MOBILE TECHNOLOGY'S PLACE IN LIBRARIES By Cherilee Olmstead

Libraries have been embracing mobile technology long before Covid-19’s pandemic forced brick and mortar establishments to think outside of the box, and now mobile technology is such a way of life that a high proportion of library users use mobile libraries in some form as part of their library experience. Mobile devices are devices that can be used on the move, such as a smart phone, notebook, tablet, iPad, iPhone and e-Reader. Irena Peteva, et al. (107) found that mobile devices greatly influenced library user experience with 79% of people using a mobile device to read fiction, 56.3% said they access full text documents by searching electronic databases and 55.6% search in a library’s bibliographic database. The article goes on to say that 87.6% approve of the creation of mobile digital libraries and believe mobile and information services should be enhanced at libraries (114).

In an instant world it is no surprise that younger generations are pushing for libraries to offer more accessibility online and libraries value the importance of making information as accessible as possible. Potnis & Allard recognize that “The “millennial” generation (i.e., people born between 1984 and 2000) are digital natives who have views and expectations that align with quick, convenient information access from handheld, internet-ready devices.” (1) Mobile technology enables the user to access the latest and greatest and this is true also for our libraries who connect the user to information around the globe, with electronic databases that are constantly uploading fresh articles and new book releases.

To ensure that libraries can cater for the ever-rising need for digital progress, they firstly need adequate funding to purchase, develop and maintain digital platforms. Libraries also need staff members who are trained in technology usage and can not only monitor this area within their library but also offer training to staff and library users in the form of workshops or one-on-one training sessions. As mentioned earlier, younger generations are coming to libraries equipped with digital knowledge, but older generations also need to make the leap into the digital world and this is much harder to do, but necessary, so that they can benefit from all that the library resources have to offer. Libraries are expanding their technological devices all the time – more computers, iPads, Wi-Fi available in the building and even portable hotspots to ensure all users can access high-speed internet from beyond the library building itself. Therefore, to truly benefit, the library staff must also be individually equipped so they can educate users in these areas, which not only includes simply using mobile devices to make connections to the library services offered, but also setting up these devices to cater for any accessibility features that maybe needed by the library user.

                This is a link to a great article by Ram Prakash who offers several suggestions for ways to improve your library’s website so that it is mobile technology friendly!

Figure 1- Prakash's suggestions for Mobile Library Services

 

Works Cited

 Peteva, Irena, et al. “Impact of Mobile Technology on Learning and Library Policies.” Advanced Research in Technologies, Information, Innovation and Sustainability, edited by Teresa Guarda et al., vol. 1937, Springer, 2023, pp. 102–15, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48930-3_8.

 

Potnis, Devendra, and Suzie Allard. “Training LIS Students as Mobile Technology Consultants for Libraries and Not-for-Profit Organizations.” Journal of Education for Library and Information Science [North York], vol. 59, no. 4, October 2018, pp. 253–64, https://doi.org/10.3138/jelis.59.4.2018-0002.

 

Prakash, Ram. “USE OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY IN LIBRARY SERVICES.” NeuroQuantology [Bornova Izmir], vol. 20, no. 13, January 2022, p. 2430, https://doi.org/10.14704/nq.2022.20.13.NQ88302.