Mobile Technology and the Academic Library

Mobile Technology and the Academic Library 1

Moving Forward: Opportunities for

Mobile Technology in the Academic Library

Katie Seeler

University of Maryland

LBSC 734: Seminar in the Academic Library

Dr. Trudi Bellardo Hahn

May 04, 2011

To be submitted to:

College & Research Libraries

http://crl.acrl.org/


Moving Forward: Opportunities for

Mobile Technology in the Academic Library

Abstract

Large numbers of students own mobile devices that they use to access the Internet on a

regular basis. Libraries can harness the power of this trend by incorporating the technology into

library services such as information resources, orientation, circulation, reference, user

instruction, and marketing. Universities across the nation are utilizing a variety of technologies

like applications, QR codes, and augmented reality to move traditional services into the digital

era.

Mobile Technologies

Laptops, netbooks, e-readers, tablets, and internet capable handheld devices are some of

the many types of mobile technology currently flooding the market. It is important for the

academic library to look at how many students own each type of technology and how students

use their mobile devices to locate and retrieve information. Juxtaposing this information with

current library operations allows the library to align their services to student behavior and

expectations.

Beginning in 2004, the EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research has conducted a yearly

study of undergraduate students and information technology. Nearly 37,000 respondents from

127 institutions in Canada and the United States in the most recent survey revealed trends in

information technology and the academic experience, technology adoption and ownership, and

student activity with technology.

When asked to describe their technology adoption behavior, the overwhelming majority

of students were mainstream adopters, early adopters, or innovators.1 (Table 1) This indicates


that students are quick to adopt new technologies and while the academic library may not be able

to keep pace, assessing student use of changing technologies allows the library to make a more

informed decision in their technology acquisition process.

TABLE 1. Undergraduate Student Technology Adoption

ECAR Descriptor Tag Description Percentage

Innovator Loves new technologies and among first to experiment and use them 10.8%

Early Adopter Like new technologies and use them before most people 24.7%

Mainstream Adopter Usually use new technologies when others do 49.3%

Late Adopter Usually one of the last to use new technologies 10.3%

Laggard Skeptical of new technologies and use them only when necessary 5.0%

Note: The percentages do not total 100.0%. Data cited verbatim from ECAR study.

As for ownership of Internet capable handheld devices such as tablets and smartphones,

almost 63 percent of students currently own and another 11 percent intend to buy such a device

within a year. The number of respondents owning such devices increased 22 percent from the

previous year, while the percentage of those students intending to purchase within a year

remained the same.2 The collective group amounts to 75 percent of undergraduate students, a

number that academic libraries should take note of as these students expect to be able to conduct

a variety of standard services via their mobile equipment.

When examining what activities students were engaged in while using the Internet on

their mobile devices, the top three interests are to check information (news, weather, etc), e-mail,

and social networking websites. The 76.9% of undergraduate student respondents indicating

they use mobile applications for social networking marks increased by 23 percent from the

previous year’s survey. Other key uses of the Internet on mobile devices are the use of maps and


instant messaging. (See Table 2) Of the thirteen activities listed, almost of a third of

undergraduate students reported that they conduct seven or more of the activities listed.3 The

interests and activities reflected in these results can greatly influence how the academic library

services its student patrons.

TABLE 2. Internet Activities Performed from Handheld Devices

Internet Activities Performed Percentage of Internet-Using Device Owners who Perform Activity (N=17,867)

Check information (news, weather, specific facts, etc) 85.0%

E-mail 81.7%

Social networking websites (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc) 76.9%

Use maps (find places, get directions, or plan route) 68.6%

Instant message 38.3%

Conduct personal business (banking, shopping, etc) 38.1%

Download/stream music 34.5%

Download or watch videos online 30.2%

Download or play games online 25.5%

Follow or update micro-blogs (Twitter, etc) 21.0%

Use photo-sharing websites (Flikr, Snapfish, Picasa, etc) 18.1%

Read or contribute to blogs 15.0%

Watch mobile TV 11.7%

Mobile Technologies and Library Services

Knowing that a significant portion of undergraduate students utilize mobile technology

on a regular basis, the academic library is challenged to incorporate this technology into standard


services in a cost-effective manner. So what types of services are going mobile? What

institutions are leading the field in adapting old processes to new technologies? What are the

barriers to executing this change? The answers to these questions are fundamental for

establishing a plan to implement mobile technology into the academic library and to meet, if not

exceed, student expectations.

Mobile Version of Website, Catalog, and Databases

As the first point of contact for patrons and portal to additional features such as

databases, accessibility of a library’s website is of utmost importance, especially considering

how many individuals seek information via Internet capable handheld devices. Some common

services accessible through mobile library websites include hours of operation, catalog, new or

events, audio tours, and reference services. However, it is important that a library’s mobile

website develop applications that function on multiple operating systems in order to maximize

access.4

Numbers from a recent Library Journal survey indicate that 39 percent of academic

libraries presently provide a mobile version of their website and 36 percent offer a mobile-

friendly catalog. Other mobile priorities for the academic library include reference services, text

notifications, and ability to access databases.5 This appears to support the assertion of three

librarians from Oregon State University that “mobile versions of a library’s website will be as

common and as expected as the library’s current desktop site is today.”6

There are fewer academic libraries with mobile catalogs, or OPACs, than those with

mobile websites. This is most likely a result of the added expense from implementing a vendor-

supplied version or the know-how to create a mobile OPAC in house. Other disadvantages of

using commercial mobile OPACs include the lack of customization and feature enhancement.


Some mobile OPACs even include citation tools.7 Georgetown University Library is an example

of an academic library that uses a mobile version of its OPAC provided by the vendor which

allows for item renewal, hold, and searches.8 One drawback to this particular product is that its

search interface has not been customized for mobile devices, meaning that it is a smaller version

of the desktop interface, thus decreasing ease of use. It also does not permit text messaging,

directions, or auto-dialing services.9 Although many mobile OPACs have their flaws, they are a

good start to mobilizing handheld access to an academic library’s materials.

Many database vendors like EBSCO, LexisNexis, and PubMed are providing mobile-

friendly versions of their materials or downloadable applications.10 The number of publishers

doing so is likely to increase. This is significant as 54 percent of academic library respondents

indicated that it is a priority to provide access to online databases via handheld devices.11

Orientation

Navigating the library can be a daunting task for many patrons, especially freshmen

students unaccustomed to such a large facility with a completely different cataloging system.

Many academic libraries conduct tours and/or provide some type of navigation tool like a map.

However, with the advent and popularity of handheld devices that support multimedia content,

academic libraries have been experimenting with other delivery methods.

One example is the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Lupton Library’s “iPod

Investigation” program, which is designed to familiarize freshmen students with available

facilities, resources, and services. Librarians assimilated video, music, screen captures, quizzes,

and some gaming to engage students as they toured the library on their own.12 Others like

University Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provide virtual tours, cell

phone tours, and even an iPhone/iTouch/iPad application to orient users to its facility.13


Augmented reality is an emerging technology that offers a new and exciting way to

present information. Essentially, augmented reality superimposes a virtual image on a tangible

surface (object, building, etc.). While there are not any universities with full-scale augmented

reality applications at this time, the 2011 Horizon Report identifies it as a technology likely to

greatly impact teaching and learning in the next two to three years.14 North Carolina State

University Libraries offers a mobile tour of campus known as WolfWalk. It utilizes geolocation

and geotagging to view historical images of campus locations.15 Perhaps as the technology

improves, the library will modify the programming to incorporate a handheld device’s camera

and create a virtual overly on campus buildings or to navigate within the library to find a

particular item.

Circulation

Academic libraries with mobile OPACs allowing patrons to access their personal account

can go one step further by permitting payments for goods and services via handheld devices.

Applications using radio frequency identification technology (RFID) enable users to make

payment by waving their handheld device in front of a terminal or automated device, such as a

printer or vending machine.16 This technology could allow patrons to pay their fines or even

check out materials.

Some academic libraries like the University of Maryland loan equipment (e-readers,

GPS, laptops, iPads, etc.) to students. Institutions with equipment loan programs could allow

users with Internet capable handheld devices to check the availability of equipment and even

reserve one for later use. The same idea applies to group study rooms, although some libraries

like Nova Southeastern University Health Professions Division Library offer beepers to alert

waiting students when a room is open, in addition to the ability to check the status online.17


The circulation department generally oversees the shelving of materials. Dr. Bo

Brinkman of Miami University unveiled an augmented reality shelf-reading application at the

ACRL 2011 conference in Philadelphia. Users that have downloaded the application are able to

hold their handheld device to the shelf, at which time the camera reads a special code on a

book’s spine to read its call number and compare it to others on a given shelf. The user will then

see a red X or green check mark over each spine to see what is in or out of place. The

application will then direct users to where the book should be placed using a green arrow. This

particular augmented reality feature is still under development but it could eventually be found in

many libraries.18 A major challenge to its implementation in the academic library would be the

application of a unique sticker (i.e., the code read by the shelf-reading application) to each item

in the library given the hundreds of thousands of volumes many libraries own.

User Instruction

In addition to examining trends in technology ownership and adoption and what students

are doing with technology, EDUCAUSE’s annual study of undergraduate students looks at the

connection between information technology and the academic experience. By understanding the

types of technology utilized in courses and how students prefer to learn with technology, the

academic library can deliver more engaging user instruction. This might be in the form of online

tutorials, face-to-face instruction, research guides, or any other type of initiative that seeks to

enhance information literacy for students in higher education institutions.

A large percentage of students enjoy learning by watching video content or listening to

audio content (80.7 percent) and by conducting Internet searches (79.3 percent). Slightly more

than half of undergraduate students report liking to learn via programs they can control, such as


video games and simulations.19 Overall, students appear to prefer multimedia-based and passive

learning methods. (Figure 1)

Augmented reality applications might also be assimilated into user instruction. The

department that oversees user instruction often designs and manages programs to orient

incoming freshmen students to library resources and facilities. The previously mentioned

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Lupton Library’s “iPod Investigation” program could be

enhanced to guide students around the library by showing information on a handheld device.

User instruction could work with the cataloging, reference, and technology departments to create

a virtual display of item information when a student holds their handheld device up to a book.

The display might include user comments or suggestions for additional reading.

FIGURE 1. How Students Like to Learn with Technology

Reference

A recent Library Journal survey found that two-fifths of those academic libraries without

mobile services intend to offer SMS (short message service) reference services.20 This service

80.7

79.3

50.6

45.3

37.3

26.9

13.6

14.6

33.2

40.1

46.2

51.8

5.6

6.1

16.2

14.7

16.5

21.3

I like to learn through listening to audio or watching video content. (N=36,259)

I like to learn through running Internet searches. (N=36,303)

I like to learn through programs I can control, such as video games and simulaFons. (N=36,128)

I like to learn through text-‐based conversaFons over e-‐mail, IM, and text messaging. (N=36,261)

I like to learn through contribuFng to websites, blogs, wikis, etc. (N=36,041)

I like to learn through creaFng audio or video content. (N=35,996)

Yes No Don't Know


can be provided through a variety of platforms including Google, AOL Instant Messenger, and

Mosio’s Text a Librarian. Southwest Louisiana University implemented such a service and

found that the reference questions received through this medium tended to require short answers,

such as the year Texas became a state.21

Many handheld devices, including the HTC Evo 4G smartphone, iPhone 4, and iPad2,

now have the ability for two-way mobile video calling. While it does not appear that any

academic library is providing reference service through this feature, two-way mobile video

calling is relatively unchartered territory in the United States. It may become more prevalent in

coming years.

Marketing

Almost 60 percent of undergraduate students use social networking websites (Facebook,

Twitter, Foursquare, LinkedIn, etc.) on a daily basis, posting status updates or locations.22 All

types of libraries have started to maintain an online presence at various social networking

websites, using them to share information, advertise events, initiate dialog with users, and

promote their brand. The Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library at the University of Michigan has

created a Facebook profile page and embedded their catalog, WorldCat search, subject guides,

“ask a librarian,” and links to certain library pages.23

QR (quick response) codes consist of a matrix barcode readable by handheld devices with

a camera. Anyone can create a QR code online that leads to a URL, phone number, SMS

message, or text.24 This technology could be used to market events on a poster, flyer, or web

video. Lafayette College Library had an event in September 2010 called “Where in the Library

is Carmen Sandigo?: An Interactive Library Mystery Game” that used QR codes and librarians

stationed around the facility to help students learn about the library. Some libraries use QR


codes in an exhibit to link to additional information or the university archives; others like

Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University use them for an audio tour.25

Conclusion

The dizzying array of mobile technology both currently available and in development can

be overwhelming to an academic library trying to engage students. Technology will continue to

impact every area of the academic library, from orientation to user instruction to marketing, as

students increasingly move toward Internet capable handheld devices. The academic library then

must determine how to seamlessly integrate the technology in a value-added manner without

neglecting those users who do not own or intend to purchase such devices.


Notes

1 Shannon D. Smith and Judith Borreson Caruso. “The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2010—Key Findings” (Report, Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2010), 39. 2 Ibid., 46-47. 3 Smith and Caruso, ECAR Study, 59-60. 4 Lilia Murray, “Libraries ‘like to move it, move it’,” Reference Services Review, 38, no. 2 (2010): 234-235, doi: 10.1108/00907321011045007. 5 Lisa Carlucci Thomas, “Gone Mobile? Mobile catalogs, SMS reference, and QR codes are on the rise–how are libraries adapting to mobile culture?,” Library Journal, October 15, 2010: 30-31. 6 Laurie Bridges, Hannah Gascho Rempel, and Kimberly Griggs, “Making the case for a fully mobile library web site: from floor maps to the catalog,” Reference Services Review, 38, no. 2 (2010): 318, doi: 10.1108/00907321011045061. 7 Ibid., 314-315. 8 Murray, Move it, 239-240. 9 Bridges, 315. 10 Murray, Move it, 241. 11 Carlucci Thomas, Gone mobile, 31. 12 Virginia Cairns and Toni C. Dean, “Library iTour: Introducing the iPod Generation to the Academic Library” (presentation, Middle Tennessee University Instructional Technology Conference, Murfreesboro, TN, March 29-31, 2009). 13 University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, “Tours of the Library,” University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, http://www.library.illinois.edu/learn/basics/tours.html 14 L. Johnson et al., “The Horizon Report: 2011 Edition” (Report, Austin, TX: The New Media Consortium, 2011), 5. 15 North Carolina State University Libraries, “WolfWalk:DLI:NCSU Libraries,” North Carolina State University Libraries, http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/dli/projects/wolfwalk/ 16 Joan K. Lippincott, “A mobile future for academic libraries,” Reference Services Review, 38, no. 2 (2010): 210, doi: 10.1108/00907321011044981. 17 Nova Southeastern University Health Professions Division Library, “Checkout a Study Room? – Introduction to the Health Professions Division Library,” Nova Southeastern University Health Professions Division Library, http://nova.campusguides.com/content.php?pid=104950&sid=1008893 18 “Augmented Reality App for Shelf Reading,” Video clip, [March 22, 2011], www.youtube.com, http://youtu.be/NgZVI630SsI (accessed May 1, 2011). 19 Smith and Caruso, ECAR Study, 89-90. 20 Carlucci Thomas, Gone mobile, 30. 21 Murray, Move it, 238. 22 Smith and Caruso, ECAR Study, 61. 23 Andrea Dickson and Robert P. Holley, “Social Networking in Academic Libraries: The Possibilities and the Concerns,” School of Library and Information Science Faculty Research Publications, Paper 33 (2010): 6-7. 24 Robin Ashford, “QR codes and academic libraries: Reaching mobile users,” College & Research Libraries News, 71, no. 10 (2010): 526. 25 Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library, “QR Code Information - QR Code Information - Subject Guides at Brigham Young University,” Brigham Young University Harold B. Lee Library, http://guides.lib.byu.edu/qrcode

Mobile Technology and the Academic Library

Education

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