Undergraduate students use of mobile apps to search library catalogs
| Published date | 18 November 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-12-2018-0198 |
| Pages | 721-734 |
| Date | 18 November 2019 |
| Author | Shih-chuan Chen |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Undergraduate students
use of mobile apps to search
library catalogs
Shih-chuan Chen
Department of Library and Information Science,
Fu Jen Catholic University, Taipei, Taiwan
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to explore undergraduate students’use of mobile apps to search
library catalogs and analyze the problems students encountered. Student opinions and suggestions regarding
mobile library apps were also examined.
Design/methodology/approach –A total of 16 undergraduates were observed and subjected to
semi-structured interviews. Four tasks were assigned, and the participants used mobile apps and laptops to
search library catalogs. Follow-up in-depth interviews were conducted to gather participants’opinions
regarding the mobile library app.
Findings –Among the 64 total searches conducted by the 16 participants, 45 (70.31 percent) were completed
when using the mobile app, and 51 (79.69 percent) were completed using the laptop. Participants spent less
time completing the tasks when they used the mobile app. Mobile apps are thus an effective tool for searching
library catalogs. However, the interviews revealed that none of the participants had used mobile library apps
prior to the interviews conducted in this study, and half of the participants expressed that they would not
install library apps on their smartphones in the future.
Originality/value –The study findings may help university libraries improve their understanding about
undergraduates’search behavior and opinions about mobile library apps.
Keywords User behaviour, Mobile devices, Mobile library services, Mobile library, Catalog search,
Mobile library application
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The population of mobile device users has grown rapidly over the past decades. More people
are using mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, to browse and use resources on
the internet. Abarca Villoldo et al. (2012) indicated that improvements in mobile device
technology, faster transmission speeds and lower connection costs have facilitated the
increase in smartphone users. Smartphones have become major devices for many people to
access the internet (Pew Research Center, 2018). Du (2015) noted that the younger generation
preferred to learn using mobile devices instead of traditional desktop computers.
Smartphones have become indispensable devices for social, communicational,
recreational and educational purposes in the daily lives of many people. Kumar (2014)
noted that many university students constantly access the internet on their smartphones.
Suki (2013) reported that social needs and social influences are two factors that affect
university students’reliance on smartphones. Rhim et al. (2016) categorized smartphone
users into three groups: a social fun-seeking group, a leisure-activity-seeking group and an
information-seeking group. Jung (2014) noted that for university students, the primary
functions of smartphones are socialization, daily productivity, communication and quick
access to information.
Paterson and Low (2011) reported that students expected university libraries to provide
mobile services. Ferguson (2015) suggested that university libraries consider customizing their Library Hi Tech
Vol. 37 No. 4, 2019
pp. 721-734
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/LHT-12-2018-0198
Received 17 December 2018
Revised 28 May 2019
30 July 2019
Accepted 30 July 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
This study was supported by a grant from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (106-2410-
H-030 -028-).
721
Undergraduate
students use of
mobile apps
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