Efforts to find a lost historical artifact are aided by QR codes

laFayette Campus

laFayette Campus

A valuable artifact went missing this week from the Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. The artifact is none other than the sword of Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, a renowned French general whose service help solidify the United States as an independent nation. The sword has resided within the halls of the college for several decades, but went missing on Tuesday. What happened to the sword is not yet known, but there are a number of QR codes offering up clues.

The Skillman and Kirby library at the college is hosting an interactive scavenger hunt powered by QR codes. Librarians have “misplaced” the marquis’ sword and have tasked students to find the artifact, using a number of codes as clues. The initiative will help introduce new students to the expansive library, as well as the overall campus, and it will help them get acquainted with emerging mobile technologies.

The codes will help students traverse the campus and its libraries and, eventually, lead them to the location of the lost sword. The first 20 students to find the sword will receive prizes and will get their picture taken with the artifact, a rare brush with history, indeed.

Interactive scavenger hunts have been gaining more popularity among businesses and organizations that want to offer mobile users a more in-depth and engaging experience. QR codes have proven a valuable tool in such events, as they are easily customizable and well suited for mass distribution.

Leave a Comment


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.