Developing an open source mobile app in library services: the case of a national university in Malaysia
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-08-2021-0064 |
| Published date | 02 December 2021 |
| Date | 02 December 2021 |
| Pages | 283-300 |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Records management & preservation,Information repositories |
| Author | Zainab Ajab Mohideen,Arslan Sheikh,Kiran Kaur |
Developing an open source mobile
app in library services: the case of
a national university in Malaysia
Zainab Ajab Mohideen
Center of Knowledge Communication and Technology (CKCT),
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Arslan Sheikh
Junaid Zaidi Library, COMSATS University Islamabad,
Islamabad, Pakistan, and
Kiran Kaur
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Abstract
Purpose –A surge of library activities and technological advances have increased the demand for data
accuracy and agility among library clientele. Therefore, novel approaches are needed to extend library
services. This paper aims to introduce the implementation of a prototype mobile library application (app)
designedusing an in-house open source system, Koha.
Design/methodology/approach –This paper presents a case study using a metamorphosisprocess to
create mobile apps. This case study is testedbased on the library services with a set of activities during the
system acceptance test (SAT) and also user acceptance test (UAT). An application programming interface
(API) used to support two-way communication, including system-to-component and system-to-system
connectivity. The design,features and advantages of this mobile app are discussed, illustrated and analyzed.
The case study reportsthe mobile app version development from the KohaOpen Source Library Information
System.
Findings –The app was tested using user acceptance test (UAT) and system acceptance test (SAT) by
library staffswho found it functional, accessible, appealingand useful. Features such as Online Public Access
Catalog search, library collection scanning, patron accounts, patron personal book collection, circulation,
librarian chat, QR codes for borrowing books, socialmedia integration and notifications of library activities
and events were successfully tested.This process was useful for the creation of a mobile app based on the
existinglibrary System-Koha Open Source System.
Research limitations/implications –This study is limited to a case study of a national universityin
Malaysia.
Practical implications –This study has some practical implications for implementing library mobile
applications,e.g. it will encourage librarians to implementlibrary applications in libraries.
The principle autho r would like to pay her gr atitude to the techni cal support team and m obile
application development team of Universiti Sains Malaysia Library. Thanks to Mr Arslan Sheikh
from Pakistan for his valued contribution in the revisions and publication process of this
manuscript. A special Thanks to Dr Kiran Kaur for floating the idea of wri ting this paper. Thank
you Mr Mohd Nasir Md Rashid on industry collaboration for the library open system mobile apps
prototype development. Thank you MadamSukmawati Muhamad, for the in-depth checking of this
manuscript.
Open source
mobile app
283
Received2 August 2021
Revised17 October 2021
Accepted5 November 2021
DigitalLibrary Perspectives
Vol.38 No. 3, 2022
pp. 283-300
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2059-5816
DOI 10.1108/DLP-08-2021-0064
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/2059-5816.htm
Originality/value –This study is useful for mobile developers and libraries that plan to offer mobile
library services to their patrons. This paper presents a case study of metamorphosis existing process of
library opensource System-Koha Open Source System.
Keywords Open source system, System prototype, Open source software, Mobile services,
Mobile application, Koha, Linux
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In recent years, people have shown a great interest in using mobile devices in the libraries by
nurturing the concept “bring your own device”(BYOD) and “bring your own application”
(BYOA) (King, 2021). In fact, mobile technology has become a part of people’s daily lives.
Because of the power of mobile devices, people use mobile phones in multiple information
sharing and gathering tasks (Barroca Filho and Aquino Júnior, 2016;Hsiao et al., 2019).
Libraries and information centers have always been greatly influenced by the technological
revolution. By using various information and communication technologies, libraries have
upgraded their services from physical to digital. Today, libraries provide more user-friendly
online services, to increase access to library resources. Through smartphones, it has become
possible for libraries to provide a variety of online services to users (Mansouri and Soleymani
Asl, 2019). Consequently, mobile library services have achieved a great popularity (Jayatilleke
et al., 2018;Wei and Yang, 2017). Mobile applications, more commonly known as apps, are the
fastest way of getting connected with the library, librarians and the information resources
(Poulter, 2010). Therefore, these apps are getting a great deal of interest among users and
information professionals (Rafique et al., 2020). The recent IFLA project “libraries building a
sustainable future: WLIC 2021”also points toward the trend of people to access library services
remotely then to use physical spaces (IFLA, 2021). However, very few mobile apps have been
developed by libraries in Malaysia to support their library information services (Koha, 2011).
The emerging trend of app development has been supported by Koha, a flexible open source
software system (Ray and Ramesh, 2017), with the result that open source apps are influential
in library services (Oyelude, 2016).
This paper gives an overview of an open source mobile app implementation process,
with open architectureand an open source library information system. The opentechnology
platform is used for software mobile apps dashboard development. A prototype is used to
illustrate the app, designed to support the library open source technologysystem and open
architecture mobile apps with full authorization and control by the client. This prototype
specifically uses applicationprogrammable interfaces (APIs) for user communicationand to
support two-way interaction architecture: system-to-component and system-to-system
connectivity. The prototype was developed in-house by using the open source integrated
library system Koha, a system widely used in libraries around the world (Kurkovsky and
Meesangnil, 2012;Blummer and Kenton, 2018). The open system architecture prototype
allows the services to function 24 7. This prototypeapplication offers clients services and
tools (Wei and Yang, 2017) such as search in Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), scan
library collection, access to patron accounts, patron book collection, circulation, librarian
chat, my e-card using QR codes for borrowing books, social media facilities, notification of
library activitiesand events.
Literature review
An initial model is crucial for building, testing and developing any software application
system. Defining and determining a platform for designing open application system
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