My current favorite for all-around useful gadget is my iPod Touch, the phone-less cousin of the ubiquitous iPhone. Although I can’t place calls on my Touch, I can still access my email and browse the Internet over any Wi-Fi connection, which means I don’t need to lug around a laptop much anymore.

Having the full Internet in my pocket (so to speak) is pretty darn exciting, since I can check my library account online anywhere I go, renewing books and placing holds anywhere I’ve got Wi-Fi. But I’m even more excited for the upcoming June release of the iPhone (and iPod Touch) Application Store, which will allow users to officially download and install new applications and features onto these gadgets. This means that these already versatile devices will soon be even more exponentially capable, getting even closer to the functionality of a small computer.

Finally, Apple has made the Software Development Kit for creating new applications for the iPhone (and iPod Touch) available for only $99. Imagine if a library created an application especially for the iPhone (and iPod Touch) that allowed users even more portable access to the library’s services and materials. Perhaps OverDrive or NetLibrary could create an app that allowed library users to checkout and download e-audiobooks straight to their device. Or an ILS could create an app that took advantage of the iPhone’s capabilities, displaying books on the shelf or checked out to a patron in a Cover Flow style of display.

Although the iPhone and iPod Touch are still relatively new and haven’t completely broken into the mainstream, it seems pretty likely that they represent the future of small, ubiquitous and always-connected devices. It sure wouldn’t hurt libraries to start investigating this phenomenon now, while it is still early and there is plenty of time to experiment.