New UCSD Library App That Zeros in on Available Computers Gets Big Thumbs Up

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A new mobile app launched by the UC San Diego Library during fall quarter has proven to be a real hit with campus smart phone users, especially those who are on the prowl for an open computer in the Library or another study space on campus.  The PC Availability app, developed jointly by the Library and Academic Computing & Media Services (ACMS), is accessible on the Library’s mobile site—http://libraries.ucsd.edu/m—which went live in February, 2011.

According to the Library’s Web manager, Steve Wieda, the app has been among the five most used resources on the Library’s mobile platform, with thousands of students and other Library users accessing the app.  The PC Availability app provides users with instant, minute-by-minute feedback on the availability of approximately 400 computers in computer labs and common areas in the Geisel and Biomedical Library buildings.  In addition, the app shows computer availability in lounges and labs in the Price Center, the Student Center, and Center Hall—84 computers. With a mere click, the popular mobile resource also provides maps to the computer labs and commons.

The Library’s mobile platform, accessed each year by more than 150,000 users, provides smart phone users with access to a number of essential library resources, including facility hours, directions, research tools, the popular Ask a Librarian service, and a mobile version of the library catalog.  According to Wieda, the Library Web services team is constantly evaluating the mobile resources offered by the Library and will be continuing to add new features to the platform on a regular basis.  Feedback from users is welcome and can be provided at:  http://libraries.ucsd.edu/suggestions.html