Looking Dorky for Science...Library Science!

I got some funny looks today as I went around town. A sticker on a bus stop bench caught my eye - The Red Hot Chilli Peppers and an asterisk-shaped QR code, which I’d never seen before. How clever to make their logo into a stylised QR code! I took out my smartphone and selected my QR code reader. Kneeling down, I lined up the camera with the sticker and waited for the sound that indicated a successful scan. A passerby clearly wondered what on earth I was doing down there. The scan resulted in a website URL, http://www.rhcpqr.com, that announced the release of their new album. There's an article with more here, but the poster shown has way more detail than the sticker.

A little later, at the train station, I saw a very arresting poster for author Richelle Mead’s new release, “Bloodlines.” The bottom left-hand corner featured a (square) QR code, but it was tricky to crouch and train the camera on the code before the JCDecaux frame slid another poster into the slot. (If it were me designing the poster, I would have put the code in a less awkward spot! I felt really dorky waiting for the poster to come back into place when my first scan was unsuccessful, and the last thing a YA reader wants is to feel like a dork.)


As a future librarian, I was excited that
a) a book had a large glossy poster to advertise it, and
b) the publisher was hitting their target market (young adults) by using a QR code that pointed to a YouTube video with an “unlocked” video from the author.

Also, I have never read any Richelle Mead, but I might now!

Want to learn more about QR codes? Try the Common Craft intro.

Look Out Perth!

We were absolutely thrilled to receive a great range of diverse and passionate entries, but there can only be one winner - look out Perth, here comes Julia Garnett!
- ALIA NGAC

I've received official word that my NGAC (New Generation Advisory Committee) metamorphosis entry was chosen as the winner! So, it's off to Perth in September, where I'll be tweeting and blogging and networking with other new grads and librarians. I am so excited!

Thanks to my PLN (personal learning network) on Twitter, my video entry is racking up views on YouTube, and my followers are growing. I've been tweeting since February, and I've been rewarded by connecting with some great people and organisations.

Why Go to NLS5?

On July 11, 2011, I entered to win free registration at the upcoming ALIA conference, NLS5 (New Librarians Symposium). My submission was a video, created with iMovie and uploaded to YouTube. I have never created YouTube content before, and it was suggested that entrants use a tool that was new to them.

The lyrics are meant to chronicle my journey from young girl to English lit undergrad to library student. I thought this was the best way for me to express metamorphosis, which is the conference theme. My entry will also be judged on my reasons for attending NLS5, and what I can contribute to the LIS community.