2014 Charleston Library Conference

Library users now expect to be able to access content 24/7 from any location – not just in the library on a computer, but on their mobile phones, tablets, e-readers and other devices. A recent survey carried out by Taylor & Francis found that 78% of respondents rated mobile integration to find resources as important.Laura Horton, Global Library Communications Manager from Taylor & Francis, will demonstrate through the results of a primary research survey how users of Taylor & Francis Mobile are using mobile technologies for their research needs, detailing: their device preferences, the mobile app as a discovery tool, and how users can find accessible content for readability on their mobiles. The talk will also explore mobiles as a medium for enhancing accessibility of content through sharing options available through social media tags on mobile devices. These findings will be complemented with sharing a series of interviews with librarians across the Americas, focussing on innovative mobile strategies they have implemented in their libraries.

Dr. Laura Katz Rizzo, from Temple University, will present a practical case study of mobile engagement in the library. She will speak to the mobile library’s use not only in helping students to complete their own research assignments for required courses, but also how information literacy is a key Goal in Temple’s General Education courses and how she developed the course design for her World Studies course to encourage both information literacy and critical thinking on the part of students. Lastly, she will speak to the role of social media and mobile access in the ongoing work of creative and scholarly researchers, both in conducting research and sharing that research with their larger communities of expertise.

Finally, Linda Wobbe, MLIS, Head of Collection Management from Saint Mary’s College of California will share examples of functionality in mobile apps and sites utilised in a variety of journal, book, and database vendor mobile implementations. The audience will then be encouraged to take part in an interactive rating activity relating to the functionality of mobile applications to determine what are the most popular and useful components to librarians. We will compile through Google docs, the ranking of importance for mobile engagement of key mobile components, and advice for future mobile roadmaps that can be shared with product developers.

Ultimately, this session aims to provide delegates with working examples of content engagement through utilising mobile technology, with solutions to implement in your own library.