download a QR Code reader app at you smartphone's app store"
 

>
>With RedLaser, you can now (with the new release) take a photo of the QR Code and read it that way if you want. What I see people doing, is taking a photo of the QR code with their phone and no software to read it, and become disappointed because nothing happened.
>
>

Quickmark and QRdroid can decode from image as well. Quickmark can even switch on the light 
of the camera to scan in the dark ;-)
 
This man wants them to 'die' altogether: http://gigaom.com/2012/02/09/this-man-wants-to-kill-qr-codes-can-he-do-it/
>
>

Who cares what this guy says?!?

 
I am not ready to discount them 100% - I think a little education (which is what we are good at as librarians) and advocacy to help people see the good about them...and then let the chips fall where they may.
>
>

If you scan in public people get interested and ask what you do - what about conducting a small survey via a poster at the entrance and make a little drawing to get people interested. A scanvenger hunt - especially new students could be lured in by there first visit to the library / library tour.
 
Kind regards

Steffen

PS. question about QR Code are always welcome
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