Swem Signal

The Swem Signal is a simple gadget for students stuck in Swem Library to tell their friends where they are.

The concept is quite simple - just click on the floor map, and you get a link to a page with your indicator on that map. Like many college libraries, Swem is fairly cavernous, but a great place to study, and many students keep their laptops open on the desk. The concept is that a student puts the link in their away message and their friends scan through, and discover someone just across the shelf.

It's a simple bit of code (the interface is entirely Javascript-driven, while a bit of server-side logic places the pointer), but the concept was strong enough that it grew from a little installation on my server to a rather popular tool, and eventually was hosted on Swem's website itself.

One cool thing is that a few librarians at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth found it and asked for a copy - and now 'find me at the library' is live in MA. Soon enough, there'll also be a version at UCSD.