Go mobile! Or not?(Loud thinking for discussion)

What means mobile?

For our discussion: portable devices with connectivity to Internet (phone, tablet, laptop…)

What do people seek in libraries?

• Books or other information sources (for learning, reusing, entertaining…)

• Use Internet for searching the topic of interest

• Space for thinking• Help of professionals• ….

Users : Wish-list for Library of the Future (IFLA)

• Ease of access - as much content as possible online and remotely accessible from wherever , using any device at hand (24/7)

• Ease of search across databases and available content assets,

• Richness of content, • Affordable services• Content translated into the languages that they

understand, • Easy access to resource persons/librarians

What libraries need?

• Re-think the environment in which our users work• Involve users• Market own services, bring them to

users, awareness of services is vital• Be active! Become the part of

everyday life! Imagine…

Why to go mobile?From Top 10

Mobile subscriptions in milions

Population in milions

% Library users

%

China (1) 1,155.3 1,344.1 85.9 15160109 1,1

USA(3) 321.7 311.6 103.3 230270733 73

Russia(6) 227.1 141.9 141.9 60004674 42

Germany(9)

112.7 81.7 137.9 11371384 14

Source: mobithinking,ALA,OCLC, Search Engine Watch

ALA library report

• More and more people turn to e-reading• Pew Internet and American Life study (2012):

• Good news: 88% of those who read e-books also read printed books

age 16+ E-book reading (%) Printed book reading (%)

2012 23 67

2011 16 72

https://dm.coe.int/CED20130004881

232 mobile screen types? Before you get lost..

• Define your mobile strategy (what, why, for whom, for how much) mobile vs responsive design

• Collaborate:– Contact your IT service for considering the BYOD policies valid in your

institution (if any)– Contact your web suppliers for finding out what are the responsive

design constraints– Consider the Data protection issues especially if you will use SAAS or

cloud services– Consider copyright issues– Check whether your library system provider has a mobile support– Prepare for change management (transition of services…)

• Watch the development• Exchange with colleagues, exploit the knowledge in professional

social media

Mobile friendly information service• Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki (http://www.libsuccess.org)• Libraries to Go: Mobile Tech in Libraries. Comprehensive Slideshare presentation

that reviews how libraries can use and develop mobile technologies. Access: http://www.slideshare.net/ellyssa/libraries-to-go-mobile-tech-in-libraries-presentation.

• Library in Your Pocket: Strategies and Techniques for Developing Successful Mobile Services http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/library-your-pocket-strategies-and-techniques-developing-successful-mobile-services

• Sample of mobile services:– Catalogue– Tour– Orientation in shelving– Opening hours– List of e-book titles available for mobile devices– marketing

http://libraries.mit.edu/productivity-tools/mobile-site/

http://www.coe.int/en/web/world-forum-democracy/home

Mobile Phone to Check Out Books from RFID Library: http://youtu.be/4Z5LoGtHNWwUtrecht University Library mobile website http://youtu.be/QjnM26AyRswhttp://www.open.ac.uk/libraryservices/m/

What is your experience?