Comments on: iPhone book search app + Sarah’s wish for the new year http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2009/12/iphonebooks.html Amazingly informed & therefore properly opinionated. Wed, 23 May 2012 16:15:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Liz Paulus http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2009/12/iphonebooks.html/comment-page-1#comment-13301 Liz Paulus Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:27:08 +0000 http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/?p=12884#comment-13301 The WorldCAT RedLaser partnership is cool - but I agree with Genny's comments about the limitations based on how libraries are seen by the vendor. We have the same problem with the AccessMyLibrary Gale Cengage app, where it only registers the "corporate" address, but the county or co-operative may be way bigger than the 10-mile radius they assume. As I sit in urban Portland, Oregon, I can see Multnomah County Library and the Vancouver, WA library (FVRL) on my map, but both counties are wider than 10 miles or the offices' address is at the far west of their coverage area - so those that live east of Interstate 205 don't have the same access. The WorldCAT RedLaser partnership is cool – but I agree with Genny’s comments about the limitations based on how libraries are seen by the vendor. We have the same problem with the AccessMyLibrary Gale Cengage app, where it only registers the “corporate” address, but the county or co-operative may be way bigger than the 10-mile radius they assume. As I sit in urban Portland, Oregon, I can see Multnomah County Library and the Vancouver, WA library (FVRL) on my map, but both counties are wider than 10 miles or the offices’ address is at the far west of their coverage area – so those that live east of Interstate 205 don’t have the same access.

]]> By: Genny Engel http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2009/12/iphonebooks.html/comment-page-1#comment-13291 Genny Engel Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:58:25 +0000 http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/?p=12884#comment-13291 Actually, even for OCLC libraries the app may be less than helpful. Since our entire county library system has a single OCLC identifier, as far as WorldCat is concerned our materials are all physically located at our headquarters address. An item that is checked in at one end of the county is a good 50 miles away from an item at the other end of the county, but there is no way you would know that from WorldCat data. Not only that, there's no item-level circ data in WorldCat to indicate whether our items are checked in at any branch. The app would give just as good results if it checked Google Local for our library branches (which ARE all listed) and gave driving directions to the branch closest to the user's iPhone. Once there, the user could request the item no matter where it's checked in. For that matter, the app could just link the user to our catalog, so they could log in and put in an online request for the item to be sent to any branch they like. Actually, even for OCLC libraries the app may be less than helpful. Since our entire county library system has a single OCLC identifier, as far as WorldCat is concerned our materials are all physically located at our headquarters address. An item that is checked in at one end of the county is a good 50 miles away from an item at the other end of the county, but there is no way you would know that from WorldCat data. Not only that, there’s no item-level circ data in WorldCat to indicate whether our items are checked in at any branch.

The app would give just as good results if it checked Google Local for our library branches (which ARE all listed) and gave driving directions to the branch closest to the user’s iPhone. Once there, the user could request the item no matter where it’s checked in.

For that matter, the app could just link the user to our catalog, so they could log in and put in an online request for the item to be sent to any branch they like.

]]> By: Tweets that mention iPhone book search app + Sarah’s wish for the new year | Librarian in Black Blog – Sarah Houghton-Jan -- Topsy.com http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2009/12/iphonebooks.html/comment-page-1#comment-13205 Tweets that mention iPhone book search app + Sarah’s wish for the new year | Librarian in Black Blog – Sarah Houghton-Jan -- Topsy.com Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:51:47 +0000 http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/?p=12884#comment-13205 [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CMRLS Ref Center, Catherine. Catherine said: iPhone book search app + Sarah's wish for the new year - http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2009/12/iphonebooks.html [...] [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CMRLS Ref Center, Catherine. Catherine said: iPhone book search app + Sarah's wish for the new year – http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/2009/12/iphonebooks.html [...]

]]>