Full Text Article: “A Library in the Palm of Your Hand: Mobile Services in Top 100 University Libraries”

The following full text article appears in the current issue of Information Technology and Libraries.
Title
A Library in the Palm of Your Hand: Mobile Services in Top 100 University Libraries
Authors
Yan Quan Liu
Southern Connecticut State University
Special Hired Professor at Tianjin University of Technology, Tianjin, China
Sarah Briggs
Library/Media Specialist at Jonathan Law High School, Milford, CT
Source
Information Technology and Libraries
Vol 34, No 2 (2015)
Abstract

What is the current state of mobile services among academic libraries of the country’s top 100 universities, and what are the best practices for librarians implementing mobile services at the university level?
Through in-depth website visits and survey questionnaires, the authors studied each of the top 100 universities’ libraries’ experiences with mobile services. Results showed that all of these libraries offered at least one mobile service, and the majority offered multiple services. The most common mobile services offered were mobile sites, text messaging services, e-books, and mobile access to databases and the catalog. In addition, chat/IM services, social media accounts and apps were very popular.
Survey responses also indicated a trend towards responsive design for websites so that patrons can access the library’s full site on any mobile device. Respondents recommend that libraries considering offering mobile services begin as soon as possible as patron demand for these services is expected to increase.

Direct to Full Text Article (16 pages; PDF)

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Libraries, News, Patrons and Users