[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Android application

[Elizabeth Thomsen]

On 3/25/2011 11:12 AM, Lori Bowen Ayre wrote:
> Or what about adding items to your library account wish list or book bag?

I frequently use my phone to scan ISBNs for books that I see in 
bookstores, libraries or wherever if I want to read them but not to buy 
or borrow them right that minute.  I use an Android app called 
barcode2file and then save the file or just e-mail the list to myself. 
I use the batch import feature on LibraryThing to upload the file or 
copy and paste from the e-mail message and add the books to my library 
assigning them all a specific tag so I remember why they're in there.  I 
find scanning ISBNs much easier than writing down the titles.

As a patron or staff member, I wish I could do something like that with 
my library system -- scan barcodes (item barcodes or ISBNs) and have the 
system put them all in a bookbag or bucket to deal with later.  And if I 
uploaded an ISBN for a book that wasn't in the system, I'd like it to go 
import the brief record.

I agree with Dan that smartphones aren't great barcode scanners, 
although they are getting better all the time, and you get used to using 
them. But they're definitely handy when you're out and about, whether 
that's in a bookstore or up in the stacks and don't have a better 
scanner handy.

For real library projects, I'd love something like the ScoutPal system 
that people use to find used books to buy for resale. You scan the 
barcode and get back instant results on availability and pricing.  I 
think something like this would be a dandy weeding tool to take out into 
the stacks -- scan the item barcode and get a concise display on the 
status of other copies, the total checkouts and most recent activity, 
etc.  I'd like a little logic in there, too, so you could tell it that 
if there are other copies in the system and the item is more than 8 
years old and hasn't circulated in more than 3 years, it should be 
flagged for review.  You should have options to change the status and 
put the item into a bucket, ready to delete those items or pass them 
along to someone else to review.

ScoutPal: http://www.scoutpal.com/

-- 
Elizabeth Thomsen, Member Services Manager
NOBLE: North of Boston Library Exchange
26 Cherry Hill Drive
Danvers MA 01923
Blog: http://www.noblenet.org/ethomsen/
E-mail: et at noblenet.org