I wish that the iPhone didn’t have the word “phone” in its name. I understand *why* Apple decided on that name, but I don’t think of it as a phone. To me it’s a hand-held computer that I use to connect to other people and to run small applications that make my life easier.
It has limitations - not being able to cut and paste text, run more than one application at a time or use the camera to shoot video are problems.
When I travelled overseas, I used downloaded applications on my iPhone to:
- get real time updates on my flight times and gates
- show me on a map how to get from where I was to where I needed to be
- record interviews for research
- calculate the tip I should give on a bill
- record expenses on the go (including a facility to photograph receipts and add them to my database)
- play movies on the plane
- read several ebooks whenever and wherever I was
- find the nearest wifi
- wake me up in the morning
- show me how long I had during conference presentations
- suggest a place to eat in the local area with the cuisine and price I wanted
- photograph books and see online what they were and how much they cost
- edit photographs and upload them instantly to Flickr
- keep me in touch with friends via Twitter when I was walking in the dark back to a rather seedy motel
The iPhone and phones that use the Android Operating System (which is *mainly* Open Source) allow users to download and install a plethora of programs to take advantage of not only the phone and internet connection, but the camera, microphone and accelerometer in the devices.
How do you think these may affect librarianship? How can library staff use them? How can we offer our services to our users with next gen mobiles? Do you have a favourite app that you use and would recommend to others?
Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- In February, Kenley Neufeld listed his Top 10 iPhone Apps for Librarians .
- Aaron Schmidt from the DC Public Libraries has released the code for an iPhone App that allows library users to search the catalogue, place holds and find opening hours ,DCPL iPhone application ready for download
- The University of Bath Library has added QR codes to records in the catalogue so that users can scan them using free software that will then show them the author, title and location of the item, QR Codes in the Library .
- The Abilene Christian University in Texas has produced a video showing a fictional account of what could happen if the entire campus of students and academics were connected using a next gen mobile, Connected
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May 25, 2009 at 18:08
I just wish there was software which could have stopped me from losing my iPhone. Sigh.
But seriously, here are some thoughts on what this technology could do in a law firm library:
* if there’s a way that an iPhone could log onto the intranet, lawyers could access the library’s subscription databases when at court, client meetings, travelling etc
* I see potential for using these devices for legal research training videos/slideshows - with particular possibilities for print resources. It would be handy to view a quick tutorial about using the English Digest when in the stacks
May 25, 2009 at 22:13
I’m very new to iphone functionality, so haven’t had a lot of time to think up some innovative uses in the library sphere. But, I will be thinking about the best way to stop writing down call numbers on scraps of paper to wander around the shelves. At present the catalogue is not optimised for small screen, but perhaps the saved list view might work OK, or maybe emailing myself some records from the desktop, and then going mobile using the message to locate items.
If phones one day have RFID readers in them, and mapped collections, we may end up being able to get directions to a specific item on the shelf, in a particular library. Even if my local branch can’t help, I could get directions to the nearest branch that does have a copy - all the way to the shelf.
With an application like Fring that combines phone (and voip), instant messaging and combines all those contacts into a single list it’s feasible to respond to service requests via multiple channels from anywhere in the library. Even during activities like shelf reading.
May 26, 2009 at 10:15
Hi Katherine,
We’ve just asked for a “google phone” so we can do txt reference using Library H3lp. Waiting to see if we’re successful
May 26, 2009 at 19:14
I have been using Audioboo, an iphone app to record some of our customers at the public library where I work. I have interviewed our young writers group, and in honour of Library and Info week used it today to interview some of the parents who bring their children to storytime. I have also been interviewed by our local ABC radio station about using these technologies to promote the library :-))
I embedded the code into our YP blog, thus sharing the conversations with many others via a simple click.
These snippets are a great way to help promote and market the library and its services
May 26, 2009 at 21:13
Glad to hear so many library ppl are thinking about the possibilities opened up by improvements in mobile/smartphone technology
I did a short presentation at Ignite Sydney on a similar topic http://www.slideshare.net/neeravbhatt/evolution-of-mobile-phones just the other day
1. Penny if you have any questions about Google Android phones send me an email via http://www.neeravbhatt.com/contactme.php, I own one myself and prior to that tested it for Optus
2. Peta much of what you mentioned is already close to being possible eg: libraries are slowly adopting mobile friendly OPAC’s and my mobile phone can scan book barcodes and tell me if its available via Google Books, Libraries Australia etc
May 29, 2009 at 19:57
Are any libraries using qr codes? These can be scanned by some mobile phones and then open up a browser for a particular address. Libraries could print these on bookmarks, loan dockets, and fliers so that users can get more info on their mobile device. These are very popular in Japan, and Telstra uses qr codes in some of their brochures. If enough others start putting these on signage and print materials they may take off here too.
I now have a qr code for my personal blog.