Palo Alto City Library patrons now have access to a newly launched mobile catalog, providing greater flexibility for mobile catalog searches and account management.

The mobile catalog, introduced on Monday, Dec. 6, is accessible through mobile applications and any device with a web browser, according to Palo Alto Librarian Jessica Goodman.

“The mobile catalog works with any mobile device with a web browser,” Goodman said. “There are also free, downloadable apps currently available for Android and for iPhone through the Android Market and the App Store, respectively.”

Though a simplified version, the mobile catalog sports a slew of features, including saving search items and locating library branches.

“Mobile catalog features [include] search the catalog, place holds, save items to a list, check your account, renew items [and] locate library branches,” Goodman said. “The mobile catalog is designed to be a stripped-down version of the catalog that loads quickly and fits the catalog’s core features into the space offered by the smaller screens of mobile devices.”

Though the mobile catalog falls short in some respects when compared to the full desktop version, Goodman expects that more functions will be added to future versions.

“The full, traditional catalog offers special features such as more advanced catalog search options [and] Bestseller Lists. [It also] provides links to other areas of our website, such as our free LINK+ service for requesting books,” Goodman said. “We expect that some of the features currently offered by the full, traditional catalog may be incorporated into the mobile catalog in future updated versions.”

A major advantage of the newly introduced mobile catalog is that users will have easier access to library resources when away from a computer.

“You can interact with the library wherever you are,” Goodman said. “If you hear about a book or DVD, you can pop right into our catalog to see if you can get it from the library. When you’re on the go, you can quickly check to see when your library items are due so you can renew them or return them to the nearest library.”

Additionally, the mobile catalog can come in handy when customers are physically present at a library as well.

“You can even use it when you’re looking for something on the shelves at the library, right where you’re standing,” Goodman said. “You’re no longer tied to a desktop computer or an unwieldy laptop to look things up.”

Goodman explained that the recent boom in mobile device usage prompted the Palo Alto City Library to introduce a new service catering to mobile patrons as well.

“The Palo Alto City Library has been watching the growing ownership of smart phones and other mobile devices, and the rapid growth of mobile Internet use,” Goodman said. “Recent studies from researchers such as Morgan Stanley indicate that mobile services are increasingly in demand by both younger generations and older adults. The dramatic shift toward mobile Internet use means that the library needs to have a presence where our customers are.”

The Palo Alto City Library mobile catalog can be accessed at https://www.libanywhere.com/m/299.