Library patrons and technology lovers are invited to Mitchell Park Library on Thursday, Sept. 15, to test the Palo Alto Public Library’s new mobile app, MyLibrary!.
Stop by the event, hosted by Innovative, the developers of the MyLibrary! app and the library catalog, between 2 and 4 p.m. to check out all the new features of the free app and provide feedback to library staff.
The app lets users search the library catalog, check out ebooks, access account information and check availability and place holds, among other features.
There will be devices available at the event for those who don’t have smartphones.
The app is currently only available for iOS devices. One will be available for Andriod users by the end of 2016, according to library officials.
Mitchell Park Library is located at 3700 Middlefield Road.
Very excited that the new catalog app can be used to find e-books too by author and title. The last time I tried you could only look by type of book and had to scroll through everything. I was just able to download the new bestseller by Laurie King, The Murder of Mary Russell, that otherwise had 14 reserves on the hard copy. I would have had to wait a long time to get the hardback. And the e-version is a lot easier to read in bed.
Congrats Palo Alto Library!!
The problem is the limited set of titles. If all the library catalogue was available, this would save so much money. It could also automatically expand to need. Never have to wait for a popular title. Never have to return a book or pay overdue fees. Automatic removal of unused titles. A lot more sampling of titles, exposing patrons to a much wider variety of literature.
There would be so many advantages. Instead we have an outdated system with very limited selection.