Rethinking Mobile Delivery: Using Quick Response Codes to Access Information at the Point of Need

This article covers the use of Quick Response (QR) codes to provide instant mobile access to information, digital collections, educational offerings, library website, subject guides, text messages, videos, and library personnel. The array of uses and the value of using QR codes to push customized information to patrons are explained. A case is developed for using QR codes for mobile delivery of customized information to patrons. Applications in use at the Libraries of the University of Utah will be reviewed to provide readers with ideas for use in their library.     

A case study on the appropriateness of using quick response (QR) codes in libraries and museums

Libraries and museums are increasingly looking to mobile technologies, including quick response (QR) codes, to better serve their visitors and achieve their overall institutional goals; however, there is a lack of information regarding patrons' perceptions of QR codes — information essential to successful implementations. This case study explored staff members' and patrons' perceptions of QR codes at Ryerson University Library and the Museum of Inuit Art in order to determine the extent to which QR codes are appropriate for use in libraries and museums. Observations and 56 patron and staff interviews were conducted to obtain data on usage, knowledge, reactions and expectations regarding QR codes in these institutions. It was found that QR code usage was low, but that there was potential for use, with patrons' reactions being generally positive. Three themes were identified from an analysis of the results: an assumption that young people and smartphone owners use QR codes; that QR codes are only used for one-way provision of information, not to initiate a conversation; and that QR codes can be used to personalize a visit to an institution. Libraries and museums are advised that based on these findings, QR codes can provide a cost effective and potentially powerful tool, but patrons should be first surveyed to tailor these initiatives to their wants and needs.     

A Review of: “Training Paraprofessionals for Reference Service: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians. 2nd ed. Morgan,Pamela J.”

QR codes, or “Quick Response” codes, are two-dimensional barcodes that can be scanned by mobile smartphone cameras. These codes can be used to provide fast access to URLs, telephone numbers, and short passages of text. With the rapid adoption of smartphones, librarians are able to use QR codes to promote services and help library users find materials quickly and independently. This article will explain what QR codes are, discuss how they can be used in the library, and describe issues surrounding their use. A list of resources for generating and scanning QR codes is also provided.     

An introduction to QR Codes: linking libraries and mobile patrons

QR codes, or "Quick Response" codes, are two-dimensional barcodes that can be scanned by mobile smartphone cameras. These codes can be used to provide fast access to URLs, telephone numbers, and short passages of text. With the rapid adoption of smartphones, librarians are able to use QR codes to promote services and help library users find materials quickly and independently. This article will explain what QR codes are, discuss how they can be used in the library, and describe issues surrounding their use. A list of resources for generating and scanning QR codes is also provided.     

Rethinking our mobility: supporting our patrons where they live

This article describes initiatives undertaken by one academic medical library to support patrons using handheld mobile devices. These initiatives included efforts to assist patrons with installation and use of mobile information resources, educate librarians regarding content and navigation of mobile apps and websites, and leverage tools to promote the library in a mobile environment.     

Rethinking Our Mobility: Supporting Our Patrons Where They Live

This article describes initiatives undertaken by one academic medical library to support patrons using handheld mobile devices. These initiatives included efforts to assist patrons with installation and use of mobile information resources, educate librarians regarding content and navigation of mobile apps and websites, and leverage tools to promote the library in a mobile environment.     

图书馆服务在移动互联时代的技术创新解决方案

文章通过分析移动互联时代的特点及其对图书馆服务的影响,总结出当前图书馆服务的主要技术创新方向：手机图书馆网站、移动OPAC、手机二维码应用和增强现实应用。随后简要介绍了这四个方向的发展现状、设计理念,从实践角度分别对其具体的开发解决方案进行了梳理和汇总,从而为图书馆实际开展移动服务提供一定的参考作用。     

Using Mobile Technology to Observe Student Study Behaviors and Track Library Space Usage

Libraries have become increasingly interested in studying the use of spaces within their buildings. Traditional methods for tracking library building use, such as gate counts, provide little information on what patrons do once they are in the library; therefore, new methods for studying space usage are being developed. Particularly promising are mobile technologies, which make it possible to directly observe and track user behaviors throughout library spaces. We found that observation combined with mobile technologies enabled the library to assess user study behaviors and space usage patterns anywhere in the library. Observations were tracked using an iPad with two different types of mobile apps, CloudOn and Counter+. The results were compared to the more traditional statistics gathered by the study room reservation system. The findings showed that the mobile observations more accurately reflected actual library usage and provided additional details on specific study behaviors such as studying in groups and using technology while studying.     

面向用户需求的图书馆移动信息服务

通过分类、分层随机抽样的方式对北京、南京、上海、杭州、深圳等地用户对图书馆移动信息服务需求进行调查分析,结果表明:信息内容需求方面,图书馆用户对专业性阅读和休闲性阅读都有需求,对专业性阅读需求程度高于休闲性阅读,内容载体形式以图书、期刊和报纸为主;在信息服务需求方面,目前用户最需要的移动终端是手机,对图书馆开展个性化服务的需求很强烈。进而提出了图书馆移动信息服务的内容模式、技术模式和服务策略。     

移动图书馆用户使用意愿实证研究

[目的/意义]移动图书馆的发展使得公众随时随地享受图书馆公共馆藏资源成为可能.基于用户角度分析影响移动图书馆用户使用行为意愿的因素,对推动移动图书馆的应用可起到重要作用.[方法/过程]鉴于用户对移动图书馆的使用意愿受到多方面因素的影响,以整合式技术接受与使用模型理论为基础,引入感知风险、信息质量、服务质量3个变量,构建出6个变量的移动图书馆用户使用行为意愿影响因素理论模型,采用实证研究方法,通过结构方程模型探究6种因素对用户使用行为意愿的影响作用.[结果/结论]数据分析表明,感知风险变量对移动图书馆用户使用意愿产生负向影响,绩效期望、信息质量和服务质量3个变量对移动图书馆用户使用意愿产生正向影响,而努力期望和社会影响两个影响因素显著性未达到标准.     

Open Data: What It Is and Why You Should Care

Open data is information that is provided by public entities to be accessed and reused. Publishing open data is an excellent way to improve an organization’s transparency and provide insight into the value of the organization. Libraries are uniquely positioned to assist their patrons in the use of open data by making them aware of it and helping them access and use it. This article provides a short history of open data and explores ways that library trailblazers are already using open data as well as contributing open data for others to use. Getting started with open data involves identifying key open data resources such as data.gov, identifying library information that would be beneficial to publish, and creating programs that provide digital literacy training and create opportunities for patrons to engage with open data in new and creative ways.     

Emerging requirements of computer related competencies for librarians

Computers and productivity tools help library patrons to access information, generate insights, structure results into a useful format, and produce knowledge. The use of these productivity tools by patrons requires librarians to alter their traditional professional role, which was primarily to provide information access for patrons, so that they can also provide expanded services and support to these patrons. This study focuses on understanding the computer and productivity tool skills that librarians desire for their new role in assisting patrons with information integration. Many aspiring and working librarians perceive their computer and productivity tool competencies as ranging from novice to proficient, and hope to increase their competencies to very skilled.     

Smartphone Use at a University Health Science Center

This article describes the results of a survey of library patrons conducted by librarians and information technology specialists at the Health Science Center Libraries at the University of Florida. The purpose of the survey was to learn if and how library patrons were using smartphones to perform their work-related tasks and how patrons felt the library could support smartphone use at the Health Science Center.     

Health Index Plus: a CD-ROM product for consumer health information

Health Index Plus, a consumer health information CD-ROM database, was field-tested by staff and patrons at a public library in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Ease-of-use, database content and quality, and appropriateness for audience were evaluated. Overall, patrons found the database simple to use. The contents focus on topics of popular interest and provide access to scientific material that is normally not available or comprehended by many public library users. Although some indexing problems and other shortcomings were noted, the database is recommended for public and other libraries providing consumer health information.     

Inclusive Information for Trans* Persons

This article articulates the numerous barriers that limit library use by trans* persons and explains practical ways these barriers can be eliminated so that trans* patrons can get the information and insights they want and need. The article also includes worksheets that library professionals can use to address trans* patrons' information issues and provide inclusive information services.     

Difficult Library Patrons in Academe

Summary

Difficult patrons have been considered primarily from the perspective of the problem behaviours they present in libraries. Many have attempted to define the problem patron and to provide advice and develop guidelines for frontline public service staff. To understand the difficult patron in academic libraries we need to answer three questions-How well do we know our patrons? Do we unwittingly create difficult patrons through our failure to appreciate their needs? Do we regard patrons as difficult because the way they use libraries and conduct their information research does not match our idea of how it should be done? The answers to these questions suggest that we need to reconceptualize both our patrons and the services we provide. Library staff need to see difficult patrons not as problems but as challenges to the service ideas and standards we hold. A paradigm shift is necessary if we are to reconstruct our beliefs about our patrons, their information seeking behaviours, and the services we provide to meet their needs. Some strategies for developing the skills of library staff to work effectively with difficult patrons are presented.     

QR Codes in Libraries: Uses and Usage Tracking

This article discusses the uses of Quick Response (QR) codes in libraries and how to assess their usefulness. It describes a step-by-step approach to developing a system to track the scans of QR codes by library users for assessment.     

Meeting the Information Needs of Constitutionalist Patrons

Abstract

This paper attempts to illustrate the challenges that a reference law librarian might face when facing the information needs of Constitutionalist patrons.Constitutionalist patrons here are defined as members of a diverse community of groups that challenge the validity of the mainstream legal system in a variety of ways.The paper provides background on the different types of patrons who fit the generic category of Constitutionalist, explains the theories that these patrons use to view the legal system, and discusses sources and materials that are of interest to them.The intention of the paper is to provide the reference librarian with the necessary background information to understand the perspective from which the patrons approach the law library.     

文化管理:中国图书馆管理的战略性选择

目前图书馆的现状是经验管理、科学管理两种模式并存，而科学管理占主要地位。图书馆的性质、特点和数字化图书馆的发展趋势，以及读者需求的变化等决定了图书馆必须选择文化管理。文化管理要求我们必须在管理的民主化、人性化，服务的社会化、个性化，以及图书馆机构设置方面作出变革。     

Becoming Mobile: Reference in the Ubiquitous Library

ABSTRACT

Library patrons are adopting mobile devices for personal and other uses. The ubiquity of mobile devices will lead to changes in how and where learning and education happens. Libraries have wanted to become ubiquitous by making resources and services available anywhere, anytime. Reference librarians can use mobile devices and applications to include services in mobile learning environments. Challenges to libraries include uncertainty about which technologies to adopt in a rapidly changing technology landscape, the cost of technology adoption, staffing for 24–7, diversity of needs and preferences among library patrons, and the need to offer stable, consistent services. The combination of mobile librarians, mobile patrons, and mobile content provides an opportunity to move closer to the ideal of the ubiquitous library.

This article originally published in Journal of Library Administration, Vol. 51, Issue 3, pages 279–290, 2011. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2011.556942.