Abstract
In late 2010, the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library (CMHSL) launched an experimental implementation of quick response (QR) codes with the goal of determining whether certain services could be delivered more efficiently with this method. A QR code is a “specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that is readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera telephones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded may be text, [uniform resource locator] URL, or other data” [1]. Dating back to 1994 when they were created by Japan's Denso-Wave Corporation [2], QR codes have not only migrated into everyday life in many parts of Asia, but global use in advertising is experiencing exponential growth [3]. The 2009 Horizon Report classified QR codes as a key trend in the four-to-five-year category, specifically citing education as a primary area of use [4]. Some libraries, such as the library at the University of Bath, were avid adopters of the technology and utilized QR codes in the library catalog, making it possible to save information about a book in order to locate it on the shelf and to link students to an MP3 audio tour of the library [5]. Ramsden and Jordan write that, despite owning smart phones with the capability to read QR codes, student awareness of the technology remains very low. However, they point out that the potential for the technology to emerge further into student awareness is encouraging [5]. CMHSL believed that younger people would have the most familiarity with QR codes, with students being a prime demographic, and this supposition is supported by a survey conducted by the University of Bath across four different universities [6].
Highlights
In late 2010, the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library (CMHSL) launched an experimental implementation of quick response (QR) codes with the goal of determining whether certain services could be delivered more efficiently with this method
The first committee meeting involved demonstrating how QR codes are created and how they work, showing some examples of how they are used in both libraries and health systems, and some specific suggestions for how QR codes could be used to better serve the library’s patrons
CMHSL’s mission statement was a reminder of the library’s purpose, and QR codes—with their instantaneous, anytime/ anywhere nature—seemed a natural fit
Summary
In late 2010, the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library (CMHSL) launched an experimental implementation of quick response (QR) codes with the goal of determining whether certain services could be delivered more efficiently with this method. The 2009 Horizon Report classified QR codes as a key trend in the four-to-fiveyear category, citing education as a primary area of use [4]. Some libraries, such as the library at the University of Bath, were avid adopters of the technology and utilized QR codes in the library catalog, making it possible to save information about a book in order to locate it on the shelf and to link students to an MP3 audio tour of the library [5]. Ramsden and Jordan write that, despite owning smart phones with the capability to read QR codes, student awareness of the technology remains very low. CMHSL believed that younger people would have the most familiarity with QR codes, with students being a prime demographic, and this supposition is supported by a survey conducted by the University of Bath across four different universities [6]
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