This document summarizes case studies of mobile sites created by university libraries. It discusses key decisions in developing a mobile presence like whether to optimize an existing site or create a separate mobile site/app. It provides tips on design, content to include, and maintenance. Examples from UCSF and UCSD Libraries are presented, showing their mobile sites increased usage of key resources like the catalog on mobile devices. The document considers tradeoffs of mobile sites vs apps and development frameworks.

1. Building a Mobile Presence for Your Library: Current Case Studies Matt Critchlow, Michele Mizejewski, Dan Suchy May 11, 2011

2. Matt Critchlow Web Technical Manager University of California, San Diego Libraries Michele Mizejewski Web Initiatives Librarian University of California, San Francisco Dan Suchy User Services Technology Analyst University of California, San Diego Libraries

3. Overview What content to include in your mobile presence? Should you develop an app or a mobile web site? You have a mobile site! Now what?

5. Comparatively small student population with approximately:

6. 20,400 staff (includes hospitals)

7. 2,400 faculty

8. 2,940 students enrolled in degree programs

9. 1,620 residents (physicians, dentists and pharmacists in training)

10. 1,030 postdoctoral scholars

11. First launched mobile site in May 2010 Source: http://www.ucsf.edu/about/facts-figures

13. UCSD Libraries consist of 8 libraries, with more than 7,300 people streaming through the libraries each day.

14. Library website resources are accessed more than 87,500 times each day.

15. Fairly large student population:

16. 23,000 undergraduates

17. 4,200 graduates

18. 26,000 faculty and staffSource: http://www.ucsd.edu/explore/about/facts.html, http://libraries.ucsd.edu/about

20. optimize your existing web site for mobile?

21. create a separate mobile site or app?

22. Feb. 2011: Smart phones outsell PCs for the first time*

23. Trends indicate that the future of the web is mobile!*Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110209/ap_on_re_us/us_tec_techbit_smart_phone_sales

24. Mobile vs Desktop Source: http://www.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/mobile_internet_report122009.html

25. Source: http://www.pewinternet.org/Infographics/2011/Generations-and-gadgets.aspx Mobile Saturation

27. Most-used content goes at top level

28. Chunk information and use drilldown to minimize scrolling

29. Minimize need to type whenever possible

30. Use existing guidelines like the iOS Human Interface Guidelines** http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/userexperience/conceptual/mobilehig/Introduction/Introduction.html

32. Some ways to do this include:

33. look at stats for your main web site to see what people are viewing with mobiles

34. see what other libraries and campuses are offering

35. surveys or focus groups

36. Make it usable! Less is more.

39. Some possibilities:

40. Informational look-ups (hours, locations)

41. Catalog look-up and circ functions

42. Ask a question by phone, email, text

43. Showcase content (tours, digital collections, tutorials)

44. Searching article databases and reading articles

45. Reading ebooks

46. Making room or computer reservations

47. Maps and floor plans

48. LibGuides content

50. databases

51. ebooks

52. library catalog

53. Inconsistent approaches and quality

55. Users want key services in one place

56. In reality, sometimes that = just the catalog

57. If no campus site, consider blazing the trail with a library site

59. UCSF Library Mobile Usage

60. UCSD Libraries Mobile

61. UCSD Libraries Mobile Usage

65. The "apps are sexier factor"

66. Content can be stored in the app and available offline

67. Access to smartphone bells and whistles

68. Gives your library a presence in the Apple/Android app stores

69. You have access to programmers who know the language(s)

71. Varying technologies depending on platform

72. Apple -> Objective-C

73. Android -> Java

74. BlackBerry -> Java

75. Palm -> C/C++

76. Symbian -> C++

77. Windows Mobile -> C++

78. Potential issues with support

79. Limited audience

81. Low development cost

83. Consistent statistics

84. Instant Updates (no app store vetting)

86. Even if you’re not, you can probably reuse contentHours Data Regular Website Mobile Website

89. The "apps are sexier factor”

90. Some of the new HTML5/CSS3 features aren’t standardized yet or available in all browsers

91. Mobile frameworks are still relatively young

92. Still missing access to features like accelerometer, camera

95. Who decides what is relevant for mobile?

97. Watch stat trends

99. mention on facebook, twitter

101. Stats and reports on trends can also secure get buy-in to develop

102. Assign someone to be your library's mobile trend spotter

103. Brevity, brevity, brevity.

104. Always test using real mobile devices

106. Pew Internet on Mobile

107. iOS Human Interface Guidelines

108. UCLA Mobile Web Framework

109. CDL Mobile Support Policy for CDL Licensed Resources

110. Mobile: Letting Go of the Device and Building for Innovation

111. Mobile First Helps with Big Issues

112. W3C Mobile (browser check)

113. HTML5Rocks

114. CSS3.info

115. Appcelerator Titanium Framework

116. PhoneGap Framework

117. jQuery Mobile Framework

119. DCPL for iPhone

120. NCSU Mobile

121. UCSF Mobile

122. UCSD Libraries Mobile

123. SJPL Mobile App