In my last post we peeked back in time.
Today we take a peek into the future.
Libraries are already using QR codes in a myriad of ways, particularly in education and marketing. Companies in Bucharest, Romania have taken this a step further and launched a store for ebooks on their subway station platforms .The walls have bookshelf prints that let the passengers browse book on the subway and then download them through the QR codes included on the prints. Most downloads are teaser portions of the e-books that encourage the reader to buy the rest of the book if they are interested. Other ebooks are free of charge. While this particular project is a commercial venture, designed to SELL ebooks, the idea could easily be adapted for libraries to encourage users to LEND ebooks.
A recent project by an advertising student in New York took this concept even further, swapping the QR codes for Near Field Communication (NFC). Many libraries already use Radio Frequency ID technology (RFID). NFC is a refined version of RFID. It operates at a maximum range of about 10cm, and allows for either 1 or 2 way communications. NFC technology is a newer, more finely honed version of RFID. It operates at a maximum range of about 4 inches (10 centimeters) and can be set up for one- or two-way communications. RFID Smart tags very similar to RFID tags, but are simply tuned to work with an NFC reader instead of an RFID one. This video explains how the student envisaged using NFC on the New York subway to raise encourage readers to physically visit one of the New York City public libraries nearby.
This project is just a concept and has not been implemented, but it illustrates one of the many ways libraries can reach out to the community using technology in new and innovative ways. Read more about it here
Oh, the possiblities!
"The library, and step on it" 