QR (Quick Response) Codes Application in Academic Libraries

Abstract

In libraries there are a number of ways to get using QR codes. Barcodes are used within libraries mainly to link items to a catalogue record. Using the traditional barcode the information contained is very limited and only by scanning the barcode (at the library counter) are you able to find further information contained within the catalogue record. If instead we started to use QR codes to label books, journals, audio/visual, offprints etc and a user wanted to see further information about that resource all they’d need to do is scan the QR code. They’d be able to find descriptive information, images, useful URLs etc all at the touch of a button on their phone. This paper examines QR codes and how they can be composed and scan and decode by a camera. QR code is 2-dimensional barcode used for quick response service in academic libraries to a new generation students. This article contains a small sampling of current QR code implementations as well as a summary of what has been done to encourage student engagement with the library through the use of QR codes at the AIKTC (Anjuman-I-Islam’s Kalsekar Technical Campus) Central Library.