Take DPPL With You On the Go!

I am not a "phone person." This makes me something of a social misfit, because we live in a world where constant mobile phone use is the norm. However, in my case, it simply means I don't like talking on the phone -- I love doing a lot of other things on that same mobile device! I read the news, check the weather and the baseball scores, send emails and texts, chat via Instant Messenger, Google anything I need to know, change my Facebook status, etc. etc.

Are you like me - someone who uses a phone for many different applications, not just talking? Well, then fire up your Web browser for a new bookmark -- the Des Plaines Public Library mobile device home page! The address (URL) is simple: www.dppl.org/mobile. You can also search for DPPL.org, and then click on the link at the top of the site that says, "Phone/Mobile Access."

When you get there, you'll see a very simplified Web site for the Library, with the kind of basic information we think a patron needs while on the go. There are links to our main phone number as well as the Reference Desk - click the number and it will be dialed on your phone. Our hours and directions for driving and public transportation are also included. While not mobile-optimized, you can also check our Library Catalog and your account information from this page - you're out and you want to see if you have any overdue books before you get to DPPL, that kind of thing. And we've included links to three of our blogs, for those days when you're commuting on the train or sitting at Starbuck's and could use a fun, informative read. Short and sweet, plain and simple - just like a mobile Web site should be.

We know that more and more people are using their mobile phone as their primary Internet access point. The current economic downturn will make it difficult for many to afford a computer and Internet access at home, while phones are getting less expensive and more innovative all the time. We hope that our ability to offer services to you over the phone doesn't stop here, so we are asking our vendors to consider mobile-optimized sites in the future - imagine being able to search all of our databases and read the research materials right on your phone! If you enjoy surfing the Web on your mobile device, please check out our new mobile pages and let us know what you think.