PLA - There's an App for That | Public Libraries Online

Product News

There's an App for That

Various companies are developing applications (apps) to make their products available to smartphone users.

SirsiDynix announced the availability of BookMyne, a comprehensive Apple iPhone application for library users. The free app locates nearby libraries and allows users to search library catalogs for available materials. Users registered with a library
can also place and cancel holds at their library using their iPhone.

BookMyne uses the iPhone’s GPS capabilities and the Google Maps API to identify participating libraries nearby. Users can identify the libraries they use frequently, and can search for other participating libraries from a global view. Libraries can become discoverable through BookMyne by installing SirsiDynix Symphony Web Services, which gives libraries unprecedented
access to their Symphony data.

Symphony Web Services 2.0 is available at no cost to institutions using Symphony version 3.3 or later.

Polaris Library Systems Debuts Mobile PAC

Polaris Library Systems recently debuted their mobile PAC. It is compatible with the Web browsers found in a broad range of mobile devices, including the BlackBerry, Droid, and Apple iPhone. This approach enables patrons with popular mobile devices
to easily access their library’s catalog.

Now you can scan a book barcode with the RedLaser app on your iPhone and find WorldCat.org results. The app uses the WorldCat Search API and WorldCat Registry APIs to deliver results for libraries nearby, complete with contact information and driving directions.

RedLaser is a comparison shopping application developed by Occipital of Boulder, Colorado. As a self-confessed “huge library supporter,” Occipital partnered with WorldCat in order to put information from thousands of libraries at a user’s fingertips.

Currently available in the United States for books only, RedLaser is one of the top paid apps in the iTunes app store.

OverDrive Releases BlackBerry Audiobook App

OverDrive announced the public beta release of an audiobook app for BlackBerry smartphones. OverDrive’s BlackBerry Audiobook app enables the wireless download of MP3 audiobooks from more than ten thousand libraries and bookstores.

OverDrive Media Console for BlackBerry beta v0.1 provides the same audiobook experience as OverDrive’s desktop software. Users can navigate downloaded parts using MediaMarkers, create bookmarks, and resume from the last point played. Audiobooks from the public library automatically expire so there is never a late fee.