Metrolibrary Mobile

Creating a mobile app, in partnership with a third-party vendor, would allow us to integrate several features of our online presence into one easy to use app. While our website and catalog are both responsive and allow for easy use on a mobile device, this app would allow us to pull together the most-used sections of our website (physical and digital catalogs, Events Calendar, databases, branch information) and present them in an easy to use interface that is optimized for mobile devices. Basically, the app would give members the "highlights" instead of presenting them with our entire website on the smaller screen of their mobile device. A mobile app with push notifications enabled allows us to target our messaging to different members based on various activity levels or their physical location (e.g. send a message to those inactive on the app for an extended period of time along the lines of "We miss you!", those entering a library receive a notification to learn of a new service or an upcoming event, those browsing the magazines in a library receive a notification promoting Zinio, reminders are sent when materials are due, etc.). In 2015, an average of 78% of searches on mobile phones converted to a local purchase in comparison to 61% on a pc or laptop. Using this same principle, we can expect to see increased checkouts and downloads to a mobile device. Converting more searches to checkouts and downloads would increase our Market Penetration and provide a platform that enables mobile users a similar consumer-based experience.