Attendees of the joint SF Bay / San Andreas SLA chapter dinner meeting enjoyed a fast-paced presentation by Sarah Houghton-Jan, Digital Futures Manager, San Jose Public Library, who blogs at the Librarian in Black (http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/).
Mobile devices change how we interact with our users and the services that can be provided. Mobile services are ubiquitous, and people are using them to do multiple things quickly and efficiently. According to a Morgan Stanley report (http://mashable.com/2010/04/13/mobile-web-stats/), 80% of American adults currently use mobile devices, and by 2015 two-thirds of them will be using smart phones.
As librarians we need to ask our users what devices they use and how they are accessing the library. Then we need to design our services based on what users need and the platforms they use. Improved mobile access can be provided in two major areas. The first is a mobile-friendly website which requires simplifying the traditional interface and which meets the needs of a wider number of users. The second is apps, which can be more sophisticated, but must be downloaded to a smart phone. Sarah recommends modifications to the library website so it is more usable by mobile devices before developing apps.
How prevalent are mobile devices in your library? According to Sarah, 25% of San Jose Library users access the library website using mobile devices, despite a relatively mobile-unfriendly interface. 18% only use mobile devices, meaning 1 out of 5 patrons have totally mobile access. Basic statistics can be collected using available services such as Mosio’s texting and Twitter’s direct messaging statistics.
Sarah presented these 10 steps to creating mobile services quickly and cheaply:
1. Your website
Mobile friendly sites are simple and load quickly. The W3C has a validator to check if your site is mobile friendly (http://www.w3.org/Mobile/). The White House website fails; NPR does well. Fleur Helsingor at UC Berkeley wrote a guide on how to create a library website friendly to mobile devices. It is important to test different platforms because a site that looks good on one device may not be functional on another.
2. Your catalog
Some library systems have mobile-friendly catalogs, e.g. SOPAC, Evergreen, Koha. Check with your vendor whether the catalog is a site or an app, whether it is free or involves a fee, any loss of features or functionality, and whether it is editable. If your material is available in WorldCat (http://www.worldcat.org/), consider using it for mobile app and mobile webpage. Boopsie (http://www.boopsie.com/) can help to create mobile services relatively inexpensively.
3. Databases
Do your databases have mobile apps and/or mobile-friendly pages? EBSCO has a mobile-friendly page; Gale has apps. Check with your vendors and be sure to watch for feature and functionality loss.
4. e-books
Do they work? E-audiobooks usually work. E-textbooks tend not to work. OverDrive has an e-book app. Check with your vendors.
5. Reference
Text messaging works, e.g. library H3lp (https://libraryh3lp.com/docs/h3lp. Text a Librarian by Mosio (http://www.textalibrarian.com/), Twitter, and IM (free clients available from Meebo,Trillium, AIM, Google) can be used. Web chat does not work on a mobile.
6. Social media
Facebook and Twitter have many mobile apps. Use these sites as an extension of your website, e.g. to announce resources and events. Facebook Chat can be used. Use Twitter for users new to the library or to explain what you can do for them.
7. Location-based services
Consider using location-based social networking sites that allow users to check in at a location. They combine geo-location and data, and add an element of fun. Foursquare (http://foursquare.com/) and Gowalla (http://gowalla.com/) are two companies offering this service. Tips on how to use library services and library tours are two possible library uses.
8. Tier two stuff
The first is developing apps. Santa Clara County Library has an app that uses Boopsie. The D.C. Public Library has iPhone and Android apps. The second is in-library services to support mobile devices. These could be a walk-in mobile messaging center, a mobile charging station, and/or a mobile media downloading station.
9. Marketing mobile in your library
Market your mobile services using mobile services. Start an opt-in list for library texting. GOGII has textPlus (http://www.textplus.com/). Buy ads in apps. Have contests for signing up.
10. Supporting staff use of mobile
Ensure your staff has mobile access to email and the calendar. Train staff on mobile access and encourage use. Apps important for librarians include ones for WorldCat, Aldiko (http://www.aldiko.com/) for a free e-book reader, Google Translate, Thinking Space (http://www.thinkingspace.net/) a mind mapping tool, and Foursquare, the most popular location-based service.
Sarah’s full presentation is at http://units.sla.org/chapter/csfo/calendar/archive.html. You can follow her at The Librarian in Black http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/contact.
Thanks again to our sponsors for the evening: IEEE, Research Solutions, LexisNexis, Reprints Desk, and Taylor & Associates!
Report provided by Wesley Taoka and Jean Bedord, Program Director, 2010
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