Mobile Apps for Librarians

In an increasing mobile environment, library and reading-related activities often take place on a phone or tablet device. Not only does this mean that library Web sites must keep mobile navigability in mind, but also develop and utilize apps that allow patrons to interact with information and with libraries. While apps do not serve every purpose, and sometimes a simply designed mobile Web site is a better choice, this author says she finds herself turning to apps on a regular basis. The apps discussed in this article (Goodreads, Dropbox, Wikipedia/Wikipanion, IMDB, EasyBib, WorldCat Mobile, e-readers, Pocket, Evernote, and Scan2PDF Moble,) are free and should work on Apple, Google, and PC platforms that support app use. These apps can be found through an app store specific to each device. As with all apps and online networks, one should be aware of security risks due to both viruses and hacking. Because many of these apps interact with each other and with sites on the Internet, even though they are vetted sites, users should be wary and use secure and frequently changed passwords in order to decrease vulnerability to malicious interference.