1. Mobilizing the Library: Beyond the Catalog 1 Jason Casden, Digital Technologies Development Librarian David Woodbury, NCSU Libraries Fellow Markus Wust, Digital Collections and Preservation Librarian NCSU Libraries Mobile

2. Markus Wust History and Services 2

3. NCSU Libraries Mobile History Services Project plan & design Technical details Stats & Future plans 3

4. MobiLIB: NCSU Libraries’ First Mobile Service Launched in 2007 (before iPhone) Few models in higher education (Ball State University, University of Texas) Mobile not part of institutional strategy No campus collaborators No formal development team 4

5. MobiLIB Services 5 1.Catalog 2.Computer Availability 3.Opening Hours 4.Campus Directory 5.Contact Information 6.Links to External Information Providers 7.Campus Bus Status Information (External)

6. Reusing existing services Much of MobiLIB was based upon existing data services –Catalog –Computer Availability –Library Hours –Campus Directory (by campus IT) Simplified development and maintenance Reduced development time Ensured data consistency 6

7. Catalog using our Catalog Web Service 7

8. Other Interfaces, Same Data Source 8

9. 9 Automatically generate display of new book titles Create cover image displays for blog posts iGoogle gadget

10. Computer Availability 10

11. Other Interface, Same Data Source 11

12. Library Hours 12

13. Other Interface, Same Data Source 13

14. Today… 2 Projects: WolfWalk –Self-guided historical walking tour of NC State campus NCSU Libraries Mobile –Next-generation mobile library site 14

15. WolfWalk Mobile web version to be launched March 2010 iPhone application coming soon Browse information and photographs of campus sites Detect user’s location to display closest sites 15

16. NCSU Libraries Mobile Launched December 2009 (after iPhone, Droid, etc.) “Mobile” has become strategic initiative Formalization of development efforts Collaboration with campus IT Utilizes same MIT mobile framework (for display and device detection) as campus site 16

17. NC State Mobile Web (Campus Site) 17

18. Our mobile services Locations & Hours Computer Availability Catalog Search Reference Services Webcam Feeds GroupFinder News & Events Link to campus mobile site 18

19. Locations & Hours 19 New: Images, maps, descriptions User Context: Is this branch library open tonight?

20. Computer Availability 20 New: Visual display, added branch library User Context: Where can I find an available computer?

21. Catalog Search 21 New: Cover images, email/text message records User context: Is the book I need currently available?

22. Reference Services 22 New: Integrated reference chat User context: I have a question about the library…

23. Webcam Feeds 23 New Service: View multiple webcam feeds User Context: Do I have time to get a coffee?

24. GroupFinder 24 New Service: Find groups within the library User Context: Where is my study group?

25. News & Events 25 New Service: View multiple library-related news feeds User Context: What is new at the NCSU Libraries?

26. Real time tools 26

27. David Woodbury Project Planning & Design 27

28. Project timeline Campus site launch (September 3, 2009) Planning & wireframes (September) Programming (early October) Beta launch (late October) Formal launch & promotion (November) Main website redirect (December) GroupFinder & bug fixes (February 2010) 28

29. Project team One project manager & two programmers Approximately one month and half of work for FTE (split between three of us) However, we were using services that took many months to build 29

30. What to mobilize? What services are currently available? What services are applicable on a mobile device? What services translate well to the mobile environment? What tools can be created easily? What would be fun to see? 30

31. Relationship to home page Mobile Site ≠ Home Page Narrow options for mobile Can always link back Needs to be maintained by web team Branding & tools need relate to main site 31

32. “Mobile” is not just shrinking the page 32

33. Use only essential, relevant content 33

34. Use only essential, relevant content 34

35. Reduce options, simplify 35

36. Push data as high as possible 36

37. Limit data to mobile context 37

38. Limit data to mobile context 38 For time oriented data, we assume current day & time We assume action oriented

39. Use the mobile interface 39

40. Provide appropriate tools for the user’s context 40

41. Expose hidden, useful content 41

42. Mobile Planning Tips Start with the services that make mobile sense Limit the amount of data entry Link back to main site Promote your site Talk to students to get reality check 42

43. NCSU Libraries Mobile Initiative Key area for the Libraries Includes department representatives from across the Libraries Will plan, advise, and support mobile development Will work with new formalized NC State Mobile campus group 43

44. Jason Casden Technical Planning and Implementation 44

45. 45

46. When to Make a Native App Charging for it Creating a game Using specific locations* Using cameras Using accelerometers Accessing the filesystems Offline users * Actually available to web-based applications 46

47. The Case for Mobile Web Apps “I believe that unless your application meets one of these native application criteria, you should not create a native application, but should instead focus on building a mobile web application.” — Brian Fling, “Mobile Design and Development” 47

48. WolfWalk, Two Ways 48

49. Our tools Mobile website –XHTML 1.0 transitional –CSS –non-essential JavaScript and AJAX MIT Mobile Web Open Source Project Leaned on pre-existing web services Targeted higher-end devices 49

50. No developers? Tools that require only HTML knowledge –iWebKit, iUI, Dashcode… –Good for static content –May lack good multi-tiered device support 50

51. No developers? Vendors –Boopsie, Terribly Clever… –Can manage mobile development process for you –You may lack control over the final product –May be expensive –Doesn’t develop internal expertise 51

52. Best practices Standards and official guidelines –Useful, but slow-moving –Don’t get stuck 52

53. Lots of Devices 53 Top Level iPhones, Android phones, Palm Pre Large touch screens, sophisticated web capabilities Middle Level Blackberry, Nokia smartphones, Windows mobile, etc. May lack touch screen and some CSS and JavaScript capabilities. Low Level Web-enabled flip phones Small screens, low web functionality

54. Content Adaptation 54

55. Separating data from presentation 55

56. Testing 56 CC BY-SA 2.0: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/392918 9482/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/wfryer/392918 9482/

57. Recommendations 57

58. Be Agile Rapid development cycle Think iteratively Adjust to change quickly Avoid paralysis 58

59. Play 59

60. Collaborate Campus efforts External projects Steal what you like –Improve it, so it can be stolen back 60

61. In Summary… Mobile websites are becoming very sophisticated Mobile web app development is web development –just a little different 61

62. Stats! 62 Page views: 34657 Unique visits: 6573

63. What device? What is getting used? 63

64. Future Mobile Plans Study room reservations Patron account information and tools Summon article searching ReservesDirect Building wayfinding Staff tools 64

65. Resources Ballard, Barbara. (2007). Designing the Mobile User Experience. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Fling, Brian. (2009). Mobile Design and Development: Practical Concepts and Techniques for Creating Mobile Sites and Web Apps. Sebastopol, California: O’Reilly Media. W3C Mobile Web Best Practices: http://www.w3.org/TR/mobile-bp/http://www.w3.org/TR/mobile-bp/ W3C CSS Mobile Profile: http://www.w3.org/TR/css-mobile/http://www.w3.org/TR/css-mobile/ Griggs, K., Bridges, L. M., Rempel, H. G. (2009). “library/mobile: Tips on Designing and Developing Mobile Web Sites”, The Code4Lib Journal, Issue 8. Retrieved from: http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/2055 http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/2055 MIT Mobile Web Open Source Project: http://sourceforge.net/projects/mitmobileweb/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/mitmobileweb/ NCSU Libraries Mobile Project Page: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/dli/projects/librariesmobile/ 65