Everyone is talking apps, but . .

At ISTE11 everyone is talking about powerful apps for learning.

Apps for creating art and music and for publishing.  Remarkable apps for special education.   And apps for research.

Educators here are discussing the powerful role mobile devices and apps can play in student research.  But no one is talking about library apps. No one is talking about apps for the databases school and public libraries subscribe to.

We have not done our job sharing our apps with this large group of educators.  Likely most educators. These apps do not appear to be on anyone’s radars, much less their screens.

I just showed my Gale resources to the educators sitting at my small group table and THEIR JAWS DROPPED!  Right now, they are all finding their own school and public libraries.

Vendors, how can you help us get the word out?  And, vendors, if you haven’t yet developed an app, it’s time.  I want to carry all my favorite databases on my lovely, new iPad.  And I need help creating apps for my library.

Here’s iLibrarian’s three-part list of library-ish apps.  Perhaps we can update it in comments.

Filed under: apps, databases, research