The Rise of the Library Mobile App

With the advent of smartphones a little over 10 years ago, the way people gather information has changed.  It is no longer necessary to use a dial-up modem (that is revealing my age!) or home Wi-Fi to connect to the internet.   We can get information right at our fingertips anytime, anywhere; it’s called mobile technology for a reason.  There are some portions of the population that do not own a standard computer and only access the internet via a smartphone.  According to a 2018 Pew Research Poll, 77% of Americans own a smartphone.    The same survey also found that of those Americans aged between 18-29, that percentage increases to 94%.  What does this mean to libraries? How have libraries jumped into the mobile technology game?

Libraries have adopted many kinds of technologies in an effort to remain relevant in today’s ever-changing world.   Mobile technology is just one of many that libraries use to captivate and engage patrons.    The ability to serve patrons in a format that is useful and familiar is paramount and this includes apps.  There are apps for libraries, apps for librarians, apps for e-books such as OverDrive or Libby by OverDrive, and apps for databases such as EBSCOhost.  Apps are everywhere and I’m sure you’ve heard someone say, “there’s an app for that.”

A survey conducted in 2017 by the Library Research Service (LRS) found that 37% of libraries offer a mobile app while 72% have a website that is optimized for use on mobile devices.  The size of the library has a direct coloration to if an app is available.   The same survey reveals that libraries with more than 500,000 patrons are the more likely to have an app.

What’s in a library app?  In 2014, the OCLC wrote that a general mobile app should include: “library hours, interactive map of branch locations, patron data, and historical document collection abstracts.” That does not seem like much information.  What about access to the catalog?  What about storing my library card, paying fines (I don’t have any, I promise!) or putting holds on books? Thankfully library apps have advanced in the last few years.   The previously mentioned LRS survey from 2017 reports that, “97% of the responding libraries reported that their library provides mobile access to the library’s catalog.”

One of the biggest app developers for libraries is BiblioCommons.   I mention this company for two reasons: first, I like what they have written on their website about libraries:

We live in a world increasingly divided by opportunity, by beliefs and by loneliness.  Luckily, public libraries have always been about narrowing divides and building stronger, more informed communities.  The library brand stands for much more than just access to free content.  It also stands for trust, neutrality, openness, inspiration, and the freedom to explore one's curiosity wherever it may lead.  But new needs are emerging and the library must continue thinking ambitiously about ways of addressing these needs.

 

The second reason I mention BiblioCommons is they are the company that developed the San Diego Public Library (SDPL) app. 

Since I like to keep things local, I took a look at the San Diego Public Library app.  I headed over the Apple app store and I download it.   It is called SDPL To Go.  According to the app description, I can do the following:

·         Get details on any title

·         Save Titles for later

·         Check a title’s availability and map the locations where said title can be found

·         Check due dates and renew items

·         Check holds

·         Find and download e-books

·         Get branch hours or directions

I have to say that I enjoyed using the app more than the traditional website.    I did my search using the first book I found around my house: Cleared for Takeoff: The Ultimate Book of Flight written by Rowland White.   I was able to scan the publisher’s barcode on the back.  That made the search quick and easy.  I see myself using this feature standing in the middle of Barnes and Noble when I am feeling too cheap to buy a book. Why buy when I can borrow?  Thanks SDPL.

 Works Cited

BiblioCommons website. Information accessed from https://www.bibliocommons.com/about/

Ebsco website. “Becoming a Mobile-Friendly Library Website.”  Information accessed from https://www.ebsco.com/blog/article/becoming-a-mobile-friendly-library-website  June 13, 2017.

Library Research Service website.  “Library Journal and SirsiDynix find that 2 in 5 public libraries offer a mobile device app to their patrons.”  Information accessed from: https://www.lrs.org/2018/04/18/library-journal-and-sirsidynix-find-that-2-in-5-public-libraries-offer-a-mobile-device-app-to-their-patrons/  April 18, 2018.

OCLC website.  “Mobile Apps—Introduction to Development.” Information accessed from www.oclc.org/developer/news/2014/mobile-apps  January 10, 2014.

Pew Research Center. Information accessed from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/mobile/ Published February 5, 2018.