iReference

So we are now an iPhone household. Gotta admit: it’s pretty neat. I love how you can bring up a web page, then draw your fingers apart on the screen to enlarge the view. Although what are we going to do with our oh so passe Motorola phones now? (“predictive text”; gimme a break). We plan to recycle our old phones, but if you’re concerned about where all those obsolete Nanos and Razrs are going, see iWaste in Mother Jones magazine or GreenMyApple.

One great feature of the iPhone is the hundreds of apps designed especially for the iPhone environment. There have been PDA/Mobile versions of popular websites for awhile, (think Mapquest mobile) but the iPhone is pushing the development of products specifically tailored to handheld devices. Browsing the list of apps, you’ll see several relevant to libraries and reference: current mortgage rates, Washington Post mobile, loan and currency converters, U.S. state info, a Congressional directory, youth hostel guides, restaurant reviews, and even (gulp) Powerset Wikipedia.

All of which points to a clear trend: research on the go, via handhelds as opposed to desktops or even laptops. Stephen Abram, the vp for innovation at Sirsi, was talking about this over two years ago: libraries have much better success reaching teens and 20 somethings through texting, IM and other handheld apps than over the web or email. The medical industry is already on to this: there are dozens of health update apps for clinicians and patients. ( Epocrates is a great example.)

Now take a look at your library OPAC, or the interfaces to your EBSCO and Gale and Proquest databases. How well do they work on a handheld? Do they work at all on the typical cellphone or Blackberry? And why isn’t the library community asking vendors about this?

Here’s another idea: I was in line at Borders and heard a customer say she’d just been texted with the news that her book had arrived. Over at the library we’re still thrilled we can offer patrons email notification of their reserves, but how about a text to your phone when your books come in?