We are a small regional library system and all librarians and Youth
Services staff have iPads.

As librarians we use it for Guerilla reference as Ken mentioned. We also
use them to demonstrate how to download apps like Hoopla and Zinio which
the library subscribes to. Having tablets helps the frontline staff
familiarize themselves with them, so that we can answer our patrons
questions.

Youth services uses the tablets in conjunction with Apple TV, for story
time and other special events.





*Nandhitha Agaram*
*Information Services Librarian*
*Appomattox Regional Library*
*804-458-6329 ext 2020*
*[log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>*

On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 11:53 AM, Ken Irwin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Three things I do with a tablet in the library:
>
> 1. guerrilla reference -- if I'm carrying a tablet I don't need to be near
> a computer to help folks out when wandering around the library. (this is an
> ad hoc activity for me, but I imagine some people do it more deliberately.)
>
> 2. weeding -- my Weeding Helper tool is designed to export holdings data
> from III catalogs and let librarians make notes about weeding while
> standing in the stacks:
> https://github.com/kenirwin/Weeding-Helper
>
> 3. Our library has recently started using Suma (developed by C4L folks
> from NCSU) for doing head counts and logging reference transactions. It is
> tablet-based and also works on desktops. The tabletiness works very well
> for doing headcounts, since you can walk around and count noses and enter
> data all at the same time.
> https://github.com/cazzerson/Suma
>
> I'm curious to know what other folks are doing with tablets too.
>
> Ken
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Code for Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Matthew Sherman
> Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2014 11:30 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [CODE4LIB] Tablet Uses for Library Staff
>
> Hi all,
>
> Today a few of us received our a few Surface Pros to use around the
> library.  Being the digital content librarian for our University I really
> want to figure out some interesting things we can do with them.  I have
> some thoughts on possibly working with inventory and my information
> literacy librarian colleague is thinking how to use them in the classroom.
> Yet, I wanted to poll the group and see what sorts of interesting things
> people are doing with tablets for their library staff, or ideas people
> might have for utilizing a Surface Pro in the library.
>
> Matt Sherman
>