This week in IST 605 we learned about QR codes and talked about how they might be applied in libraries. My favorite suggestion was putting QR codes that could link to suggestions for other books. Using QR codes in libraries to give members information is a really cool idea. I think the biggest issue is access. To read QR codes, you need a smartphone, which not everyone has. This will probably be less of an issue as smartphones become more prevalent. Yet it's important for librarians to consider their communities: If a significant portion of your members can't access a service, does it make sense to provide that service? I think it helps to look at the mission: "The mission of librarians is to improve society through facilitating knowledge creation in their communities."* QR codes could be part of facilitating knowledge creation by pointing members to pathfinders or other information resources. I think it comes down to community. Librarians need to evaluate whether or not QR codes are right for their library members and make sure that members without access to smartphones can get information through other sources.
*Lankes, R. (2011).
The atlas of new librarianship. MIT Press.
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