This Thing mainly covers library mobile apps! I work for Anoka County Libraries and it is also my home library system, so I downloaded the ACL app for this Thing. Curiously, I didn't have the app before (if, for example, I needed to renew something I would use the link in the reminder email and it would open my account in my internet browser on my phone. I guess I didn't realize there was an app, or feel a great need to look for one). I did check out the reviews before downloading, and the main complaint I saw was that although it was a great app it was too slow. Always good to keep an eye out on what the users think of our products...
Upon downloading I did a few different things-placed some holds, looked things up in the catalog, some of the more common things patrons might use the app for. Interestingly, I was unable to renew materials using the app. I tried several titles that all were eligible for renewal and yet none would renew. We have had prior sporadic reports of the renewal feature not working on the app; I guess I caught it at a bad time! This does highlight a major problem with the app though-there was no error message to indicate my items DID NOT renew, I had to re-examine my account to determine they had not renewed on my own. Some patrons may not take this step and simply assume their items were renewed-this could of course lead to confusion, late fees, and upset patrons. Hopefully a permanent solution (or at least an error message of sorts!) can be found/created.
Anyway, back to the good! The ISBN lookup feature is really slick. It allows you to scan the barcode of a book and will then search the catalog automatically for that title! Handy for when you see a book of interest but wouldn't want to purchase the title yourself- just scan and request (provided ACL has a copy in its holdings-it doesn't let you request ILL using the scan feature). I also really like the Library Locator feature. It pulls data from your phone's GPS to determine how far you are from each of the ACL branches and can generate driving directions via Google Maps. Great feature, and it could very likely come in handy when patrons travel to and from branches to pick up materials (some prefer to pick them up themselves rather than have them delivered for various reasons).
I will agree with the reviewers about the app's speed. It is slow moving between screens and a speed boost could greatly improve the app's overall usability and the user experience with the app. Overall, though, it is a good app and easy enough to navigate. I would definitely recommended it to our patrons!
I also work at a small private academic library. As of yet, there is no app for the library. We do, however, (much like ELM, the Electronic Library for Minnesota) have a responsive webpage that automatically re-sizes itself to fit to whatever screen size you are using. Granted, that is pretty much the standard with web design these days, but its better than nothing at all!
Next time, we move onto what some would consider the meat and potatoes of libraries-Books, Books, and MORE BOOKS! Stay tuned :)
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