23 Mobile Things: Thing 11

Library & Reference

I tried out the Washington County mobile library app. I think that makes sense, since I work there and am thus familiar with what they offer and can judge what kind of access the app gives. And it's likely the only one I'd use, since I rarely use any other system these days.

I like the app.  I found it intuitive to navigate and easy to read. The designers did a good job of not cluttering the screen and keeping things easy to read. The groupings are logical, with such headings at Search the Catalog, eBooks, My Account, Ask a Librarian, Locations and Hours. Tapping one heading opens up further options.

I hadn't know the app had a barcode reader (BookLook) that lets you scan a barcode and see if the library owns the book.  I tried it out - way cool. It took me a bit to get the little window on the screen focused right on the barcode, but as soon as I did, the phone read the code and told me the library did indeed have it.  No need to tell the app "go" - it's just that smart.  I could easily have put the book on hold from there, but didn't, as I only wanted to see it work.  I searched the catalog as well, again not putting anything on hold. I looked at the ebook function, but didn't go too far with it.  Using it requires downloading yet another app, and, since I have no intention of reading an entire book on my phone, I chose to not install it.  I find reading long things on my phone irritating, with the constant scrolling, plus keeping the font small enough to fit a reasonable amount on the page makes it too small for me to comfortably read for any length of time. But it did all look easy to do! I did not see any way to access the library's databases. My guess is that this sort of use is too complex to be done easily on something as small as a phone's screen.  How would you manage to display of all the search parameters most databases offer? But the app could offer information about them, so users know they exist, what areas they cover and how to access them using another source. I also didn't see links to our reading pages/lists or Zinio.  Again, my guess is this was done to keep the interface clean and intuitive, but  not making any mention of them may well mean some users have no idea we offer these services. On the other hand, not mentioning something they can't access from a mobile device may keep frustration at a minimum!

Another heading allows you to explore classes, programs and events offered by the system.  You can choose from several sorting options, such as age or branch.  Since I concentrate on teen programming, I picked that.  Again, it was easy to scroll through the offerings. But I didn't see a way to sort by branch and age, or any other combo.  That might just make things too complicated on a small screen. To get detailed information about an event, the user simply taps the title.  A link from the detail page allows registration in just one more tap.

Signing into my account was, again, simple and intuitive.  It's a great way to see where you stand.

Honestly, I don't see myself using this much, although I think it's a great idea, given the predominance of mobile devices right now.  I'm in the catalog all the time when I'm at work anyway, and don't see much point in pulling out my phone to put something on hold when I can just use the keyboard in front of my face! I might use the barcode reader if I find a book somewhere and want to get it, but that's probably about it.  Maybe check on my account.  If I didn't work here, I'm sure I'd use it more, as it's faster than turning on my computer at home and logging in. But, as it is, I see only limited use for me.