What is Library Now?
Library Now is a custom-branded Native Mobile App from Boopsie for the State of Washington Libraries. The app currently consists of 42 participating libraries, including Orcas Island Public Library, Walla Walla County Rural Library District and Yakama Nation Library. Library Now also features a link out to the existing Boopsie apps for the Tacoma and Seattle Public Libraries.
See Library Now in Action!
The Library Now App is structured as several libraries combined into one app. When you first open the app, you are shown a listing of all the participating libraries. If you allow the app to access your location (you’ll be shown a pop-up), the list will then sort by location: libraries that are the closest to you will be displayed first.
If you don’t allow the Library Now App to access your location, you can either browse through the pages to find your library, or begin typing the name of your library into the search bar at the top of the app.
Once you find your library in the Library Now App, select the name to be taken to their section of the app. In this case, I chose the Yakama Nation Library. Now that you’ve made your selection, this library will become the new home screen; so if you reopen the app, this will be the default open screen. If you accidentally selected the wrong library, simply select the “Choose a different library” channel at the bottom of the main menu on any of the libraries.
The Library Now App allows you to search your library’s catalog. For instance, you can search the Libraries of Stevens County’s TLC Library.Solution catalog and place an item on hold while you are on the go. Since the Libraries of Stevens County has Smart Prefix™ Search enabled on their app, you only need to type in a few letters to find what you’re looking for. For example, if you type “sher ale”, you’ll be shown results relating to Sherman Alexie.
Most of the Washington State Libraries have eBooks and eAudioBooks to offer their patrons through their Library Now App. Patrons of the Orcas Island Library can choose to search from either their OverDrive or OneClickdigital holdings.
Another feature that the Washington Library Now App has is BookLook Mobile™. Use this feature while you’re out and find a book that you want to purchase. BookLook will convert your smartphone or tablet’s camera into a barcode scanner-just hover your device over the book’s barcode and the app will search your library’s holdings. If the library has the book in their circulation you can even place it on hold right then.
Each participating library provides contact and location information, so you can easily tell where the closest branch location is and how late it is open.
Participating libraries also are able to choose what resources are available to their patrons via the Library Now App. Bellingham Public Library offers many resources in the fields of Books & Reading, Business & Jobs, Consumer, Genealogy, Homework Help, Languages and Magazines & Newspapers.
For social media savvy libraries, the Library Now App has links out to the library’s social media accounts. The Walla Walla Rural Library District has their Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest feeds all accounted for!
The Library Now App didn’t forget the three participating libraries that have an existing mobile app from Boopsie. You can select the Tacoma or Seattle Public Library from the main menu to be presented with a link that launches that specific library’s app.
