Apple Inc. has sold more than 500 million iPhones, iPads, and iPodTouches. Library patrons are increasingly coming to libraries with the expectation that their Apple devices will work flawlessly with library services—or that they can find an iPad to use at the library if they don’t have one of their own. Libraries and librarians today are expected to be adept with the latest technology and to be able to apply it to popular use as well as scholarly research.

Using iPhones and iPads: A Practical Guide for Librarians offers library professionals a clear path to Apple readiness. The authors, a librarian and a software developer at a prominent research library, combine their experience in library public services and mobile technology to provide easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions to help you get up to speed on:

Ensuring that your library website and online resources are iDevice-friendlyCreating a custom app for your library and making it available in iTunesStarting an iPad lending programUsing iDevices for librarianship and library workAssessing and advertising iDevice programsAcquiring, configuring, and deploying iDevices to usersRecommended apps that can help you and your users
Whether you work at a large academic institution or a small public library, this book will show you how to become iDevice-literate quickly and easily.

The primary audience for this book includes librarians and library IT staff with clear, easy-to-follow instructions for using iDevices for a variety of purposes across all types of libraries. . . .This title is a good purchase if your school is considering iDevices. * School Library Connection *
The success of this book comes from the detailed practical information supported by step-by-step guides, examples and references for obtaining further information. This book is recommended for anyone working in a library who wishes to learn more about the capabilities of these devices within a library setting. * Australian Library Journal *
Using iPhones, iPad, and iPods provides an in-depth look at how patrons are using iOS devices, and how libraries can make resources compatible for these devices. Additionally, Matthew Connolly and Tony Cosgrave provide detailed information on how to offer and lend iOS devices to patrons, and how these devices can be valuable tools for library staff. Using iPhones, iPad, and iPods is a valuable resource for libraries implementing or planning to implement iOS devices into library services. -- Ben Rawlins, assistant library director & digital services coordinator, Georgetown College

Matthew Connolly is a library developer and Apple enthusiast. He is currently an application and web developer at Cornell University Library, where he has worked on a variety of library services and tools for the public and library staff alike. He holds a Master of Engineering degree from Cornell, specializing in systems engineering.
Tony Cosgrave is a librarian and instruction coordinator at Cornell University Library. He holds a Master of Library and Information Science from the State University of New York at Albany. He has served as a computer services librarian and network services librarian at Cornell. He was CUL’s first webmaster and administered a local web server prior to the availability of a central Library web service. He helped configure and manage the Cornell University Library Collaborative Learning Computer Lab (CL3), a state-of-the-art facility used to support advanced collaborative computing, including game design. Tony led the team that developed the CUL iPhone app.