Library app project

The idea of expanding our library services with a mobile app has been around for a couple of years. Customers have a growing number of mobile devices at their disposal and want to use them to access library functionalities. When it turned out that developing a joint app with other University departments was not going to work out, we decided to develop an app of our own.

Frank den Hollander and Jan Herman Veldkamp attended a SURF Mobile App Development summer school and designed an app. Thanks to a contribution from the IT Strategy Fund, the app team could be supplemented by developer Konstatin Ignatov and graphic designer Martijn van der Weide.

The app is certainly not going to offer all library functionalities, only those that are frequently used and are handy to have on your mobile device. The features offered by the first release include:

  • Opening hours for each library location
  • Available workstations at each library location
  • Contact details and directions for each library location
  • Browsing the catalogue, making reservations, renewing loans and checking your library account
  • Library news and agenda
  • Push notifications when a loan period expires or when a reservation or requested book has arrived

The app will be made available on iOS and Android.