Mobile Technologies, Mobile Users: Will Libraries Mobilize?

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Mobile Technologies, Mobile UsersWill Libraries
Mobilize?

• Joan K. Lippincott
• Coalition for Networked Information

LITA National Forum Salt Lake City October 2, 2009
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Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)

• Founded in 1990 by ARL and EDUCAUSE
• Mission accelerate progress in digital
  information related to research and education
• 200 member institutions
• Executive Director Clifford Lynch
• www.cni.org
• Subscribe to cni-announce

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Its a Mobile World

• 80.5 of college students own a laptop
• 66 of college students own an Internet-capable
  cell phone
• 71 of teens 12-17 owned a cell phone in 2008
  compared to 45 in 2004

http//www.flickr.com/photos/shapeshift/707543617/
ECAR Study of Undergrad Students and IT, 2008
Pew Internet, Teens and Mobile Phones, 2009
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E-book readers are taking off

• Kindle sales of a recent bestseller by Dan Brown
  topped print sales at Amazon

http//www.people.com/people/article/0,,20305267,0
0.html
http//www.flickr.com/photos/ericrice/3351068601/
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People of all ages are tweeting
http//blog.searchenginewatch.com/090408-122803
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The mainstream press is producing
mobile-compatible versions of content
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Veteran newswoman Cokie Roberts says

• journalists depend on libraries and librarians
  for information and facts. The library of today
  might be in your cell phone instead of going to
  the building but we need the people in the
  building to get it to the cell phonesThe people
  actually doing the work and the research are
  still in libraries.

http//www.flickr.com/photos/ala_members/362012874
0/
American Libraries , May 2009
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Will your library meet the challenge?

• Provision of content configured for mobile
  devices
• Provision of services for mobile device users
• Promotion of content and services - so potential
  users are aware

http//www.flickr.com/photos/olliesphotos/33319360
4/
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Todays Talk Will Libraries Mobilize?

• Understanding users
• Developing a cohesive strategy
• Collaborating with others

http//www.flickr.com/photos/jblyberg/2073940586/
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I. Understanding Users

• Just a typical college campus
  http//www.flickr.com/photos/partsnpieces/44558163
  5/
• Whats in my bag? http//www.flickr.com/photos/l
  uchilu/378429678/

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Responding to users the environment is changing

• Moving from communication to information devices
• Major universities have a presence in iTunes U.
• Nielsen reports a 52 increase in mobile
  subscribers watching video on a mobile phone
  2008-9

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Kids consider their mobile phone to be their
best friend.

• If you had to give up all but one device -
  desktop computer, laptop, MP3, tv, game console,
  mobile phone - which would you keep?
• US UK kids chose mobile phone

http//www.flickr.com/photos/studentsforhumanity/3
522628341/
Mobile Life Report 2008 www.mobilelife2008.co.uk
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While technology skills vary

• 67 of students in grades 9-12 maintain a
  personal website
• When asked what they do regularly with technology
  for schoolwork, 27 of K-12 students said they
  create slideshows, videos, and/or webpages
• K-12 students want to use their own devices in
  learning
• Project Tomorrow http//www.tomorrow.org/speakup

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Students in professional programs are key target
populations

• Harvard Medical School survey of students 2007
• 52 own a PDA
• Application with most use reference info with
  26 of respondents only 6 subscribe to podcasts
• As reported in Waiting on the Wave, Campus
  Technology, March 2007 http//campustechnology.com
  /articles/452441

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Most students will go into careers where they
will use technology and produce digital content
every dayand they will increasingly use mobile
devices

• http//www.flickr.com/photos/janet_powell/30326230
  5/

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Do our users want mobile environments that are

• Personal
• Social
• Simple
• Practical
• Fun
• And can libraries deliver them?

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Models for understanding user populations and
assessing needs

• Two studies published by ACRL and available for
  free download

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II. What do you think of when you hear the words
mobile and libraries?

• Typically
• Access to library hours, catalogs, etc. via a
  mobile phone
• SMS text messaging to-from reference staff
• But, there is more

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Developing a cohesive strategy

• Bringing together
• Library general information
• Patron records
• Reference transactions
• Information literacy podcasts and videos
• Access to services - booking group rooms
• Access to catalogs, indexes, abstracts

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Developing a cohesive strategy

• Access to digital content configured for mobile
  devices
• Library owned or licensed
• Freely available on the web
• Geo-spatially linked information
• Loan of devices
• New technologies - whats next?
• Social networking?
• QR Codes?

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Many libraries have prototype serviceswe can
learn from their experience

• Reference available via chat, SMS
• Information literacy podcast tutorials
• Clickers in information literacy classes
• Catalog, patron record, call number, computer
  availability information available for mobile
  phones
• Provision of ILL content on Kindles
• Loan of mobile devices

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Bringing it together
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Scholarly resources are emerging arXiv for the
iPhone
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Libraries are using institutional content in
creative ways

• Digital images from Special Collections at Duke
• NC State U. - Location-aware campus tour linked
  to map with geotagged placemarks associated with
  images from Special Collections

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Where do these mobile-accessible resources fit in
your plan?

• World Cat Mobile
• Google Book Search Mobile
• RefWorks Mobile
• Blackboard
• Audiobooks for Ipods, Iphones, and MP3 players

• IEEE Xplore database
• J American Chemical Society (beta)
• ITunes U
• Podcasts from research education institutions

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And we will see new services emerge

• QR codes can link locations, books, etc. to web
  pages with additional information, links to
  social networking sites, or phone nos.
• Ramsden, A., Jordan, L., 2009. Are students ready
  for QR codes? Findings from a student survey at
  the University of Bath. Working Paper. University
  of Bath. http//opus.bath.ac.uk/12782/

http//www.flickr.com/photos/cocreatr/2211459923/
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Services via Twitter
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Some libraries also serve as a main campus
resource for device information

• Comparison of mobile devices
• Workshops
• Help Desk support

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Some may offer re-charging stations for devices -
Montesquieu Learning Centre
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Promoting ServicesArizona State U. Library
Channel
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Promoting ServicesWestern Illinois U. Libraries

• Text Me service
• In the online catalog, users can click on text
  me this call no., input a cell phone no., and
  the call no. is sent to the users phone
• Promoted through video on YouTube

http//www.youtube.com/watch?v2yjlz1zZ1cU
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Cornell Mann Library
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Pilot services in the context of an overall plan
http//www.flickr.com/photos/jasonyungny/255563188
8/
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III. Collaborating with others

• Partnerships within the library
• Partnerships with academic or IT units
• University-wide partnerships

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Partners within the library

• IT or Systems
• Developing platforms implementing solutions
• Reference
• Planning and delivering services selecting
  content
• Departmental liaisons
• Keeping abreast of department initiatives or
  requirements

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Partners within the library

• Special collections
• Developing campus-driven applications
• Access services
• Loaning equipment and content
• Administrators
• Developing a planning process
• Acquiring or reallocating resources
• Getting a seat at the institutional table

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Silos will not lead to a cohesive environment for
users
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How will libraries interface with initiatives
like these?

• At Indiana U., business grad students are offered
  discounts on Blackberry smartphones
• At U. Missouri, journalism students are required
  to buy an Iphone or Ipod Touch
• As reported in Chronicle of Higher Ed, May 22,
  2009

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PartnershipAcademic/Library/IT

• Physician Assistant Graduate Program
• 2007 Smartphone pilot working with IT and
  Library now full implementation
• 3 key applications including Merck Manual

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Is your institution developing a plan for mobile
device users?
http//www.flickr.com/photos/cogdog/2904234291/
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No. of Key Institutional Web Services Made
Available for Handheld Devices

• 44 of higher education institutions said None
• 40 of higher education institutions said A Few
• 40 identified mobile communications as an area
  of importance in their technology strategic plan
• Spreading the Word Messaging and
  Communications in Higher Education, EDUCAUSE
  Center for Applied Research, 2009

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The Report Concludes

• our research reveals a troubling lack of
  preparation by higher education to handle the
  growing demand for mobile services.
• Spreading the Word Messaging and
  Communications in Higher Education, EDUCAUSE
  Center for Applied Research, 2009

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Some universities are developing mobile portals
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These portals may or may not include the library

• An ECAR study listed 11 core campus activities
  where there might be use of mobile strategies
  (e.g. registration, teaching, safety) but no
  mention of the library
• There are reports of campus strategies which do
  include libraries, e.g. MIT, U. San Diego, U.
  Illinois U-C, and others

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Ensure your seat at the table
http//www.flickr.com/photos/chemheritage/34409625
95/
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Whats in your bag? Does your library have a
presence?
Joans bag
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Now Is the Time

• To study your local environment and users
• To institute pilot projects
• To participate in institutional planning
• To promote awareness of your efforts to your user
  community
• To disseminate information about your successes
  and problems
• To fully participate in the mobile revolution

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Thank You!Resources
Lippincott, Joan. Mobile Technologies, Mobile
Users. ARL A Bimonthly Report. No. 261, Dec.,
2008. http//www.arl.org/resources/pubs/br/br261.s
html Mobile Reference What Are the Questions?
Reference Librarian 2009 (Forthcoming)
Sheehan, Mark and Judith Pirani. Spreading the
Word Messaging And Communications in Higher
Education. Boulder, CO EDUCAUSE Center for
Applied Research, Vol. 2, 2009. www.educause.edu/e
car M-libraries wiki http//www.libsuccess.org/in
dex.php?titleM-Libraries
Note All photos used from flickr have Creative
Commons licenses
Contact joan_at_cni.org