Finding the right book in the library these days doesn’t involve a card catalog. In fact, it doesn’t necessarily involve a computer terminal or even a librarian, thanks to a mobile phone application called Minrva, developed by student interns in the undergraduate library’s Technology Prototyping Service (TPS).
“Basically, it allows library users to use their cell phones to search books and journals, request books, and after they request them, pick them up from the front desk,” said Pengyu Ren, a TPS intern.
That’s not all. If a student just wants to look at a book, a tap of Minrva’s Wayfinder module will bring up a map to identify the right shelf. If the student wants to save the book for later, the Favorites module will log the call number. And if the student decides to use the book or article in a term paper, Minrva’s Citation Generator puts the info in proper form instantly.
Ren, a senior from Tainjin, China, majoring in statistics and computer science, helped develop the iOS version of Minrva. He is now part of the team creating a tool that library staff will use to manage wait lists for textbooks on reserve.
“We created an app called Hoot that can put all the students on the list for a specific textbook. Then, when the first student returns the book, the second student will be automatically notified by text and email,” he said. The current system relies on a signup sheet.
James Hahn, a professor of library administration and founder of TPS, said Hoot is an example of the TPS mission: to mentor students in designing technologies that address their academic needs.
“Managing the reserves waiting list is not a service built into any library system we have, so we pretty much built that from scratch,” Hahn said. “What we’re really doing is supporting student learning. That’s the one thing we always keep centered on.”
Another Minrva module in development is Topic Spaces, designed to help students find relevant research materials by snapping a picture of the call number of one book they like. Topic Spaces will respond with recommendations of similar books that could easily be missed because they aren’t nearby or are currently checked out. Sadhana Krishnamoorthy, another TPS intern working on Topic Spaces, said the module will provide “a wider variety of exactly what you’re looking for.”
All of these functions allow students to find what they need without having to consult a human librarian – a strategy that accommodates students with a variety of learning styles.
“It’s a lot easier for students who have trouble with interpersonal communication,” said Krishnamoorthy, a junior from Palatine, Ill., majoring in astronomy and computer science. “I work with a lot of engineers, and some of them do get frustrated when they can’t really explain what they’re trying to ask. This is easier, because you can just figure it out on your own.”
Hahn, the Orientation Services and Environment librarian, said staff members can’t always be wandering through the stacks, or remain instantly available at the help desk at all hours. “Plus, lots of times, we find that students are coming to librarians as a last resort,” he said. “So instead of working with students at the point where they feel like they’ve exhausted all their resources, maybe we could get them the resources upfront, and really integrate library service into the technologies they’re already using.”
Of course, students can still get research support the old-fashioned way – by walking up to the reference desk, or by using the popular virtual chat service. But students who prefer to ask bigger questions anonymously can track the librarians’ answers via another Minrva module available to patrons of the Undergraduate Library. Since 1972, the library’s popular Question Board has dispensed scholarly, entertaining answers to students’ unsigned queries on topics ranging from academic research to the meaning of life.
“The librarians respond back with books in different research areas and reference tools to encourage students to look at different areas of the library,” Krishnamoorthy said. “The answers are very funny.”
Answers to questions about computer viruses, the Bermuda Triangle, prison hair salons, Emily Bronte, life after love and “Does she really think his tractor’s sexy?” are among the dozens currently available through the Minrva app.
