1. Opportunities for Mobile Enhanced Library Services and Collections Tito Sierra, NCSU Libraries JHU Libraries Assembly May 21, 2010

2. Outline The Mobile Opportunity Mobile Library Projects at NCSU NCSU Libraries Mobile The WolfWalk Project Issues to Consider When Developing Mobile Library Services and Collections

3. The Mobile Opportunity

6. “In the developed world, mobile computing has become an indispensable part of day-to-day life in the workforce, and a key driver is the increasing ease and speed with which it is possible to access the Internet from virtually anywhere in the world via the ever-expanding cellular network.” — The Horizon Report 2010 Edition (http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2010/)

7. The Mobile Opportunity How prevalent is mobile internet access?

13. The Mobile Opportunity How prevalent is mobile internet access?

14. The Mobile Opportunity How prevalent is mobile internet access? Approximately 15% to 20% of the U.S. population access the Internet on a mobile device on a daily basis.

15. The Mobile Opportunity How big is the market for mobile library services?

16. The Mobile Opportunity How big is the market for mobile library services? Unclear at the moment. Probably small, but likely to grow.

17. Mobile Projects at NCSU

18. NCSU Libraries Mobile

19. A suite of library services Optimized to 3 tiers of mobile devices Content delivery framework based on MIT Mobile Web

20. “MobiLIB” at NCSU (2007)

21. NCSU Libraries Mobile (2010) 1.Locations & Hours 2.Computer Availability 3.Search Catalog Summon 4.Ask Us 5.Room Reservations 6.GroupFinder 7.News & Events 8.Webcams 9.WolfWalk 10.Reserves (coming soon)

22. Guiding Principles Don’t reproduce the library website—distill it to what users might actually use in a mobile use context.

23. Guiding Principles Save the time of the library user.

24. Guiding Principles Mobile apps are a new thing, so be receptive to new ideas.

25. NCSU Libraries Mobile Demo http://m.lib.ncsu.edu

27. Locations & Hours

30. Computer Availability

32. Catalog Search

36. Ask Us

39. Webcams

42. Implementation Notes Nearly all of our mobile library services are re-skinned versions of existing web applications.

43. Implementation Notes Reuse of existing infrastructure lowered development costs and rapid prototyping possible.

44. The WolfWalk Project

45. A historical guide to NC State campus University Archives Photo Collection Location-aware Two versions Mobile website iPhone App

46. WolfWalk Concept Make it easy for the NC State campus community to learn about the history of campus while on campus.

47. WolfWalk Concept Jason Casden, NCSU Libraries

48. Todd Kosmerick and Adam Berenbak, NCSU Libraries

50. Jason Casden, NCSU Libraries

52. The WolfWalk Project Demo http://m.lib.ncsu.edu/wolfwalk

67. Location-aware Collections How else can the location-aware concept be applied to library collections?

68. Location-aware Collections Architectural walking tours? This day place in history? Historical events that occurred near me?

69. Issues to Consider When Developing Mobile Library Services and Collections

70. Basic Questions What value does the “mobile” aspect of the project add to the user experience with a library service or collection? What incentives do users have to access this content on a mobile device, rather than via existing channels?

71. Local Factors How prevalent is mobile internet and app usage in your user community? Are there different patterns of use between undergraduate and graduates? Are the mobile opportunities unique to your campus (e.g., medical reference)?

72. Implementation Choices Do you build a platform specific “native app” (e.g., iPhone App, Android App), a mobile website that works across a range of devices, or both?

73. When to Make a Native App Charging for it Creating a game Using specific locations* Using cameras Using accelerometers Accessing the filesystems Offline users

74. 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”

75. The Case for iPhone Apps “I am writing to tell you that I think usage and therefore your impact will be minimal if you only have a mobile website. You need to port your website to apps for the Apple and Google App Store. People spend most of their time accessing data on the web through apps.” — Unsolicited feedback from a WolfWalk user

76. Shifting Landscape Mobile technology is changing rapidly, making it difficult to plan for what’s next New standards and technology are unevenly distributed across platforms New interaction models emerging Location-based Services (e.g., Foursquare) Augmented Reality

77. Closing Thoughts If you plan to work in the mobile space, be prepared to experiment.

78. Closing Thoughts If you plan to work in the mobile space, be prepared to experiment. The lack of prevalent models makes this work both challenging and exciting.

79. Thank you for your time! Tito Sierra tito_sierra@ncsu.edu

80. More Information NCSU Libraries Mobile: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/dli/projects/librariesmobile The WolfWalk Project: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/dli/projects/wolfwalk