I attended Andy Walsh of the University of Huddersfield's workshop on mobile technologies. Andy (@andywalsh999, who also blogs at http://librarymobiles.blogspot.com/) asked us how many of us had implemented a series of mobile technologies in our libraries. The results were something like this:
- QR codes: some
- text a librarian: none
- mobile-enabled search: none
- mobile-friendly web pages: a few
- location aware services: none
- SMS reminders: some
- mobile friend;y video: none
- podcasts lots
- mobile apps: one
I blush to admit that I was unable to add South Thames's name to any of these. It was a practical session and I admire Andy's trust on us, circulating his iPhone round the room for us to experiment with QR codes. For the first time, Andy showed me how QR codes, which I've known about vaguely for a year or two, could be useful. He showed how they could be:
- embedded in the catalogue (Huddersfield use Horizon and Andy said it was the work a =of a few minutes to add these to the catalogue)
- in handouts
- on or near print copies of books or journals also held digitally
- on print credit machines, linking to a video showing how to use them
- on shelf ends
- for bookings
Andy admitted that take-up, so far, was low.
He uses text a librarian and mass SMS reminder services, supplementing inductions. Though they currently ask students to opt-in to receive the service, next academic year they will ask them to opt out. None of us were using location -aware services. Andy showed us Huddersfield on Foursquare, but I have to say I find the way Foursquare works a little childish.
