Need library info? There's an app for that

Persons will now be able to access information about the Jamaica Library Service on their mobile phones courtesy of an application (app) that was created by Chni Golding, who won a Library Mobile App Competition, put on by Microsoft.

Golding was on Thursday announced the winner at a Jamaica Library Service Tech Fest opening ceremony, held at the library offices in St Andrew.

Jermaine McDonald, technical account manager at Microsoft and a judge of the competition, explained that the objectives were mainly to design an app to provide users with information on the various programmes and features that the organisation offers and to create maps which show where libraries are located across the island.

Golding noted that she believed that the Jamaica Library Service App, also called Jalsa, will revolutionise the way information is disseminated in addition to attracting more young people to seek knowledge.

GENERATING INTEREST

"I am not so much an advanced person when it comes to technology, but I like technology. A lot of people are not using the library because they find it very boring, so creating an application for the Jamaica Library Service would be of utmost importance, especially for school-age children because it's kind of impossible for us to have over 900 libraries in our schools and yet the illiteracy rate is very high," she said.

The 24-year-old, who is a registered nurse, also told The Gleaner that the app offers information which should keep every citizen in the know.

"Within the application, I have two Facebook pages, and those were created for the application itself. One should take you directly to the Jamaica Library Service Facebook page, so you can see everything that they offer, [including] when there is a competition and when there is something going on in the library," said the past student of the Westwood High School for Girls in Trelawny.

"I also created a website and you can go directly from the application to the website, and it pretty much informs and it provides you with a lot more information on what the library service is about and the application itself. You are able to either call, email or find the libraries. There is a map within the application where you can go to identify or find each library, in addition to a gallery and a YouTube video demonstration," she said.