The rise of the mobile app
I would be very surprised if everyone reading this blog does not have a mobile phone… brief pause while I wait for someone to tell me they haven’t, don’t want or need one.
It’s getting more and more difficult to get a ‘phone-only’ mobile phone, so those of you who have upgraded in the last year are likely to have a smartphone. You may not care to use all the features it offers, but nonetheless you’re carrying round more computing power than got Neil Armstrong to the moon.
Local government is now really beginning to examine how smartphones can improve services. CCRA was, of course, one of the first with our Culture-all app for the iPhone, but mobiles are now being used for other practical purposes. Once you’ve used a smartphone, you’ll wonder how you managed before!
An Australian developer has produced the Library Books App for iPhone, which allows people to login to their library account and check what you have out on loan or reserved, and even renew. Last week he added Hampshire Library Service to the Mac version of the program, and today the latest version for the iPhone was released which provides access to our library OPAC.
He developed this for free, and his only payback is if people download the app, which at £.1.79 is not exactly expensive.
Another interesting free app One Clean Leicester, is available on several mobile platforms. I allows you to photograph and report abandoned cars, fly tipped rubbish, graffiti etc directly from your mobile. The GPS in the phone locates the problem on a map as part of the reporting process… simple, cheap, instant and open.
Any ideas what we might develop on mobile platforms to improve or services?
I have to admit those library apps look fantastic – can we endorse them though?
Webteam replies – these aps can be used whether we endorse or not, but as both the Mac and iPhone versions work, I don’t see any reason why shouldn’t encourage their use.
I think an actual reality app for the iPhone that allows users to overlay the rights of way network would be pretty good. Just point the phone at the path and it shows you the correct line!
Oh and Apple just had the 10 Billionth app downloaded. Thats more apps than the entire world population.
Have just read the comments here http://librarybooksapp.com/request.cgi?a=view-html&id=186 but it isn’t clear whether or not it’ll work on a UK iTunes account yet. Has anyone successfully downloaded/installed/renewed on it?
Webteam replies – I have downloaded to iMac and iPhone… works perfectly allowing access to the library system to check status of loans, and renew… not tried reserving yet
Paid for the Library App. I havent been able to renew or reserve. All it is giving me is the overdue reminders and the library system will send an email for that anyway. The app looks good but until it does the renew and reserve it isnt worth the money.
Webteam replies
Click on the loan which takes you into your account in conventional Spydus… click on current loans, then you have the option to renew.
To reserve click on the left column link
Hang on, so this is just a glorified link to the library OPAC rather than integrating it into an app?
Webteam replies
So what more would you want it to do?