Resource discovery on

mobile devices

M-libraries information sharing, 8 May 2012

2012: MACON Mobilising Academic Content Online

1. Mobile discovery interface (using the

EBSCO API)

2. Mobile authentication bookmarklet tool

3. Good practice toolkit for publishers

and libraries

http://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/macon

Twitter hashtag: #OUMACON #mlibs

THE BIG PICTURE

Mobile marketplace

20%

2%

17% 61%

Visits to OU Library website March 2012

iOS

Blackberry

Android

Other

WHAT FUNCTIONALITY DO

LIBRARIANS EXPECT FROM

DISCOVERY TOOLS?

Discussion

Librarians expect lots of advanced options

Usability Functionality

Mobile devices have limited space on the screen and are used in a different

way to desktop devices – some compromise will be necessary to ensure

usability.

WHAT FUNCTIONALITY DO

LIBRARY USERS EXPECT FROM

DISCOVERY TOOLS?

Discussion

Users are looking for convenience most of all

Functionality Usability

Keep it simple

Make authentication and access easy

HOW DO YOU ENSURE USABILITY

ON A HANDHELD DEVICE?

Discussion

Mobile

usability/

design

principles

http://www.flickr.com/photos/revstan/3805285952/

Know your audience

Leave space around buttons and links

1cm x 1cm

Reduce typing, “clicks”,

downloads and increase speed

Minimize volume of downloads

Include search

Make authentication easy

Provide best available file format

Reading full text Phone type PDF HTML Plain text ePub

Smartphone (iPhone/Android)

Feature phone (Blackberry/

N95) Maybe Maybe

Basic internet phone

MOBILE WEB VS APPS

Website or App?

Mobile website

Platform independent

Use existing staff skills

Limited access to device hardware

Easy to find

Under your control

Storage is server side

Difficult to personalise

Can only be used online

Proprietary app

Platform specific

Staff need new skills

Access to device hardware

Hidden in app store

May be regulated by App store owner

Limited memory on device

Inherently personal

Can be used offline

Web app [HTML 5]

Platform independent

Build on existing skills

Access to device hardware

Can be used on desktop

Under your control

No need to develop separate versions for different platforms

1. What are the characteristics of mobile apps and mobile-optimised websites? July 2010.

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloud/view/4110

2. W3C Mobile Web Application Best Practices. December 2010. http://www.w3.org/TR/mwabp/

3. Neilson, J (2012) Mobile Sites vs. Apps: The Coming Strategy Shift. http://www.useit.com/alertbox/mobile-sites-apps.html

Benefits to users

Mobile apps

Mobile websites

MONITOR TRENDS

Which platforms or browsers do your users have?

Apps or websites?

Separate website or responsive design?

Recommended reading • JISC user behaviour observational study: User behaviour in resource

discovery:

http://www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/programmerelated/2010/ubirdfinalreport.aspx

• JISC TechWatch Report: Delivering Web to Mobile:

http://blog.observatory.jisc.ac.uk/2012/05/09/final-release-of-techwatch-report-

delivering-web-to-mobile/

• ComScore Datamine (for EU, UK and global trends):

http://www.comscoredatamine.com/category/mobile/

• Responsive Web Design: http://www.alistapart.com/articles/responsive-web-

design/

• M-libraries group on Mendeley: http://mnd.ly/JVA6Hv

M-Libraries Conference 2012

“From margin to mainstream: mobile technologies

transforming lives and libraries”

• 24-26 September at the Open University

• www.m-libraries.org

• Registration now open

Thank you

• OU Library mobile site: www.open.ac.uk/library/m

• Mobile Discovery Good Practice Toolkit (work in

progress): http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/2411

• MACON project blog: www.open.ac.uk/blogs/macon