Today, after wresting the iPad from Paul, I was wandering around the GCW with it making some notes for another project (a new group room booking system if you must know). This felt quite cool I must admit, and let me get a grasp of how the iPad would feel if someone had to walk around with it all day. It actually felt quite easy, but that’s not the point of this blog post.
The point is that I was asked two library related questions by students simply because I had an iPad and looked authoritative. No uniform, no sign saying “ask our library staff questions – they’re the ones with iPads”, my ID clipped to my belt but not obvious.
As it turned out I was able to answer their queries using the web browser and the HiP interface, but for two people to ask questions in the middle of summer with no advertising or clear indication that I even worked in the Library should show just how receptive people are to the concept of a roving librarian.
Up next: our iPad interface, concepts for the new library web front-end, playing with RFID (hopefully), improved and automated Horizon to Jerome path and Journal integration!
