Surrey council launches free app for libraries

Surrey county council has launched an online app for Apple and Android devices that allows citizens to reserve, renew, browse for items and check their library account at home or on the move. The council said that its online library is used more than 3m times each year, and that it hopes the new app will make it easier for people to manage their accounts. As well as the app, the local authority has also made free Wi-Fi available in all of its 52 libraries, plus two other locations. People can now log onto free Wi-Fi using a library computer, their own laptop, iPad or smartphone. According to Surrey, the introduction of Wi-Fi and the online app cost nothing to develop because they form part of the new libraries' IT contract with technology firm Axiell , which the council said saved it £400,000 on the previous deal. Helyn Clack, Surrey county council's cabinet member for community services and the 2012 Games, said: "Libraries are undergoing a digital revolution and they have become more than a place to simply borrow books. It's vital we adapt to keep up with the changing demands of the people who use them or they risk becoming obsolete. "There is a generation of young people growing up for whom it is second nature to read books on an e-reader or do their studies online. In Surrey we're embracing technology to cater for these changing demands, showing our commitment to the future of Surrey's libraries." The new app can be downloaded from online app stores. The council has also revealed that it hopes to earn up to £10,000 a year by using Google pay-per-click advertising through the online library. Surrey county council has launched a number of IT-related projects over the last 18 months. In March it announced plans to save £100,000 with a new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app for youth workers. It also created a BlackBerry app in 2010 that allows staff to monitor which vehicles are dumping waste at its recycling centres. This article is published by Guardian Professional. For weekly updates on news, debate and best practice on public sector IT, join the Guardian Government Computing network here.