Gone Mobile? (Mobile Libraries Survey 2010)
Mobile catalogs, SMS reference, and QR codes are on the rise—how are libraries adapting to mobile culture? Oct 15, 2010Librarians, like patrons and researchers, are caught between traditional library service models and the promise of evolving information technologies. In recent years, professional conferences have strategically featured programs and presentations geared toward building a mobile agenda and adapting or adopting services to meet new demands of mobile users. Yet for every librarian with a mobile success story, there are many more seeking to identify how, when, and why to develop mobile library services. Adding to the complexities of the mobile puzzle, even vanguard libraries report relatively little overall usage of mobile services. So while mobile interest and capabilities are increasing, libraries with taut budgets must carefully weigh the benefits of specialized services with the costs of delivery.
To set a baseline on the extent of current mobile services and to identify desired features, LJ recently conducted an email survey of public and academic libraries. Results from the 483 respondents indicate that many libraries are endeavoring to participate in the mobile environment, either by implementing or planning to implement mobile services. Overall, 44% of academic libraries and 34% of public libraries currently offer some type of mobile services to their customers; two out of five libraries of all types, academic and public, report plans to “go mobile” in the near future.
The state of mobile library services
Aside from offering convenience, mobile technologies present new opportunities for libraries to promote access and expand reach. As information consumers increasingly integrate their digital and analog lives, they turn to the information access points that are most readily available to meet their needs. Where do libraries fit into this equation? What services are currently being provided by libraries, and what are on the horizon? What perceptions exist about the need for libraries to provide mobile services and the services to provide?
The majority of academic libraries (65%, including community colleges, undergraduate colleges, and graduate/professional institutions, see illustration) “currently offer” or “plan to offer” services to handheld devices (see chart, p. 31). Priority services include mobile layout of the library’s website, mobile catalog interface, SMS reference (reference assistance via text messaging), and SMS (text message) notifications. Of these, 39% of academic libraries currently offer a mobile-friendly library website, and slightly fewer (36%) offer a mobile-friendly catalog. Ideally, a mobile library website would lead seamlessly to a mobile library catalog, and a correlation between these figures may be surmised (though no explicit correlation was explored in the survey). Of those libraries not presently offering a mobile website, mobile catalog, or text message notifications, approximately half indicated that these services were being planned. Two-fifths of respondents in this group indicated that SMS reference services were being planned.
Among public libraries, more than half (56%) “currently offer” or “plan to offer” services designed for mobile users (see Figure 2). Public libraries, like their academic counterparts, identified mobile catalogs (57%) and websites (61%) as the leading handheld services planned, though they lag behind in current implementations (22% and 30% for mobile websites and catalog interfaces, respectively).
Likewise, findings indicate that academic libraries were more likely to develop mobile library services in-house, rather than outsource development to vendors, with one exception: SMS reference. Public libraries were more likely to develop mobile library websites or text message notifications in-house but seek an outsourced product or combined development approach for other handheld services.
Mobile-optimized catalogs, websites, reference services, and notices are just the beginning. Academic libraries indicated the “ability to access databases” via mobile devices as the next highest priority (54%), with “QR codes” and “library info/help” ranking as distant runners-up. For public libraries, “music, video, audiobook, [and/or] ebook downloads” (41%) held the top spot, closely followed by “library info/help” (31%).
A mobile state of mind
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The State of Mobile Technology To get a sense of the options before libraries, LJ asked several providers for their thoughts on the state of mobile tech—now and in the future. Broadly, mobile options tend to fall into three areas: text messaging (including Springshare’s LibAnswers text message module and Mosio’s Text a Librarian), mobile web pages (like those provided by Quipu Group’s MobileBridge), and mobile apps (such as Boopsie’s). Each has its advantages. Text messaging, Springshare CEO Slaven Zivkovic told LJ, enables patrons “to get quick bits of information on the go (rather than doing full-on research on mobile devices).” Mosio CEO Noel Chandler said that because text messaging is so ubiquitous, “the various ways it can be used to communicate with patrons are beginning to pop up, even outside of virtual reference services.” Nonreference-based services have also proved popular. Scott Stockton, mobile product manager for Quipu Group, pointed out that its MobileBridge web application can provide mobile web pages that include ILS integration and access to downloadable ebooks and audiobooks. Greg Carpenter, CEO of Boopsie, also noted the popularity of the Boopsie app’s ILS integration, as well as its ability to provide access to blogs and social networking. IN THE PIPELINE Stockton, however, whose company produces the MobileTagger QR-code creation application, said “the single most-desired feature” is the ability to check out a book directly using a phone, preferably with a QR code. Carpenter said requested features have included overdue-item notifications and integration of electronic resources from providers such as Gale and EBSCO.What’s in the future for mobile library tech? MarkLogic makes software geared toward handling unstructured information, so that content can be delivered to multiple devices. Ken Chestnut, MarkLogic’s VP of product marketing, told LJ that education publishers are “looking at user-generated content,” such as user tags. “If I’m a college student, I can see how other college students have tagged certain information that’s relevant for a college course I’m taking.” Chandler said that HTML5, a new version under development of the HTML standard for web-page content, “shows a lot of promise in the mobile web space in the future.” Stockton said that he hopes that “library mobile services will continue to expand” and provide “the same rich experience that comes with a desktop ILS interface.” Zivkovic said, “I think it is important for libraries to offer easy access to information…while leaving the actual research to be done on the computer or in-person.” Carpenter, meanwhile, noticed “a trending away from just item discovery to delivering a broader base of services to the library. Mobile is all about time and place—and having the ability to act instantly.” —David Rapp |
All of these results suggest that libraries are responding to the evolving expectations of mobile users. Good thing, since the Pew Research Center’s Mobile Access 2010 report reveals that the number of cell phone users who used their devices to “send or receive texts messages” increased by more than 10% from 2009 to 2010, and those who used their mobile devices to “access the Internet” jumped by more than 50% in the same time frame.
When asked what other mobile services they would like to be able to offer, librarians replied with a creative wish list to meet the needs of mobile customers. Responses started with practical considerations, such as mobile-friendly OPACs and e-resources, and fully optimized patron account features (e.g., holds, renewals, fine notifications), many of which are available from certain ILS providers like Innovative Interfaces (airPAC) and Polaris (Mobile PAC). From there, librarians mentioned the ability to reserve library computers and SMS reminders of library events and programs, while some delved into the more experimental world of possibilities, including interactive maps, QR codes, augmented reality, location-based services, custom smartphone applications, and increased integration with social media platforms, e.g., Facebook, to provide expanded services to mobile users.
Handheld innovation
Already at the forefront are the Contra Costa County Library, CA, using QR codes to promote programming and read-alikes, and the University of Huddersfield, UK, which encodes instruction resources and point-of-need information into these two-dimensional barcodes, read by mobile phones. At the Phillips Memorial Library at Providence College, librarians created a LibGuide to get the word out about what QR codes are and how they are being used, e.g., on flyers and posters highlighting full-text databases and faculty publication notices.
An enhanced information experience at the library is just beginning—mobile access brings the library right to the user. The DukeMobile iPhone app by Duke University, NC, provides searchable access to digitized special collections, while the Cushing/Whitney Medical Library at Yale has developed a resource guide on mobile devices and access to licensed resources so that faculty, students, and doctors can immediately obtain library information from the classroom, laboratory, or hospital.
For those visiting the library, mobile tours, location-based services, and augmented reality enrich the experience. Mobile applications by the University of Oregon Libraries and North Carolina State University provide ready access to campus information, and several libraries offer MP3 audio tours, including Duke’s Bostock Library and the C.V. Starr East Asian Library at Columbia University. The San José Public Library, CA, recently received a grant to create tours using augmented reality and the library’s original materials in the history collection. At Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, and Darien Library, CT, FourSquare incentives attract patrons with promotions linked to the FourSquare location-based social network. Many of these libraries have also embraced mobile marketing via Twitter, which allows users to receive news and updates from the library directly to their phones as text messages.
Barriers to entry
However, a sizable number of all libraries (39%) reported not having any services existing or planned for handheld devices. The reasons cited for lack of mobile services or strategy can be grouped into four categories: budgets, priorities, skills, and perceptions.
Budgets
The cost of providing new mobile services can include hardware, software, training, staffing, management, and time for research and development, which can all be quite daunting. Implementing any new service requires start-up and sustaining funds to support development and growth, and many library budgets are simply stretched too thin already. Fifty-three percent of academic libraries and 56% of public libraries said that “limited staff time,” “cost,” and “no budget” were the reason they had “chosen not to offer any services designed specifically for handheld devices”; other responses echo a number of variations on those themes.
Priorities
Several respondents gave statements suggesting that mobile services “had not come up yet as a priority project,” because there was “no demand from clientele.” Still others explained that their library’s users have “limited access to computers and limited computer literacy,” that those “needing help doing research need considerable help,” and that mobile services were not considered a priority for their primary community, e.g., at small libraries serving mostly elderly patrons and rural communities that had insufficient or unreliable network infrastructure.
Skills
Survey responses also pointed to a lack of technical expertise among existing staff as a barrier to development. Specifically, respondents report a “lack of staff who can do the necessary setup.” As one librarian described, the dearth of technological expertise among staff members places an unwieldy burden on those with the requisite skills: “There is only one librarian who has to maintain all computers and the website, plus everything else. There is no time, and she does not know how to set up this [mobile] type of service and finds it difficult to find the time to learn how.”
Limited technology skills among librarians create problems beyond not having enough staff to do the work. Responders also suggested that libraries may defer technological decisions and actions to others assumed to have more expertise. A sample of such replies stated that libraries often “are a little behind the technology curve” and feel constrained by what the “IT department will let us do and are willing to assist us with.” Such circumstances prohibit or curtail opportunities for libraries to innovate and experiment.
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Survey Methodology The survey asked librarians to identify the type of institution or library they worked for, whether or not the library offered |
Perceptions
Despite nearly all research revealing an increase in mobile-centric information seeking behavior, librarians’ attitudes about mobile services vary widely. Responses ranged from disinterested to skeptical, claiming “regular phone calls and emails are working,” while other responses referred to institutional resistance, reporting that “management does not see a need to change the current traditional model.” One respondent turned the question around and asked, “Why would we?,” while another expressed a preference for “hard [evidence] rather than anecdotal evidence” about mobile services.
Mobile present, mobile future
Outside of organizational challenges, notable gaps exist between the mobile services that libraries presently offer and the percentage of actual usage. There’s a similar gap between the mobile services libraries would like to offer and those that users are seeking.
The leading services offered, i.e., mobile websites, mobile catalogs, and SMS reference, are perhaps easiest to justify to stakeholders and funding authorities, or are perceived to be most useful. It is a reasonable case; if libraries have a web presence, they may also wish to provide a mobile-optimized version of their website, especially since it’s a relatively low-cost endeavor. It is a harder sell to justify the development of a smartphone application for a specialized function, such as augmented reality-enhanced library tours, since doing so may require additional staffing with unique programming skills, along with the time and ability to provide staff training and support—an expensive proposition in any funding environment. Mobile developments are frequently grant-funded, such as those at Contra Costa and San José. Therefore, it is likely that the majority of libraries will continue to develop mobile services with the greatest reach and benefit and the lowest barrier to entry.
Mobile bill of goods?
According to the survey results, user engagement with these mobile services is also somewhat slow to catch fire. Mobile access accounts for no more than 6% of total usage of all libraries’ mobile websites and catalogs, and no more than 5% for those offering SMS reference services. Several factors may influence these figures, such as lack of awareness about the services, length of time that the services have been offered, misalignment with the preferred services of the mobile community, or simply a small number of mobile library users within a specific community.
Another significant gap exists between mobile access to e-resources presently offered by libraries and the services libraries wish to offer to mobile users. For example, reader interest in ebooks has skyrocketed, yet libraries struggle to make them available via handheld devices owing to the limitations of digital rights management, restrictive (or nonexistent) lending rules, exclusive platforms, and noncompatible file types—all of which impede efforts to provide effective access to electronic collections. In addition, existing licensing arrangements may overlook or precede mobile access and now need to be updated. Many survey respondents answered that they would like to offer a range of mobile services beyond basic information better to support ereading and mobile research and to increase user interaction with the library via handheld devices.
When asked “What other mobile services are users asking for?” answers included mobile access to databases, email, ebooks, holds, patron accounts, and room reservation and events calendars (though half of the responses to this question indicated “none” or “I don’t know”). Meanwhile, more and more vendors each day bolster their mobile capabilities. On the database front, H.W. Wilson is the latest to announce a mobile-optimized interface, while others like EBSCO, Gale, Alexander Street Press, and Serials Solutions with the Summon discovery platform have steadily extended their resources into the mobile sphere. Promoting knowledge among library staff about the possibilities of mobile technology is the first step toward identifying how mobile library services might be developed to suit the needs of your local community.
Mobile libraries ahead
In 2010, academic and public libraries alike are establishing a place in the mobile information environment. Mobile-optimized library websites and catalogs create an entry point for libraries to continue to explore and expand mobile library services as technology advances and librarians gain valuable expertise in this area. While mobile access to existing mobile library services may be off to a meager start, survey findings indicate that mobile users are engaging with the mobile library services being offered. This will be a critical element to gauge in future surveys, as libraries launch new services from their mobile platforms and the use of handheld devices continues to proliferate in the mainstream.
For libraries not yet providing mobile services, these results may serve as starting point for planning or prioritizing. For libraries already under way, the challenge in the year ahead will be to market existing services effectively and leverage the expertise of librarians to inspire and engage mobile users in new ways. Academic libraries might consider expanding instruction programs to include how mobile users can best access licensed e-resources for subject research, or to examine how QR codes and augmented reality can enhance the research process. At Yale’s Cushing/Whitney Medical Library, instruction classes offer advice on what type of device to buy, as well as information on how to access licensed resources via mobile applications and the mobile web. Public libraries could develop similar programs, offering expert tips on how to optimize the use of cell phones, smartphones, and ereaders within the library, and beyond. The Skokie Public Library, IL, provides numerous library programs related to mobile, social, and web technologies and posts presentation materials and handouts online.
Limited budgets, varying priorities, lack of skills, and outdated perceptions pose significant challenges that must be addressed, as libraries of all types consider suitable mobile priorities for their institution. Creating opportunities to educate staff, build local expertise, and promote discussion by offering training sessions and professional development options may the first appropriate steps to take for many libraries. It is essential to build a solid foundation of knowledge about mobile services within the organization, even if creating mobile services are not yet right for your community (or within your library’s budget).
The state of mobile library services in 2010 is one of active engagement, learning, and experimentation. Survey respondents indicated that in the next nine to 12 months, many of the mobile services currently planned will reach the implementation stage—providing more opportunity for professional research and accumulation of “hard evidence” about benefits and risks of handheld services. As one respondent said, library users “aren’t asking for much yet, but when we offer things, they like it!” As we move into 2011, let’s build expertise, learn about the culture of mobile users, and be prepared to advocate for the funding and prioritization of mobile services in our libraries.
| Author Information |
| Lisa Carlucci Thomas (ThomasL10@southernct.edu, @lisacarlucci on Twitter) is Digital Services Librarian, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven. A 2010 LJ Mover & Shaker, she is nationally recognized for her leadership, innovation, and research on mobile technologies. Thomas writes the Social Eyes column for the Journal of Web Librarianship |
