What Patron to Patron Lending would look like: The loaning BYU user would bring their book to the ILL office. ILL would then check out the book for a typical checkout period to the borrowing BYU user. When finished with the item, the borrower would then return the book to the ILL office to be returned to the loaner.

The borrowing patron would never know their request was filled by a local BYU user; ILL would be the full mediator of the exchange.

To do this, ILL would need a database of all user volunteered holdings with the contact information of the potential lenders. The BYU users would need also a browser extension that would pop up any time the browser is displaying a book record (e.g., even if they are searching on sites like Amazon, eBay, Goodreads, etc). The language would be something like: “Do you own this? If so, would you be willing to loan this anonymously to another BYU user?” This would need user authentication. If they check the box, Yes, then the user information and title information would go to the ILL database for future reference.

This project could also have implications for items that we do own but are currently checked out. This could be a way to alleviate pressure on long queues of Holds on popular items.

Gerrit van Dyk

Betsy Hopkins

from|ahead was started up in 2008 by a group of dedicated people who like making useful software. Our early software applications are targeted primarily for iPhone users to increase their productivity while using the phone.

GTLogin was developed as a tool to simply avoid having to type in a username and password to access the wireless network on your iPhone and it has evolved into an overarching campus services suite including access to email, t-square, and nextbus services.

MyContacts was created to enhance the way you use your address book. It allows users to import contacts from various services such as Gmail, Facebook, and Yahoo! and introduces merging capabilities. Users can also get pictures of their friends and place it in the MyContacts address book using our services.

Read the article in Chronicle of Higher Education about this app.

• Search for library materials—Enter search terms such as keywords, author or title
• Find a WorldCat library near you—Enter your ZIP, postal code or location in the Libraries Locator
• Call a library—Highlight and click the phone number in a library listing to place a call
• Map a route—Find the fastest way to a WorldCat library using the mapping software already on your device

WorldCat has partnered with mobile-technology leader Boopsie and joined its growing array of search “channels” that let you quickly access popular Web applications including Google, Wikipedia and Facebook; look up retail locations such as Starbucks and FedEx; and check news, weather, traffic reports and much more!

When you download the Boopsie application to your phone, you get library search plus these additional channels, as well as its “smart prefix” feature that allows you to type only the first few letters of search keywords and view results instantly as you type.

Getting started

Using the Web browser on your mobile phone,  to access the WorldCat mobile application. The application is compatible with these phones and mobile operating systems:

• Windows Mobile 5.0
• Blackberry
• Palm OS 5.4 or later
• Apple iPhone
• Nokia
• MIDP 2.0, CLDC 1.1 Java
• and more…

See the official news release or view the WorldCat mobile video demo.

1. Always available. It’s ready whenever and wherever you are (well, OK—anywhere you get phone service).
2. Enjoy life and stay productive. In crunch mode? Don’t get tied down to your desk. You can go out and still work on your research.
3. No synching. You work right in your Web-based RefWorks database—do it once and it’s done.
4. Instant, infallible excuse. You can honestly say “Sorry, I’m doing research” at any time.
5. Real people. Real Help. You have email and phone access to the same great RefWorks support.
6. Justifies a new toy. The investment in a new phone or PDA is well worth it when you can get more work done.
7. No more wasted time. Standing in line? Waiting for friends? Stuck in a boring class? Do something useful and work on your research.
8. Think on the fly. Got a brainstorm? Add notes right to your records—no stickies or scraps of paper.
9. Fits in your pocket. No need to lug a laptop with you—RefMobile fits wherever your phone fits.
10. Free! RefMobile is available for all RefWorks users.

Find out more about RefWorks mobile.

ScholarSearch has another search option available that has not yet been implemented by the library that has the potential to overcome all of the MetaLib shortcomings. It would return results in less than one second, would create more accurate facets and have true relevancy ranking available.

I would like to propose that the library implement Deep Searching for ScholarSearch for as many 3rd-party databases as possible.

Specifically, the article talked about Rite-Solutions, a software company, that put in place a system that allowed everyone in the company to contribute ideas and vote on the ones they thought would be most beneficial. Here is what the CEO had to say about this system:

“We’re the founders, but we’re far from the smartest people here. At most companies, especially technology companies, the most brilliant insights tend to come from people other than senior management. So we created a marketplace to harvest collective genius.”

One of the first ideas generated using this system now accounts for 30% of the sales in the company.

I would like to propose something similar for the library. I want to create a Digg-like system that would allow anyone at BYU to contribute ideas to the library and then vote on the ones they think are the best ideas. The ideas could be anything from a new way to search the library’s systems, to new services, to ways the library could save money. The library would then implement the most popular ideas.

• Discuss library related topics amongst employees. If there is a topic that needs to be discussed a forum is a great venue for allowing everyone to express their opinion.  In large public settings a lot of people are inhibited from expressing their opinions, but on a forum people tend to be more open because 100 eyeballs are not looking directly at them. It provides historical data about the conversation.
• Allow students to post questions, make suggestions, and talk about classes. Would student really use a forum? I don’t know. We should see if other libraries have had success getting students to use a forum.
• House the HBLL FAQ, its easy to update and change. Also the most FAQ’s will naturally bubble to the top of a forum as user interact with it.

What else could we use a forum for?

Jacob

Once we have gathered the data what would we do with it? Does it need a Blackboard interface so it can be incorporated into classes? Is it just a place for faculty to store their work so they don’t lose it? Please share your thoughts.

Jacob

Jacob