Theme Feature
by Rob Zylstra & Stephanie Thero
Libraries Evolve to Stay Connected:
Building the YourLibrary iPad App
Until recently, patrons may not have asked, “Is there an app
for that?” when it came to their public library catalogue.
However, times are changing. And Yellowhead Regional
Library (YRL) in Alberta has been at the forefront.
YRL released its own app for the iPad called YourLibrary
on May 28. This app puts the catalogue of over 150 Alberta
libraries in the hands of iPad users, complementing mobile
efforts made earlier in the year with the release of an
application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
Where the patrons are
At YRL, we constantly have an eye on how our patrons
interact with technology. It also helps that we love new
technology applications and consider ourselves part of the
generation that never goes anywhere – to the store, the
movies or even the sofa – without bringing a mobile
computing device. We strongly believe that making the
connection between mobile users and the library is essential
for libraries’ long-term relevancy and survival. What’s more,
reaching out to a growing population of mobile users
positions our libraries as fresh, vibrant and still relevant in
the increasingly digital world in which we live.
The decision to go mobile
The decision to embark on creating an iPad app stemmed
from an awareness of new possibilities and directions. YRL
library managers, staff and boards are excited about new
technology and about maintaining relevance with their
communities. They encourage and support one another to
reach forward whenever possible. In a culture where high
expectations are supported through encouragement and are
backed financially, the sky’s the limit!
Not without challenges
One of the challenges that we found surprising was
keeping our project within the predefined parameters.
As we developed the app, we became more aware of the
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possibilities and started a list of additional functionality
for future releases. Another challenge was finding elegant
ways for the app to serve more than one purpose. The
intended users are not only library patrons, but also library
staff. In addition to serving as a personal device for patrons
and a reference tool for librarians, the iPad can also serve
as a touch screen OPAC station mounted on the end of a
bookshelf.
In all cases, the user interface and functionality of the
app are the most important parts of what make it a success.
For us, this project was an opportunity to create an interface
designed specifically for the users of our libraries, instead of
being bound by the “one size fits all” products available
through traditional avenues.
The design process was a collaborative effort between
YRL and HybridForge, an Edmonton-based web development
company. We began by identifying functions and some
rough design parameters. HybridForge had ultimate control
over the user interface, which could have been a challenge
for us; however, having worked with us for several months
by the time we embarked on the iPad app, HybridForge was
familiar enough with libraries that they had a good understanding of our expectations.
The app is rich with functionality. Searching can be
limited by library, keyword, title, author, ISBN, and several
material types. All patron account functions that are available
in the OPAC are also offered on the app, including account
balance, item renewal, and the placing and cancelling of holds.
It was also important to offer new functionality outside of
what was available in the OPAC. Therefore, in addition to
patron reviews, the catalogue records integrate cover art,
first chapters, and recommended titles from NoveList.
The app is unique because it takes away some of the
challenges involved in accessing library services on the
web, such as the absence of single sign-on between
multiple websites, of a catalogue separate from integrated
search offerings, and of links to electronic resources and
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Feliciter • Issue #5, 2010 • Vol. 56
Theme Feature
Why Apple?
YourLibrary’s layout simplifies the traditional library catalogue
by providing an elegant and intuitive touch-screen interface.
It seems that a week doesn’t go by without somebody
asking why we chose to develop for Apple devices. The
answer begins with the fact that of all the mobile platforms
in use, the iPhone and iPod Touch together have the largest
single share of hits from mobile devices to our catalogue.
Over the course of one year, catalogue usage statistics
collected using Google Analytics illustrated that although
there were many attempts to access the catalogue using
non-Apple devices, the platforms of these devices varied so
greatly that the total hits from non-Apple mobile browsers
was equal to 10% of the hits from Apple mobile devices.
In short, development for Apple devices gave YRL the
ability to enhance the user experience for a large and
growing sector of mobile library users. With an existing
Apple app, porting the code over to iPad and enriching it to
be optimized for the increased screen real estate was an
affordable venture with high output. To summarize, the
popularity of Apple devices coupled with standardized
hardware and coding practices made developing mobile
software cost-effective and easy to maintain and deploy.
even the library website. Our intention is to continue
development with other library services so that multiple
service platforms are reduced to a single platform that is
a user-friendly and convenient place for library patrons to
access library services.
Technical stuff
Both the available apps provide a connection to the
library database through an application programming
interface (API) provided by our ILS vendor, Polaris Library
Systems. HybridForge used their expertise in databasedriven web development when building the application, and
we contributed to the design of the user interface.
To this point, technical limitations with the vendors we
worked with have been minimal. Thankfully, Polaris, ChiliFresh
and NoveList all supplied relatively well-documented APIs
that minimized valuable developer hours, which might
otherwise have been spent on clarification and troubleshooting. The process went by quickly: within one month we
had a working beta application. In fact, if it weren’t for
Apple’s delay of the iPad release in Canada, we would have
released the app in the last week of April.
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The search screen provides limiters that the user can slide or tap.
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Theme Feature
Promotion and usage
When you’re on the cutting edge of a device that hasn’t
even been released, you need to get the word out fast. We
didn’t know how many of our users and staff were standing
in front of an Apple store before dawn on the iPad’s release
date, so we needed to generate awareness and interest
through promotional materials and demonstrations. Simple
yet eye-catching postcards were designed and distributed
to our member libraries. A news release and a spot on a
local cable network brought attention, and with YouTube
videos, YourLibrary went viral.
We did some of our best word-of-mouth promotion at
the CLA conference. “Is that an iPad?” was immediately
answered with, “Yes, let me show you the app we developed!”
Whether it was the functionality of YourLibrary or the novelty
of the iPad, not one person left the conversation unimpressed.
The multitudes of use are evident. YRL libraries are
piloting the devices as both roaming reference tools and
touch screen OPAC stations. The iPhone app has been
incredibly popular, drawing in technologically savvy users,
and has been downloaded more than 1,200 times. We
envision that every person who owns an iPad and uses our
libraries will use YourLibrary.
What’s next?
catalogue that will be accessible on all of the major mobile
devices, including BlackBerry and Droid, which we will
share with our patrons.
It is certain that there will be new releases of our apps,
but it’s difficult to predict what the future has in store because
technology today moves so quickly. We need to ensure that
we’re filling the gaps, not recreating the wheel. On the other
hand, bringing together library resources into one convenient
interface has value for both patrons and library staff, so we
will continue to focus energy in this direction as well.
Whatever the future has in store, one thing is certain.
The library must continue to go where the patrons are – an
increasingly digital world.
During his time as Client Services Manager at Yellowhead
Regional Library, Robert Zylstra worked to bridge the gap
between the region’s core technology infrastructure and
front line library service. Robert has recently joined Grant
MacEwan University as the Music and Performing Arts
Librarian. He can be reached at zylstrar@macewan.ca.
Stephanie Thero joined Yellowhead Regional Library as
Client Services Librarian in May 2009. She recently
assumed the role of Client Services Manager. She can be
reached at sthero@yrl.ab.ca.
The decision to develop for Apple software did not
leave the users of other mobile platforms in the dark. Polaris
Library Systems is releasing a mobile-friendly online
800m Ahead: Small Public Libraries in Canada
Thank you to all of the readers who have followed the 800m Ahead article over the years.
To date we have featured 50 libraries from across Canada, highlighting their uniqueness and
commitment to the diverse communities they serve. Now it is your turn to tell us about your library!
Does your library have a story? We would love to hear it! We are currently seeking suggestions for
future libraries to feature in the 800m Ahead section of Feliciter. If your library is located in Canada,
serves a population of 10 000 or less, and has a great story to tell, please contact Carrie Jackson
at carrie.jackson@ualberta.ca. Please include a short statement of why your library should
be featured and a description of the town, library and community noting any interesting facts or history.
Stay tuned for future articles, your library could be next!
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Feliciter • Issue #5, 2010 • Vol. 56
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