Watson Library Graduate Assistant Walter Schlect uses a library iPad while enjoying Watson's soft seating.
«January 2014 marked the first time that Americans used mobile apps more than desktop computers to access the Internet. Smartphone and tablet apps are increasingly tied into everyday tasks, from buying coffee to posting to Instagram to paying bills to . . . art research!»
Visitors at both the Thomas J. Watson Library and Nolen Library now have the option to buckle down and study (or sit back and relax) with a library iPad loaded with an ever-increasing array of art-related apps curated by our illustrious iTeam: Catherine Paolillo, William Blueher, Kate Sweeney, and Leah High.
Senior Library Associate Catherine Paolillo demonstrates a creative use for the library iPad in Watson's Periodicals Room. Photobomb by Garage Magazine
Use the iPads to view our Digital Collections in a touchscreen-optimized interface, interact with color the way Josef Albers always wanted you to with the new Interaction of Color app, study ancient Egyptian art and monuments in-depth with The Pyramids, or read e-books from ebrary and articles from JSTOR.
If you're feeling creative, our iPads include a stylus that can be used with several drawing and animation apps—Tayasui Sketches, Animation Desk, and Paper, to name just a few. Your digital creations can easily be exported via email.
Screenshot of one of many games in The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends, a kid-friendly iPad app. This game makes use of the iPad's gyroscope—tilting the iPad adjusts the camera angle, giving kids a new way to interact with Eric Carle's famously two-dimensional artwork.
We've also selected a variety of engaging apps for our young visitors in Nolen Library. Kids can learn how shapes interact with Shape Builder, make a virtual finger painting with Doodle Buddy, and explore Eric Carle's illustrations with The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends.
The iPads are loaded with plenty of other apps, and we always welcome suggestions for apps that tie into the study of art and art history. If you have any to recommend, please email us at watson.library@metmuseum.org.