QR codes are an excellent way to promote Ask a Librarian to your users. A QR code is a 2-D barcode that can connect the physical and online world! Sounds complicated but its not.
A QR code is placed on a book, a poster, a bib record, a shelf, a name tag – you name it, a QR Code can be placed on it. A user sees the QR code and uses their smart phone to capture the image. The image is then read and the user is taken to a website, prompt a user to send a text message or given your contact information.
These might be new – but use is growing fast. They can be seen in Best Buy, Sears and Sunglass Huts ads. They can be seen in magazines like Wired and Lucky. They are on billboards and movie ads. Libraries too are using them to tie physical collections to the web.
The great thing about a QR Code is they are FREE and SIMPLE to CREATE and they are FREE and SIMPLE to use.
A QR code can be created at several free online generators. Personally, I use Kaywa and Google. The generators allow you to type in the URL, phone number, contact info you want the QR Code to point to and hit “generate.”
A user reads a QR Code via a smart phone- androids, blackberries, iphones and itouches all have apps to read QR Codes. I have an iphone and use BeeTagg. A user just launches the app and points their phone – the reader does the rest!
Why are we talking about QR Codes?
QR Codes are a great way to promote Ask a Librarian’s new texting service. Creating a custom QR Code can point users to your Ask a Librarian Mobile Page or provide them the info (including your keyword) on how to send a text message right to their phone!!!
