Findit@NUIM Library Case study of the development and

implementation of a library app

Mary Antonesa ( Project Chair) Senior Librarian for Learning and Research

Information Services NUI Maynooth

Content

• Overview of the project• What we did • How we did it • Impact of app • Lessons learned • Final thoughts

Overview

• New Library Building • Needed further “directional” support • 6 month Computer Science student work

placement• Mobile application to help students find items

and locations • Decided on an app for apple and android

What we did

• Designed a “find it” app to navigate students to items and locations

• Very visual and focused in purpose • Delivered in a 6 month timeframe • Mutually beneficial to the Library and

Computer Science • Designed something special

How we did it

• Library provided very clear ongoing guidance for what we wanted weekly

• Small group with a Chair • Computer Science provided technical know how

weekly• Weekly meetings and reports • Drafted an app over and over • Show cased it at Teaching and Learning Showcase in

June • Launched it at Orientation September 2013

Technically...

• Uses phonegap – open source framework• This allows cross platform applications to be

designed with web technologies• App content is in Drupal which was our CMS • Library can update it beyond life of project

Impact of App

• This is an innovative development unique to NUIM

• Improved user experience• Particularly helpful to first years • Available in App Store and Play store • Free• Download statistics

Lessons Learned

• Students love it• Social Media comments about it • Very useful • Required full 6 months • Plenty of input on all fronts • Computer Science technically maintaining it • No need for us to update content... Yet.

Final thoughts

• Could we build a Findit@ NUIM App• Would consider other apps • Student placement very useful • Build relationships with university colleagues• Positive experience