Online Library Directory
Paul G. Blazer Library’s new Web site, currently awaiting approval, incorporates QR codes into its directory; in it, a QR code has been added next to each faculty and staff member’s name. Serving as green alternatives to the business card, they allow patrons to scan the QR code of the person of their choice and either initiate a call, e-mail immediately, or save that information to their contacts to access at a later time. Therein lies the true beauty of the QR code—it allows a patron to opt-in to a resource at the exact moment the information is needed (Fernando, 2010). This differs greatly from other means of permission marketing, such as subscription-based services like e-newsletters or RSS feeds, where once patrons opt-in, information never ceases being pushed at them. The lack of long-term commitment required by QR codes is a benefit to already information-overloaded patrons.
Although it is unclear what the future of QR codes holds, we do know that right now, QR codes are being used in increasingly larger numbers across the United States. They have appeared in magazines, newspapers, billboards, and retail stores; even library vendors are beginning to use QR codes to connect users to their resources. One example is the Alexander Street Press (2010), which is using QR codes in its Music Online database that, once scanned, will allow users to stream music from that database. As mobile use continues to increase, there will be an increasing demand by users to connect to mobile-ready resources and services. Although QR codes will not likely answer that call alone, they do provide a valuable weapon in any well-stocked library’s arsenal of communication tools (TolliverNigro, 2010). Libraries would do well to increase connectivity between users and library resources and services through the use of QR codes, a freely available technology that offers a wide range of applications for libraries.