Friday 11 May 2012

BookMyne Mobile App & Facebook

We've been busy setting up the mobile App BookMyne for each library branch as they come online.  This App is available on an iPhone as well as a newly released Android version (thanks for the update James).

BookMyne allows customers to use their mobile phone to search the catalogue & place holds. It also allows customers to see items they have on loan, manage their holds and get reminders before items are due. Along with this is information about each library - opening hours, email address, phone number etc.  

I thought about dropping a few screen shots into this post, but that would make it look too much like some training notes, so I've resisted this option. There are a bunch of other features in the App, but rather than describe them here or add screen shots I'd recommend that library staff either use their iPhones or borrow a friend's and explore how it works. You can also see more about BookMyne on the SirsiDynix website.

I would comment that this App is a "work in progress", which needs further development.  You will note that it can't do "library service" just individual branches. This is OK for some libraries that are not multi-branch services, but it does not work as I would prefer for a significant number of our libraries.  So I am impatient to see further enhancements to the App, but from my perspective it is a great start.

We've also set up the back end connection between Symphony and Facebook.  This allows libraries to then put the library search option into their Facebook site.  Mitcham has aleady done this.  You can see it here.   And it is on the Libraries SA Facebook site too.  It is the icon that looks like this:
If you want to know more about how this works you can find information here.

James Kemperman is the expert in our office who is working on these applications as well as Enterprise set ups.

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