Thrilled to see a dedicated NYPL app. Been waiting for one for years. Has potential to be very useful tool.Biggest initial gripe: Where are the LISTS and the ability to add to/manage them? Many books in NYPLs collection are unavailable to be checked out/put on hold. This is my primary use of the website/catalog beyond searching the catalog itself.

I’m not sure this has been thought throughI, I think like most people, leave my wifi on on my phoneAt the library it does reconnect as it is a remembered networkBut I still need to open a browser page to accept the terms and conditions. I may need to do this unpredictably again if my browser was refreshed or the NYPL branch network was Otherwise the mobile checkout will get stuck as it can’t connect (it just said “loading” rather than something useful). Alternatively I can shut off wifi on my phone. And of course remember to turn it in again later so I don’t use up my data plan. This seems like a good deal of bother to just take out a book. If I use the kiosk in my branch I have to remember to first scan my library card and then the NYPL barcode on the book(s). Easier but still have to remember the sequence as there are no instructions at the kiosk (at least at my local branch)Again, is this really worth it? Maybe if there are long lines, which I don’t see at my branch. Most of this seems like technology for technology’s sake. A solution looking for a problem, which invariably causes other problemsBottom line - perhaps useful at peak times once folks learn all this but when not peak then librarian check out is much easier and faster and hopefully will remain available.

After going years without a dedicated app it’s astounding that one of the greatest libraries in the would couldn’t do better. Instead of consolidating all library information in one app, you have to go to Simply E for digital information. It’s not optimized for iPads so it’s just phone size on the screen. Someone in app development should take a look at the Brooklyn Public Library app for features and user interface.(I wrote this when this app was released a few years ago. Nothing has changed, while the app for the BPL has gotten even better. And worse, I’m now having problems with downloading books from SimplyE.)

Love having the app on my phone for easy access without having to log on to the website and it looks nice enough, but doing anything takes sooooo long (searching the catalog, requesting a hold, loading your holds/checkouts)—I spend more time looking at the spinner than anything else. I usually end up just using the website on my phone’s browser because, even with the extra step of logging in, it’s faster. If they could fix the slowness issues, the app would be great!