The FHN Learning Commons will be implementing QR codes to help students find books starting Monday, Aug 28. The QR codes will be located on the side of each bookshelf, conveniently placed for students who are looking for specific material. The QR codes were introduced last year, but they didn’t function correctly. After working to fix them, the librarians decided that it was time for the QR codes to make a comeback.
”I usually use them to find any books that I am struggling to locate around the library,” sophomore Rani Weider said. “It’s really useful, I can use it to find other resources too. Without the technology in the library, finding books would be a lot harder.”
Not only do some of the students think the QR codes are beneficial, but also many of the librarians. When kids need help, librarians can direct them to the QR codes or use the codes themselves to quickly find information.
“I think that they are helpful for the kids who want to use them,” Media Specialist for the Learning Commons Tara Willen said. “It’s kind of a mixed bag. I think we have some kids who would rather just talk to one of us. I really like to just work interactively with kids; but I also think that sometimes we have kids, who for whatever reason, aren’t comfortable having that verbal conversation, and they want to just look on their own and see what’s available. And so I like that we have that access for that. From that QR code.”
The QR code isn’t only a source for finding specific books, but groupings of books that aren’t usually categorized together.
“We also build collections on that website,” Willen said. “So for example, when we have Black History Month, I’ll put together a collection of all different books that fit that category, and I’ll link it on that page.”
