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Academic Libraries and Mobile Technologies. Eithne Barry Edinburgh Napier University. Project Overview. Collaboration between Edinburgh Napier and University of Highlands and Islands, funded by SLIC. Two strands of project:
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Academic Libraries and Mobile Technologies Eithne BarryEdinburgh Napier University
Project Overview Collaboration between Edinburgh Napier and University of Highlands and Islands, funded by SLIC. Two strands of project: • To investigate student usage of and attitudes towards mobile technologies • How UK academic libraries are using/can use mobile technologies to support students
Project survey – Nov 2010 • Across three universities - Edinburgh Napier, Queen Margaret University, University of the Highlands and Islands. • Students only • iPad offered as prize. • 1061responses. • Majority of replies were from ENU, this sample fairly representative of student population.
Edinburgh Napier catch-up survey – Oct 2011 • Same survey questions. • Edinburgh Napier University only - update to inform our own developments. • 182 responses • Much smaller response group – less representative.
Say hello to Jane I’m the ‘average student’ here at Edinburgh Napier University.
Remember... Blue = Nov 2010 survey = 1061 Green = Oct 2011 survey = 182
2010, 68% had a ‘smartphone’ • 2011 - 86% said they have one. • Top smartphone makes -
Backed up by sales? • BBC news 28th Oct – ‘Samsung overtakes Apple in smartphone shipments’
61% (64%) of survey respondents said they had owned their current mobile phone for less than a year. 81% (85%) had owned their current mobile for less than 18 months.
My phone is nearly a year old, and I’m thinking about getting a new one. Maybe an iPhone? I don’t know, the Samsung Galaxy SII looks pretty good...
Can they afford web browsing? 43% (53%) had ‘unlimited’ access to the web on their mobile But... 32% (16%) said contract/funds stop them using the mobile web as much as they would like
QR codes (all respondents) 18% (47%)knew what a QR code was 8% (34%) had a QR code reader on their mobile phone/device
I mostly use my mobile for texting and phoning. I’m on the web most days (checking Facebook or email), but I don’t read much on there. The screen is too small.
Using Library services 15% (24%) had used Library services on their mobile Services they had used (2010):
I haven’t used Library pages on my mobile. That’d be great though, especially to save time. Like if I could search for a book on the bus on the way to the Uni.
Student quotes ‘Access to information is in your pocket! 24/7’ ‘Can get information any time, do what I wanna do, such as find books during the lecture teacher said. But the screen is not big enough.’
‘I see only benefits. This age is fast, connection is important.’
Summary • A high proportion of students have smartphones and are browsing the web daily. • 90% (95%) would like to access at least one Library service.
However… • 32% (16%) say contract/funds stop them using the web as much as they would like (possibly becoming less of an issue?) • Students over 30 are less likely to browse the mobile web regularly. • Reading content (such as e-books, journals or newspapers) is less common.
Challenges for us • Designing services that suit our users, for a range of mobile phone/devices and operating systems. • Keeping up with the rate of change of phone/devices • Providing equity of services for all users.
How are libraries responding? • Information for users – Mobile-accessible websites and apps. • Access to searching – Mobile OPACs. • Accessing Library Collections. • Accessing the Library building. • SMS/text alerts and SMS/text reference.
Mobile-accessible websites and apps What’s the difference?
Mobile websites and apps UK Number of University-wide sites and apps using: • CampusM – Liverpool John Moore’s, Roehampton, Sheffield, Dundee, Edinburgh etc. • Blackboard Mobile Central – Sheffield Hallam University 1st. International • Boopsie – Integrating catalogue and other university information e.g. University of Auckland, Brown University Library, WorldCat.
Access to searching - Mobile OPACs • Library Anywhere by Library Thing – e.g. Edinburgh Napier University, Queen Margaret University, University of Stirling. • In-house solutions – e.g. Cambridge, Oxford. • Innovative Interfaces (AirPac) proprietary, with Millenium – e.g. University of Glasgow, Sheffield Hallam University, Liverpool University.
Accessing Library Collections • Issues with e-books - digital rights management, exclusive platforms, non-compatible file types etc. • At ENU - we buy e-books from four major aggregators, journals from 100s? In our trials, journals were much easier to access than e-books.
- Research databases JSTOR mobile IEEE Xplore ... etc
Accessing the Library building What’s black and white all over? www.wowdewow.co.uk
Accessing the Library building • Huddersfield University - Linking physical to virtual using QR codes. • Bath University – QR codes on items on the catalogue allow you to save Title, Author and Classmark directly to your phone (and then you can find it on the shelf). • Stirling University – group study room booking, treasure hunts.
SMS/Text alerts • Some libraries provide text messages when books are overdue, or reservations are ready for collections. E.g. University of Manchester. • Others are providing reference services via text or instant messaging. • List of libraries doing both of the above, and services used at: www.libsuccess.org
What we’re doing at Edinburgh Napier • Surveying students every year, to get trends. • Providing a mobile version of our catalogue using Library Anywhere. • Providing links and help for mobile-friendly database interfaces. • Creating a mobile website for our key Library and IT services. • Making more of our University website mobile accessible.
http://mlib.blog.com • Project report • Survey results • Case studies • Beginner’s guides • E-resources trials