Best Practices

Going Mobile With Apps and Mobile Websites

With smartphone and tablet shipments already exceeding those of desktops and notebooks, it's evident that both apps and mobile websites will increasingly become indispensable tools to engage library users. So what should your library's mobile strategy look like? There are many options available ranging from building your own app, creating your own mobile site, or working with outside vendors. When determining what works best for you, ask yourself a key question first: how can my mobile presence most effectively drive usage of collections and services?

While creating a mobile presence for your library seems like a given in today's environment, the how and what is certainly up to debate. If anything, it's clear that a good mobile presence including both mobile websites and “native apps” (specifically designed for Apple's iOS or Android, for example) provide your library with additional channels to engage with your users. A good mobile presence can help you promote your collections, events, and resources. Already there are many 'out of the box' tools available, some free and some for pay, that can dramatically help you communicate your service offerings. Think of WordPress, Twitter, Facebook, and a service like LibGuides – all of which deliver great mobile views. In addition, library automation vendors are either creating mobile views of the catalog and / or discovery platform, or providing access to the catalog through native apps. These options provide libraries with opportunity for sure, but also raise questions of access and usability: if your library has a mobile WordPress blog, a Facebook page, LibGuides, Overdrive, Twitter, and a mobile app for your catalog – where does your user turn first?

To help your users out, you certainly have options. For starters, you can create a mobile website with links to all your various other mobile resources. Separately, or in conjunction with a mobile site, you can go the route of a native app that synthesizes and aggregates your information. The latter approach will benefit your users in many more ways. With native apps you can take advantage of features within the operating system to provide extra value with superior usability. For example, your users could just tap to add an event to their calendar, or tap to share information - such as a book review or a new service - with friends via email or Facebook. They don't need to wait for pages to load, and can readily read content offline.

Importantly, native apps also tie in to a broader trend; a recent study by Flurry Inc., a company that provides mobile app analytics, found that “for the first time ever, daily time spent in mobile apps surpasses desktop and mobile web consumption.” This trend underscores more than anything the importance of a mobile strategy in today's environment. Native apps and mobile sites provide you with an opportunity to communicate your wide array of service offerings in creative and exciting ways. Whether you have in-house staff, or work with a vendor, the possibilities are there. Jumping on the mobile bandwagon should no longer be a question of if, but when.

Some interesting resources on mobile trends:

Top mobile Internet trends: http://www.slideshare.net/kleinerperkins/kpcb-top-10-mobile-trends-feb-2011

Mobile apps put the web in the their rear view mirror: http://blog.flurry.com/bid/63907/Mobile-Apps-Put-the-Web-in-Their-Rear-view-Mirror 

Tamir Borensztajn is Marketing Manager for Infor Library and Information Solutions. Infor provides automation solutions for public, special and academic libraries, and recently introduced its first mobile offering in the North American marketplace. More information at: www.libraries.infor.com and www.nowinthelibrary.com. Tamir can be reached at: tamir.borensztajn@infor.com.