The St. John’s University Libraries’ BKFNDr app provides a way for students to navigate the often-confusing library stacks and make their way to relevant materials at the shelf level. The goals of the project were two-fold: to assist students in becoming more familiar with the Libraries’ physical collections and layout; and to support the serendipity of browsing via mobile technology. The BKFNDr app is one of the few applications that provides users the opportunity to find materials on library bookshelves using their mobile devices. The app supports students who know what they are looking for and want a quick way to locate the items on the shelves, as well as those who want to browse. The simple design of the app (which consists of just two screens) hides a sophisticated configuration that makes use of one of the more accessible wayfinding technologies on the market – beacons.

The presenters will discuss factors such as concept development, technical development, evaluation and UX implications, financial considerations and future directions for app development at St. John's University Libraries.

The authors wish to thank Anthony Todman, Alyse Hennig, and Judy Bland from the St. John’s University Libraries and Matt Cook, Emerging Technologies Librarian, University of Oklahoma Libraries for their support on this project.