Powell's City of Books in Portland, Ore., is a large and complicated store. A map was included in the release of the Meridian app for iOS. (HowStuffWorks.com screenshot)

I ran into a post by Jennifer Van Grove at Mashable the other day that piqued my interest. Van Grove wrote about an application by Spotlight Mobile called Meridian. It gives iPhone users a way to get their bearings, like many other navigational apps. But it doesn’t just tell you how to get to the store or attraction, it shows you where you’re going inside the building.

Obviously, this isn’t nearly as necessary when you’re going to the convenience store (now why did they have to move the pretzels? How will I ever find them?), but for larger buildings, I think it could be very useful. According to Spotlight’s Web site, the company is working to partner with organizations that want to help customers and patrons navigate large areas. The app just launched and has only one location to choose from. As it happens, it’s my favorite bookstore on the planet, Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Ore.

Powell’s has paper maps available to help shoppers get around the multi-level store, but Meridian offers turn-by-turn directions throughout the store. It’s useful feature in a store with a complicated floorplan — especially if you’re trying to find the bathroom. But Meridian will also tell you other helpful information, such as, for Powell’s, what books are in stock and about upcoming events author events.

Spotlight isn’t just working with retail stores. Others, such as the Portland Art Museum, the American Museum of Natural History and the California Academy of Sciences, have been working with Spotlight to create mobile maps.

I think Meridian is a neat idea — especially for museums, parks, zoos and other large institutions. You could easily add up-to-date information about the attractions visitors are using. Organizations can save on printing costs and be a little more environmentally friendly, too. The turn-by-turn directions would also come in handy for convention goers or sports fans trying to find a quick snack between plays.

If you’ve got an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, you can try the app out for free. Android fans, fret not: Spotlight says on its Web site that the Android version of Meridian is coming soon.

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