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Tuesday, November 16th, 2010

Over 40 Libraries using Library Anywhere

We’re happy to report that more than 40 libraries around the world have made their catalogs mobile with Library Anywhere since we launched last month. It’s a wide range of libraries, from small public libraries and school libraries to large universities and huge consortia of public libraries. And with over 100 more libraries in various stages of testing, we’re excited about Library Anywhere really taking off.

Try out a few:

Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service (OR, WebPAC PRO)
Frisco Public Library (TX, Sirsi e-Library)
ITT Dublin (Ireland, WebPAC PRO)
Mountain View Public Library (CA, WebPAC PRO)
Nanyang Technological University (Singapore, Sirsi iLink)
Vernon Area Public Library District (IL, Horizon)
Libraries Online (CT, WebPAC PRO)
Des Moines Public Library (IA, Horizon)
Wake County Public Library (NC, Horizon)
Brisbane City Council Library Service (Australia, Sirsi iBistro)
University of Nebraska (NE, WebPAC PRO)
Keele University (UK, WebPAC)
Farmington Community Library (MI, Polaris)

See all the libraries using Library Anywhere listed here or just click the … menu within Library Anywhere and choose “Select a Library”.

What does it do? Library Anywhere lets you search the catalog, save items for later, request and renew materials, and more. It can display events listings, ask a librarian links, and other mobile pages, and libraries can completely customize their “homepage”.

Get it. Library Anywhere includes an iPhone app, an Android app, a mobile web version, and the Universal/Accessible version (Blackberry app coming). In short, something for everyone and every phone.

Systems. Library Anywhere works with all the major OPAC systems, including: III (Webpac and Webpac Pro), Horizon Information Portal, Sirsi (eLibrary, iBistro, iLink, Web2), Polaris, Civica Spydus, Voyager 7, Koha, Destiny Follett and Infocentre, and Companion Alexandria. We’ll be adding support for more systems as we go (Aleph is next on the to-do list), so if you don’t see your system listed here, let us know!

Labels: android, app, iphone app, library anywhere, librarything for libraries, ltfl, mobile, mobile catalog, mobile web

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Library Anywhere Android app now available!

Library Anywhere, which turns any library catalog (OPAC) into a mobile one, is now available in the Android market. The Android Verson joins the iPhone application, Mobile Web version and Universal/Accessibility version.

qrcode Google doesn’t have a webpage for apps in the Android Market. If you’re on an Android device, however, you search for “Library Anywhere” or follow market://search?q=pname:com.phonegap.LibraryAnywhere to get to the app. You can also scan the QR code to the right with your phone to get to it.

The Android version is just the latest news on LibraryThing—with more to come this week. So far, over 35 libraries are signed up, with many more testing it. Between apps for iPhone and Android (a Blackberry one is coming), a Section-508-compatible OPAC, no-installation setup and prices both public and a fraction of its competitors’, we’re optimistic we’ll capture a big piece of the market. If not, at least we’ll force the various competitors to slash their prices!

Labels: android, library anywhere, librarything for libraries, ltfl, mobile, mobile catalog

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

Library Anywhere iPhone app

The iPhone (works with iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad) app for Library Anywhere is now available on the iTunes App Store!

>> Get the app

This is our first native app for Library Anywhere, which launched last week (see the blog post). Library Anywhere takes a library catalog and makes it mobile, instantly—so you can do things like search the catalog on the bus, place a hold, renew your books, see when story time is, and more! The iPhone app version takes advantage of the iPhone’s geolocation feature, to find the library closest to you.

In addition to the just-released iPhone app, Library Anywhere also includes 3 mobile web versions, customized for iPhone, Android, and a Universal version that works on any phone. Native apps for other platforms (including Android) will be released later this year.

You can get the app from the App Store by clicking the link above, or just going into iTunes and searching for “library anywhere”. If you’re already using the mobile web version on your iPhone, you can click the “Get the app” menu option.

Labels: app, iphone app, library anywhere, librarything for libraries, ltfl

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Library Anywhere is live

We’re pleased to officially launch Library Anywhere. Library Anywhere is a mobile version of your public or academic library. It is available in mobile web formats today and in app forms in the coming weeks. It’s free for users, but libraries have to subscribe to it.

Try it for yourself:

http://www.libanywhere.com

Or go directly into a library. Try Gwinnett County Public Library, University of Nebraska Omaha Library, or Waukegan Public Library as starting points.

Key features

Search catalog, place holds, renew items. It does what the regular catalog does.
Save records to your phone to access later. Works on any phone with a web-browsing feature—not just smart phones.
“Universal Version” is fully compliant with Section 508 and other accessibility standards.
Geo-location finds your nearest library easily.
Libraries can display events, branches, contact-a-librarian information, and other mobile pages.
LibraryThing for Libraries customers also get integrated tags, recommendations, information about other editions, and access to over 500,000 reviews.
Costs far less than similar products.
Works with most major OPAC systems.

Version 1.0 includes:

iPhone mobile web
Android mobile web
Universal Version

Update!

The iPhone app is out! See the blog post.
The Android App is also out

The iPhone/iPad app is pending Apple approval, and will be released this month. Apps for other platforms will be released by the end of the year.

Customize your mobile presence. Library Anywhere features a fully customizable library home page. Add a logo, add links to your blog or Facebook page. Create pages within Library Anywhere as well, with your own content, such as book lists, announcements, and more. Add links to your existing “ask a librarian” features, too, like instant messaging or texting.

One catalog, many devices. Patrons don’t have to go looking for your mobile catalog, Library Anywhere comes to them. Library Anywhere can redirect mobile users of your OPAC to Library Anywhere. It will take the user to the version of Library Anywhere for their specific device—on an Android it will go to the Android version, on an iPhone it will go to the iPhone version, and any other device will be sent to the Universal Version. It will also invite users to check out the app, if there is one currently for their platform.

Library Anywhere is unique because it doesn’t just work on smart phones. Our Universal Version makes your library accessible to any device that can surf the web. The Universal Version can also be used as a fully Section 508 compliant version of your existing catalog.

Interested in adding your library to Library Anywhere?

To order Library Anywhere, or get a free trial, call 877 340-2400, or email Peder.Christensen@bowker.com. Bowker is the exclusive distributor of LibraryThing for Libraries.

You can also email questions to Abby@librarything.com.

Thanks to all. Many thanks to all of our numerous beta testers, who literally spent months playing with Library Anywhere, patiently finding bugs and waiting for us to fix them. Thank you for sticking with us!

“With the high level of functionality and the low pricing, this competition will lower the threshold for mobile technology into the reach of almost any library.”
Marshall Breeding, Smart Libraries Newsletter

Labels: library anywhere, librarything for libraries, ltfl, mobile, mobile catalog

Monday, July 12th, 2010

LTFL Consortium Support

LibraryThing for Libraries now supports scoping by location. For many consortia, especially those that share books and ILL, LTFL in its current incarnation was fine. Other consortia wanted LTFL to support scoping—they wanted patrons searching within a scoped location to only see, for example, LTFL recommending books that are held at that location. Well, now we can do that!

New LTFL customers get this option automatically, and if you already have an existing subscription to LTFL for your consortial catalog, we can switch you over to the new system. Send any questions my way! abby@librarything.com

Labels: librarything for libraries, ltfl

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

LTFL written up in UK publication

The UK publication “Library and Information Gazette” just ran a great article in their April 22nd issue about LTFL. Written by one of our friends at Bowker, it covers LibraryThing for Libraries in general, as well as our new products, Shelf Browse and Library Anywhere (a mobile catalog for any library).

Shelf Browse, as well as other LTFL enhancements like tags, reviews, recommendations, is available now. We’re currently beta testing Library Anywhere with over 100 libraries, and it should be available to buy for your library this summer.

You can read the article online here (on page 4). Or read a PDF of it here.

Labels: librarything for libraries, ltfl

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Library Anywhere write-up on ALA TechSource blog

Library Anywhere, our upcoming product that provides a mobile catalog (both mobile web and native apps) for any library, just got an excellent write-up on the ALA TechSource blog: LibraryThing Delivers Mobile Access to Library Catalogs.

The article, by Marshall Breeding, will also appear in the March 2010 issue of Smart Libraries Newsletter.

Breeding says of Library Anywhere,

“With the high level of functionality and the low pricing, this competition will lower the threshold for mobile technology into the reach of almost any library.”

We’re certainly excited about Library Anywhere, and are busy at work on it. We’ll have more to show off soon!

Labels: library anywhere, librarything for libraries, mobile, mobile catalog

Monday, March 1st, 2010

400,000 LTFL Reviews

We now have over 400,000 reviews vetted and available for LibraryThing for Libraries. (Last June we hit 300,000, so over 100,000 reviews have been added in the past 8 months—not bad.)

400,000 is a lot of reviews. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, for example, has 117 reviews. Now you probably don’t need to read over 100 reviews. But if a popular book gets that many, then the more obscure books in your catalog could have 20, 10, or 5 reviews. LTFL reviews cover the bestsellers but they also reach down the long tail.

The LTFL Reviews Enhancement also comes with blog widgets and a Facebook application allow your patrons to show off their reviews—and their love for your library—where they “live” online.

The Reviews Enhancement is currently available for Horizon, iBistro, Webvoyage, Voyager 7, Koha, Evergreen, WebPac, WebPac Pro, and Polaris 3.6. We’re always expanding this list, so if your OPAC isn’t one of these, email abby@librarything.com and we can work on adding support for it.

For more information, email me (abby@librarything.com). For ordering information, contact Peder Christensen at Bowker—877-340-2400 or Peder.Christensen@bowker.com.

Labels: librarything for libraries, ltfl, LTFL Reviews

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Tasmanian radio interview and talk

John Dalton, our man in Australia, did a snappy 12-minute radio interview for ABC Hobart show “Afternoons” with Michael Veitch. (Apparently, although John’s thousands of miles away from the rest of us, and working from home, he doesn’t get to “bludge around” very much.)

Here’s a link to a recording: recording

The appearance was related to the State Library of Tasmania, a long-time LibraryThing for Libraries member, adding our “Reviews” enhancement, and public talk John is giving on Wednesday at the State Library in Hobart tomorrow, Wednesday at 4:00pm.

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Shelf Browse live at High Plains

Shelf Browse—which we announced last week—is now live in High Plains Library District’s catalog. As we mentioned in our brief ALA announcement, Shelf Browse lets you browse your library’s shelves visually, just as you would do in the physical library.

Shelf Browse lets your patrons see where a book sits on your actual shelves, and what’s near it. It includes a “mini-browser” that sits on your detail pages, and a full-screen version, launched from the detail page.

See it in action at High Plains Library District. Some jumping off points:

Scroll back and forth, serendipitously browsing through the shelves. If lists are more your speed, in the full-screen version, you can switch between shelf and list mode.

For ordering information contact Peder Christensen at Bowker—toll-free at 877-340-2400 or email Peder.Christensen@bowker.com.

Labels: librarything for libraries, ltfl, shelf browse