Books2Barcodes is a relatively new project which is comprised by a group of self-proclaimed archivists, engineers, and library scientists.
The project aims to take classic works of fictions, like Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland, and convert them to QR codes. Unfortunately, these works are often too lengthy for one code, and so each page has its own dedicated code. The project seems a bit obsolete when compared to services like Amazon’s Kindle Store, where readers can find books easily and read them without having to scan additional coding. Considering the source of Books2Barcodes, however, the project seems to be a bit more humorous than it originally seems.
The project is a product of Wonder-Tonic.com, which is itself a product of Mike Lacher, a writer and web designer. Lacher is known for his witty sense of humor and scathing satire. There is no doubt that QR codes have been showing up everywhere. Often times, the codes are used for things that seem frivolous. In this, Lacher found an opportunity for satire.
Injecting humor into the often hyper-serious realm of mobile technology, even if that humor is easily missed, can be a breath of fresh air in an industry dominated by business rhetoric and innovation. By leveraging the codes in this way, Lacher and his archivist friends are able to show the versatility of QR codes while pointing out that they aren’t the best solution to every problem.
