Archive for the ‘ltfl’ Category

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

LTFL new grid display option

We’ve added a new and attractive way to display LTFL enhancements within your library catalog—we call it grid display. Basically, it lets you set a number of rows and columns, and display the data in a grid format. You can also try using  just one row and several columns to create a horizontal look. Ah, the possibilities are endless!

To turn it on: In the LTFL admin pages, click to the Configure page for one of the enhancements (Grid display works for Similar books and for Other editions and translations). Then just click yes to turn it on, and set the number of rows and columns you want. That’s it!

Screenshots: For contrast, below is the same set of similar books, shown in our original classic list view and in list view with covers (Turn covers on!).

Labels: librarything for libraries, ltfl

Friday, January 7th, 2011

ALA Midwinter 2011

Jeremy and I are headed to San Diego today (yes we were both awake by 3am) for ALA Midwinter! I’ll be demoing LibraryThing for Libraries and Jeremy will be helping out when he’s not running around talking to publishers. If you’re at ALAMW, come by and say hi—booth 2823.

I have a slew of new and notable LibraryThing for Libraries enhancements to show off:

Labels: ALAMW11, librarything for libraries, ltfl

Friday, January 7th, 2011

LTFL Improvement-Material Type in Other editions

Another new LibraryThing for Libraries improvement! At the request of one library, we added the ability to replace the ISBN displayed with each “other edition and translation” with the media type for it.

So instead of this: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Clarke, Susanna. (ISBN 1593977417)
You’ll see something like this: Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Clarke, Susanna. [Book On CD]

See it in action at Ventura County Library, here

A big caveat—this feature is currently only available for libraries that subscribe to the Shelf Browse enhancement, or for libraries that can export their data as full MARC records. I know, seemingly unrelated, but it has to do with the way and the amount of data we index. For the curious, we’re using media types from the leader and 008 of the MARC record.

Want it?
Just email me! (abby@librarything.com)

Labels: librarything for libraries, ltfl

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

Add covers to your LTFL enhancements

We’ve added a little cover image eye-candy to the LTFL Catalog Enhancements. You can now choose to display cover images along with the title/author text. You can turn on cover images for Similar books, Other editions and translations, and in tag browser. In the tag browser, you can also choose to display a mini tag cloud for each book in the list, to give it a little context.

Because a picture is worth a thousand words (click to see larger images):

Without covers With covers

If you already have Catalog Enhancements in your catalog, here’s how to turn it on:
1. In the LTFL admin pages, go to your Global Configuration page and fill in the cover image URL line. It uses whatever covers your library already uses in your OPAC (Syndetics, Content Cafe, etc.)

2. Go to each enhancement’s configure page and click the “Show Covers” box, or the “Show Mini Tag Cloud in Tags Browser” box.

Labels: covers, librarything for libraries, ltfl

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:

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.

qrcodeGoogle 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!

LibAnywhere
>>
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/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