Looking for a Library Book? In Foster City, There's Now an 'App' for That

If you're a regular library user - or, perhaps, you've been meaning to be - utilizing the Foster City Library at 1000 E. Hillsdale Blvd. just got a whole lot easier for smart phone owners.

The is part of the new, consolidated library system called the Pacific Library Partnership (PLP), that now has its own mobile app, making searching for local libraries, browsing their catalogs and seeing calendars of events easy from a smart phone.

PHP is a consolidation of four library systems: PLS (the Peninsula Library System), which serves San Mateo County; BALIS (the Bay Area Library and Information System), which serves Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties; MOBAC (the Monterey Bay Area Cooperative Library System) which serves Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito Counties; and SVLS (the Silicon Valley Library System), which serves Santa Clara County.

This new system is part of a statewide effort supported by the California State Library to consolidate library systems throughout the state in response to economic changes, and also to be more efficient, PLP representatives say. There are currently 15 systems in the state. Under the consolidation plan, 10 of the 15 systems will be consolidated down into three systems, with five independent systems remaining.

With the new PLP Mobile app, users can search for a library in the PLP directory - which the Foster City Library is a part of - or search for any PLP library within a certain distance from you. Once you have selected the library you wish to visit, you can access the library's address, phone number, e-mail address and hours of operation, and find directions via Google Maps.

You can also view the libraries' full mobile websites with event calendars, view RSS feeds, and access their complete catalogs, making searching for that book you've been wanting to read a breeze.

How to Get the PLP Mobile App for Your Phone

To access the library's free mobile download, visit plplibs.boopsie.com using your phone's Internet browser. Or, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android users can obtain the application through the Apple App Store or Android Market. Do a search for "Pacific Library Partnership" or "PLP LIBS" to locate and download the free application. If you're unable to download from the Android Market, visit http://plplibs.boopsie.com/v2.

For more information, e-mail plpapp@plpinfo.org.