Experimental iPhone and Android
Apps at the University of Illinois
Jim Hahn and Alaina Morales
presentation hashtag: #uiuc4eva
Experimental Services
• Background
– Research and development is partially grant
funded, and one day a week of librarian time
devoted to app research
• Right now I’m spending half a research day in an
augmented reality app class
– Research funding varies year to year for devices,
programmers, and testing supplies
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iPhone apps
• New Titles
• Video Tours
• Location based in-building tour
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iPhone app: new titles
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iPhone app: video tour
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iPhone app: cell phone tour
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iPhone to Android
• iPhone
– Dashcode, a module of the iPhone SDK
• Android
• Java
– Eclipse
» Greater access to the hardware on the device
for WiFi scanning
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Android app
• Library Helper :
– Students input call number and the software
approximates student location in the building;
guides them to the shelf location of the title.
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Library Helper
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Library Helper
• Assessment Methodology
– Rapid Prototyping
– Formative Evaluation
• Small groups of in-depth qualitative data
• Student quotes:
– “I don’t check books out from the library. It’s too scary.”
– “This app shows the library is keeping up with technology.”
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Library Helper
• Next Steps for further development will
include
– Single search bar interface with multiple query
points; incorporating search by title, subject, call
number, course number….
– Personalization
– Recommendation
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Acknowledgements
Presenters wish to acknowledge the Research and Publication
Committee of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Library and the University of Illinois Campus Research Board,
which provided support for the completion of this research.
Many thanks also to Dennis Matthews, PhD candidate in the
department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University
of Illinois for his technical expertise in the development of the
wayfinding app and in building positioning software.
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Questions
• Alaina
–morale26@illinois.edu
• Jim
– jimhahn@illinois.edu
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Links
• Library Helper:
https://market.android.com/details?id=uiuc.library.helper
• iPhone apps:
http://www.library.illinois.edu/ugl/about/Experimental_iPhone_
Apps/iPhone_apps.html
• Android apps:
http://www.library.illinois.edu/ugl/about/Experimental_Android
_Apps/Android.html
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