Transcript Mobile Services for Libraries Sarah Houghton-Jan Digital Futures Manager, San Jose Public Library Author, LibrarianInBlack.net.

Mobile Services
for Libraries
Sarah Houghton-Jan
Digital Futures Manager, San Jose Public Library
Author, LibrarianInBlack.net
why mobile?
‣ 80% of Americans adults own a cell phone
‣ By 2015 U.S. ownership of smart phones will
be 162 million - 2/3 of all mobile handsets
‣ 43% own MP3 players
‣ 5 million iPads sold (+ watch Android tablets)
Jolie O’Dell, Mashable, on the Morgan Stanley study:
http://mashable.com/2010/04/13/mobile-web-stats/
the great debate:
mobile sites vs. apps
10 steps to
mobile supremacy
#1: your website
‣ mobile-friendly?
‣ W3C’s mobileOK Checker
‣ mobile version of homepage (or site)
‣ mobile services webpage
‣ is your website mobile-friendly?
find out at W3C’s mobileOK
Checker
“Mobile Friendly Library Websites” by Fleur
Helsingor @ UC Berkeley
(http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/digicoll/libraryweb/mo
bile-websites.pdf)
#2: your catalog
‣ test catalog’s mobile friendliness
- PASS - SOPAC, Evergreen, Koha
- FAIL - Innovative, Voyager,
SirsiDynix
see a pattern?
‣ WorldCat (mobile app + mobile
webpage)
#3: databases
‣ mobile apps and/or mobile-friendly
pages
- EBSCO (page)
- Gale (app)
- others
‣ check with all vendors
‣ watch for feature & functionality loss
#4: ebooks
‣ eAudioBook formats: MP3s/DRM-laden
formats of death
‣ eBook formats: PDF, Mobi
‣ Overdrive eBook app
‣ who missed the boat?
‣ check with all vendors
#5:
reference
‣ text messaging - AIM & Google Voice
hacks, LibraryH3lp
‣ Twitter - “send a question to
@SanJoseLibrary”
IM - free IM clients (Meebo, Trillian) +
individual accounts (AIM, GoogleTalk)
web chat - nope
#6: social media
• Facebook
-
many mobile FB apps
post updates, photos,
video, & events
pages vs. groups
• Twitter
-
many more Twitter
apps
post frequent updates
#7: location-based services
‣Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places
•
- entries, tips, trips, contests
‣augmented reality - Layar, Wikitude
•
- campus or library tours, local history
tours
#8: apps
‣ Boopsie - customized mobile library
application (San Jose Public Library)
‣ custom iPhone or Android app (D.C. Public
Library)
#9: in-library mobile
services
‣ walk-in mobile message center (dok)
‣ library mobile charging stations
‣ library mobile media download
stations
#10: marketing mobile
‣ market mobile with mobile
‣ start an opt-in list for library texts
- group texting app “textPlus”
‣ buy ads in relevant apps (local, library-like)
‣ contests for signing up, mayorships, etc.
…inc. marketing staff
‣ ensure mobile access to work systems
‣ train staff on mobile access to library stuff
‣ encourage staff use of mobile to do work
‣ buy mobile devices for staff to use/train on
7 apps every librarian
should know
‣ WorldCat
‣ Evernote
‣ Kindle/Nook
‣ IMDB
‣ Google Translate ‣ Yelp
‣ Foursquare
future challenges
‣ devices
‣ platforms
‣ formats
‣ digital rights management
‣ standards
questions & discussion
• Sarah Houghton-Jan
• web: LibrarianInBlack.net
• Twitter: @TheLiB
• Facebook:
Facebook.com/LibrarianInBlack
• email: [email protected]