Multitouch Microsoft Surface: Cultural Heritage Browser from Jaap van de Geer on Vimeo.

At DOK, they’ve made an app for their Microsoft Surface table that first reads a patron’s profile off of their library card and then displays images from their photo archive based on their address information.  By engaging the user with a slick, seductive interface they make the experience so intriguing that they can’t help but want to search, browse and explore library resources further.  Not only is this project an interesting way to explore local history, it is a lesson in the value of designing interfaces for maximum “playfulness”.  This interface makes searching and browsing FUN!  Sure, that may seem an easy task when you have a sweet MS Surface table to work with, but consider of all of the other interfaces at your library.  The reference desk.  Signs.  The catalog.  All of these are interfaces. How can you create a fun, playful, curiosity-envoking user experience at your library WITHOUT some awesome high-end technologies?

I look forward to the next step in reinventing the library card, when it becomes writable as well as readable. Having just a few gigs of storage on the card would allow patrons to “check out” those images or any other materials as well.