Whilst exploring the Powerhouse blog Fresh + New(er) on a boring tram journey, I stumbled on another interesting post by Seb Chan on their recent experiment with using QR codes on Object labels. Similar to barcodes, QR codes are those little square pixelated codes which are used by mobile devices to photograph or 'scan' an embedded code which looks up an URL (much easier than typing a hideously long url).
What struck me in this post was the powerhouses willingness to experiment and test a new process so that the organisation can learn from the mistakes they may make - rather than just outsourcing the mistakes and the learning... read his comments here.
As Nick recently suggested, it might be useful for us to include Registration Numbers on our Object Labels, and in time when the whole EMu catalogue goes public on the Web, we could consider adding URLs to the labels as a way to provide visitors with access to more detailed information. This would also help redirect people to our website and raise awareness of our collections online facility.
Thanks Ro - very interesting potential application for the future. I love the culture of experimentation at the Powerhouse too!
ReplyDeleteHi Rowena . . . I'm glad I provided a relief from boredom!
ReplyDeleteWe're now trying branded shortened URLs on labels as an alternative to QRs because of the issues around scanning them in dimly lit galleries. You may have seen my updated posts here - http://bit.ly/dcbABO
They are especially nice as the URL is simply http://from.ph/ and the IRN from EMu!
I've not totally abandoned QRs but am looking at a bunch of alternatives to the issue.
Seb