Dakota County Library's Boopsie mobile app (
DCL Mobile) is a pretty standard-feature, standard-functioning public library app. I was able to log into my account with my library card number and PIN, I was able to renew one of my items, I was able to get into our library calendar and link to the event and registration details on our EVANCED calendar, and I saw what was featured for our "Cool Stuff" (Mango Languages, Medline, Novelist Plus, and Zino -- all very cool). The app did not run as quickly as I would have liked, but, then again, I may have mentioned that I have a nearly-out-of-date iPhone 4. I have talked to patrons who have and who use the DCL Mobile app, which is great, as it's another way to make the library experience more convenient for and connected to our library users, but I wonder how many people realize the cost attached to these apps. Also, I would like to see what a really innovative, customize-able, homegrown library app might look like, just to compare to the cookie-cutout library apps.
At the 2012 Minnesota Library Association annual conference, I attended a really great, really interesting session on the
Electronic Library for Minnesota mobile website design. Minitex librarians Jennifer Hootman and Matt Lee discussed how the ELM site was streamlined and specifically designed for mobile and tablet use and the rationale behind creating a mobile-friendly website (like, oh, how mobile web traffic from smartphones and tablet devices is exponentially increasing over traditional larger screens of desktop and laptop computers).
ELM: smartphone view versus computer view
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