By Joseph Sapia
Even when traveling out of state, Rita Bender has been in touch with the Monmouth County Library – through an application on her mobile telephone.
“It’s convenient when I’m away,” said Bender, who is an avid reader, as well as the circulation supervisor in the system’s Holmdel Library.
“I can renew books, place holds. It has magazines. I used it in Florida, Minnesota.”
Through Dec. 31, the library system will be promoting its “Monmouth County Library in the Palm of Your Hand” campaign.
Library System Director Judith Tolchin wants to spread the word of all that is available at the free library. “There is a high dependence of people on their mobile devices. The model for the world is changing. My idea was not to tell people not to come to the library – but (to tell them) all we have.”
People often do not know what is available, Tolchin said.
By using the app, which was launched in 2014, patrons can do such things as download electronic books and audio books and read magazines. About 79,500 e-books, 4,600 audio books and 110 magazines are available via the app.
Even when traveling out of state, Rita Bender has been in touch with the Monmouth County Library – through an application on her mobile telephone.
“It’s convenient when I’m away,” said Bender, who is an avid reader, as well as the circulation supervisor in the system’s Holmdel Library.
“I can renew books, place holds. It has magazines. I used it in Florida, Minnesota.”
Through Dec. 31, the library system will be promoting its “Monmouth County Library in the Palm of Your Hand” campaign.
Library System Director Judith Tolchin wants to spread the word of all that is available at the free library. “There is a high dependence of people on their mobile devices. The model for the world is changing. My idea was not to tell people not to come to the library – but (to tell them) all we have.”
People often do not know what is available, Tolchin said.
By using the app, which was launched in 2014, patrons can do such things as download electronic books and audio books and read magazines. About 79,500 e-books, 4,600 audio books and 110 magazines are available via the app.
App users also can do such things as search the catalog, check personal account information and take courses.
“I can use it wherever, which is wonderful,” said Marcy McMullen of Holmdel. “You’re always connected to read or listen to anything that’s available.”
McMullen said she downloads a lot of audio books.
“I love listening to books,” McMullen said. “Bike riding, driving around, audio books are great.”
McMullen said she also likes that she can put a book on hold via the app, then get notified via email when the book is available. But McMullen also uses the library system in person, using the and Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury.
“I can use it wherever, which is wonderful,” said Marcy McMullen of Holmdel. “You’re always connected to read or listen to anything that’s available.”
McMullen said she downloads a lot of audio books.
“I love listening to books,” McMullen said. “Bike riding, driving around, audio books are great.”
McMullen said she also likes that she can put a book on hold via the app, then get notified via email when the book is available. But McMullen also uses the library system in person, using the and Eastern Branch in Shrewsbury.
“I do all of it, whatever suits me at the time,” McMullen said.
The app was initially funded with $10,000 from the non-profit Library Link computer network, with the library system contributing $10,000 annually, Tolchin said.
Stephanie Laurino, manager of the system’s Colts Neck Library, demonstrated the app to the reporter, explaining that it was designed to be easy to use.
McMullen said the app is definitely “user-friendly.” Kathryn Perez, an assistant at the Holmdel Library, also noted the friendliness of the app, saying “it’s the basics of basics.”
On vacation, Perez will take one small book with her and, along with that, use the app, she said.
Laurino said she likes that the app has a “Book Look” feature, which can scan the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) bar code on a book in a bookstore, for example, and determine if the library system has the book available.
“Really, that Book Look is great,” Laurino said.
The library system has 167,000 cardholders. From January to June, the app was accessed 592,944 times – the most uses for checking the catalog (381,797) and 189,966 times for checking personal accounts.
“The app we have now has taken us pretty far, but we’re considering a new app to do more,” Tolchin said.
The app was initially funded with $10,000 from the non-profit Library Link computer network, with the library system contributing $10,000 annually, Tolchin said.
Stephanie Laurino, manager of the system’s Colts Neck Library, demonstrated the app to the reporter, explaining that it was designed to be easy to use.
McMullen said the app is definitely “user-friendly.” Kathryn Perez, an assistant at the Holmdel Library, also noted the friendliness of the app, saying “it’s the basics of basics.”
On vacation, Perez will take one small book with her and, along with that, use the app, she said.
Laurino said she likes that the app has a “Book Look” feature, which can scan the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) bar code on a book in a bookstore, for example, and determine if the library system has the book available.
“Really, that Book Look is great,” Laurino said.
The library system has 167,000 cardholders. From January to June, the app was accessed 592,944 times – the most uses for checking the catalog (381,797) and 189,966 times for checking personal accounts.
“The app we have now has taken us pretty far, but we’re considering a new app to do more,” Tolchin said.
The library system is switching to a new web page, with better metrics, Tolchin said. It should begin running in January.
The “Monmouth County Library in the Palm of Your Hand” campaign points to various computerized uses, not only apps, Tolchin said. For example, there are people who visit the system libraries and use computers on site – such as Frank Van Note of Colts Neck.
Van Note, a retired music teacher in the Marlboro school district, researches the history of his family, which includes such old area surnames as Schanck and Conover. He has traced family lineage to the 1400s.
“I don’t have a computer at home,” said Van Note. He does his work at the Colts Neck Library.
The library system gives Van Note free access to the Ancestry.com genealogy site. He also uses the computer to look for family obituaries in the now-defunct Red Bank Register newspaper.
The “Monmouth County Library in the Palm of Your Hand” campaign points to various computerized uses, not only apps, Tolchin said. For example, there are people who visit the system libraries and use computers on site – such as Frank Van Note of Colts Neck.
Van Note, a retired music teacher in the Marlboro school district, researches the history of his family, which includes such old area surnames as Schanck and Conover. He has traced family lineage to the 1400s.
“I don’t have a computer at home,” said Van Note. He does his work at the Colts Neck Library.
The library system gives Van Note free access to the Ancestry.com genealogy site. He also uses the computer to look for family obituaries in the now-defunct Red Bank Register newspaper.
“It’s very good,” Van Note said. “You can do Ancestry, go into other sites. You can check records from England, Ireland. You can check immigration.”
“You can get things from the library you didn’t think possible,” Tolchin said. “We’re that leveling force that fosters knowledge and education and bringing yourself up in this world. Public libraries are so important.”
As for the app, Bender said she likes that “I have it with me at all times.”
“My kids, my grandkids ask for books,” Bender said. “I say, ‘Hold on, let me check.’”
The app can be downloaded from the library system website, www.monmouthcountylib.org.
“You can get things from the library you didn’t think possible,” Tolchin said. “We’re that leveling force that fosters knowledge and education and bringing yourself up in this world. Public libraries are so important.”
As for the app, Bender said she likes that “I have it with me at all times.”
“My kids, my grandkids ask for books,” Bender said. “I say, ‘Hold on, let me check.’”
The app can be downloaded from the library system website, www.monmouthcountylib.org.
