Student attitudes towards mobile library services for smartphones
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831111174387 |
| Published date | 06 September 2011 |
| Date | 06 September 2011 |
| Pages | 412-423 |
| Author | Lorraine Paterson,Boon Low |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Student attitudes towards mobile
library services for smartphones
Lorraine Paterson and Boon Low
e-Science Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to provide quantitative and qualitative data on students’ use of mobile
devices and to consider the benefit of academic mobile library services to students.
Design/methodology/approach – Initial mobile library research included an online survey that
attracted 1,716 participants. This was followed up with two discussion groups of six undergraduate
and five postgraduate students. The survey followed-on from an earlier survey conducted by the
University of Edinburgh’s Information Services (IS) in March 2010.
Findings – The dramatic growth of smartphone ownership among students in an eight-month period
was surprising: a 17 per cent increase between March and November 2010. In addition, 68 per cent of
students who plan to change their mobile handset would upgrade to a smartphone.
Research limitations/implications – As students were unable to provide feedback on University
of Edinburgh’s own mobile library services, their feedback is speculative and subject to change.
Practical implications – The paper provides evidence for libraries to determine the value of
developing their own mobile services. It also demonstrates the proliferation of mobile device usage
within the university and library context and indicates which services students would find most useful
on a mobile device.
Originality/value – The paper provides insight into a rapidly moving area of technology as
demonstrated through the research. The increasing use of mobile devices among students is important
to acknowledge. The role of the academic library is to embrace changing student behaviour by
providing services optimised for mobile devices.
Keywords User research,Smartphones, Academic libraries, Mobilelibrary services,
Mobile communication systems, Informationtechnology
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Mobile phone technology has changed rapidly since the advent of the smartphone
almost a decade ago (Fling, 2009). However, few libraries are thinking about the
potentially dramatic implications the uptake of devices with sophisticated capabilities
may have on the user community and more specifically on the use of digital
information resources (Lippincott, 2010a, b). Previous research has shown that 55 per
cent of students were in favour of being able to access the library catalogue from their
mobile phones (Mills, 2009). This coupled with an increase in power users of mobile
internet and general usage among university students (Smith and Caruso, 2010) clearly
indicates that mobile library services merit serious investigation.
In this exploratory study we investigated student attitudes towards mobile library
services with an online survey and two follow-up focus groups. The aim was to
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
The authors would like to acknowledge that the research has been possible through the funding
of the JISC Information Environment Programme 2009-2011 (12/08 call).
LHT
29,3
412
Received February 2011
Revised February 2011
Accepted May 2011
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 29 No. 3, 2011
pp. 412-423
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378831111174387
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