A Mobile Interface to Library of Congress Catalog Now Available from LibraryAnywhere/LibraryThing
Many thanks to LibraryThing CEO and Lead Developer Tim Spalding and his team there is now a mobile friendly interface to search the Library of Congress catalog. While there are other mobile resources from LC*** this is the first mobile interface to the OPAC that we’ve heard about.
A few week’s ago Spalding tweeted that the mobile interface was made available “for fun.” We hope that Tim continues to have a lot fun in upcoming weeks, months, and years. His fun (or at least some of it) can be a big gain for all researchers. Keep it up! (-:
Where can you access the mobile interface to the Library of Congress catalog?
Simply head to (and or download) one of several versions of Library Anywhere (aka LibraryThing For Libraries).
The apps are free and the LC catalog search interface can be found by browsing to DC (District of Columbia).
If you’re unaware of Library Anywhere it’s fee-based software from Lihttp://infodocket.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpbraryThing.
Library Anywhere lets you search the catalog, place holds, renew items. It does what the regular catalog does, but in a mobile friendly form. You can also create a custom homepage on Library Anywhere, so you can include hours and location information, event and other RSS feeds, contact or “ask a librarian” links, and more!
Library Anywhere launched six months /263,520 minutes ago (October 13, 2010) and at the end of March announced that they reached the 100 customer mark.
Happy LC OPAC searching and thanks again and congrats to Tim and the entire LibraryThing Team for the mobile LC catalog and on your milestone.
*** For Example
1. The UI to THOMAS is Mobile Friendly But Needs Work
2. The Library of Congress Virtual Tour (iPhone).
Note: There is a web-based version (using HTML5) of the iPhone app. It should work with Android and iPhone browsers and other browsers than can handle HTML5.
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
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