It’s Time to Look
at Your Library’s
Mobile Website
Again!
Bohyun Kim
Digital Access Librarian/ Florida
International University Medical Library
@bohyunkim (Twitter)
http://www.slideshare.net/bohyunkim
http://bohyunkim.net
American Library Association Annual
Conference, Anaheim, CA. 2012.
Before we start

   This presentation has been adapted from a small
    part of my presentation that I gave at Amigos
    2012 Online Conference. June 8, 2012. Access by
    Touch: Delivering Library Services Through Mobile
    Technologies.

   You can view the slides for the full presentation I
    have given at Amigos 2012 Online conference
    here:
    http://www.slideshare.net/bohyunkim/the-mobile-
    web-and-the-mobile-websites-of-libraries-how-
    they-changed-for-the-last-few-years
A few years ago vs. Now
             Source:
             http://www.libsuccess.org/index.
             php?title=M-Libraries

             http://www.slideshare.net/bohyu
             nkim/planning-for-your-librarys-
             first-mobile-website

             http://www.bohyunkim.net/blog/
             archives/705
             http://journal.code4lib.org/article
             s/2055
Mobile computing changed
“big time” in the last few years.




            Photo from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/4313864280/lightbox/
Mobile Internet 




Source: Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First (2011) p.8.
Wireless data tsunami

 “Over  the past five years, AT&T’s wireless
  data traffic has grown 20,000%.”
 “The nation’s second largest wireless
  carrier’s data traffic has at least doubled
  every year since 2007.”

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/14/atts-wireless-data-
traffic-doubles-every-year-but-throttling-is-not-the-solution/
Capable mobile device
+ Faster network
Desktop Internet 
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-02-15/tech/29983706_1_tablet-
market-pcs-smartphones
Smartphones
    = The most common
      Web access devices now
“ Home usage of personal computers in 2010 was down 20% from
   2008 in the United States. The culprit? Smartphones and tablets
   gobbling up our time online (http://bkaprt.com/mf/5).

“ In November 2010, visitors to web-based email sites declined 6%,
    but visitors accessing email with their mobile devices grew by
    36% (http://bkaprt.com/mf/6).

“ Traffic to mobile websites in 2010 grew 600% after tripling
   between 2009 and 2010 (http://bkaprt.com/mf/7).

Source: Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First (2011) p.8.
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/120590/
How are those mobile sites
                                                  now?




http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwhgould/5554807256/lightbox/
2010  2012
2010  2012




              http://sherman.library.nova.edu/m/
2010  2012




              http://medlib.fu.edu/m
2010  2012




              http://m.harvard.edu/libraries/
2010  2012




              https://www.lib.umn.edu/mobile/
2010  2012




http://m.library.oregonstate.edu/
2010  2012




              http://m.lib.ncsu.edu/
General trend
     : More stuff in the mobile site
   The library mobile sites are now showing more information
    beyond library hours, location, and contact us.
   While this type of basic information appeared as primary
    tasks before, now search and research, library resource
    use is appearing to be more of primary tasks on a library
    mobile website. `(e.g. Libguides, Books, Articles, Course
    Reserves, Databases, etc.)
   A search box is starting to appear on a mobile website
    homepage.
   Additional features are being added to the mobile site
    such as an library account transaction (e.g. item renewal)
    and course reserves.
   Study room reservation, computer availability information
    are offered in some mobile sites.
Looking back at some of the
     tips 2 years ago …

 Environmental scan - OK
 Target audience - YES
    Primary tasks & user needs /expectations
    Marketing
 No   longer true
    Mobile devices’ constraints and slow networks
    Focus on users’ information needs on the go
    A companion site with less features and content
Which is faster and more convenient?
Always on, always with you


              Are our assumptions
              about mobile user
              behavior accurate?
84%

80%

74%


69%


64%

62%

47%



  Source:
  http://blog.compete.com/2010/03/12/smartphone-owners-a-ready-and-willing-audience/
User Behavior on the Mobile

    Motivation: Micro-task, Bored, Local
     Source: Josh Clark, Tapworthy (2010) Ch. 2.
    Edit/Create (urgent change/micro-tasking)
: I need to get some-thing
     done now that can’t wait.
    Lookup/Find (urgent info, local)
: I need an answer to some-thing now
     - frequently related to my current location in the world.
    Explore/Play (bored, local)
: I have some time to kill and just want a
     few idle time distractions.
    Check In/Status (repeat/micro-tasking): Something important to me
     keeps changing or updating and I want to stay on top of it.

    Source: Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First (2011) p.50.
Don’t dumb things down
on the mobile

“There are, of course, differences based on mobile and
   desktop usage patterns; but the core value of a web
   service remains the same across both formats and beyond.
   In fact, you’ll quickly find your customers will expect to do
   just about everything (within reason) on mobile. Especially
   those who primarily (or only) use their mobiles to get online.
   So don’t dumb things down on mobile—focus on what
   really matters most anywhere people can access your
   website.


Source: Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First (2011) p.22.
Do-It-Yourself on Mobile




http://www.flickr.com/photos/marielamuse/7341089880/
Towards a full-feature
   library mobile website

 DIY Mindset of today’s library users
 Let them serve themselves on the mobile device!
 “You’re pretty good at helping me, thanks,
  but I’d really prefer to do more things by myself
  — and by the way, you don’t make that very easy
  for me.”
   - Matthews, Brian. 2011. “Helping patrons help themselves,” Chronicle of
  Higher Education Blog Network.
  http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2011/10/13/are-we-
  in-the-diy-era-helping-patrons-help-themselves/
> People look at
                                                                       their smartphones
      Are we ready?                                                    an average of 150
                                                                       times a day. That’s
                                                                       approximately
                                                                       once every six
                                                                       minutes during
                                                                       waking hours.

                                                                       > Mobile internet is
                                                                       the only internet
                                                                       for 25% of U.S.
                                                                       users.




Jay Ramirez, “Five Reasons Marketers Should Think Mobile First. 2012.
http://www.moroch.com/blog/2012/03/five-reasons-marketers-should-think-mobile-first/
References
   Aaron Tay, “What are mobile friendly library sites
    offering? A survey.” Musings about Librarianship,
    2010.http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/2010
    /04/comparison-of-40-mobile-library-sites.html
   “M-Libraries.” LibSuccess Wiki, 2012.
    http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=M-Libraries
   Josh Clark, Tapworthy: Designing Great iPhone Apps.
    O’Reilly, 2010.
   Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First. A Book Apart, 2011.
   Jay Ramirez, “Five Reasons Marketers Should Think Mobile
    First. 2012. http://www.moroch.com/blog/2012/03/five-
    reasons-marketers-should-think-mobile-first/
   See other references on slides.

It’s Time to Look at Your Library’s Mobile Website Again!

  • 1.
    It’s Time toLook at Your Library’s Mobile Website Again! Bohyun Kim Digital Access Librarian/ Florida International University Medical Library @bohyunkim (Twitter) http://www.slideshare.net/bohyunkim http://bohyunkim.net American Library Association Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA. 2012.
  • 2.
    Before we start  This presentation has been adapted from a small part of my presentation that I gave at Amigos 2012 Online Conference. June 8, 2012. Access by Touch: Delivering Library Services Through Mobile Technologies.  You can view the slides for the full presentation I have given at Amigos 2012 Online conference here: http://www.slideshare.net/bohyunkim/the-mobile- web-and-the-mobile-websites-of-libraries-how- they-changed-for-the-last-few-years
  • 3.
    A few yearsago vs. Now Source: http://www.libsuccess.org/index. php?title=M-Libraries http://www.slideshare.net/bohyu nkim/planning-for-your-librarys- first-mobile-website http://www.bohyunkim.net/blog/ archives/705 http://journal.code4lib.org/article s/2055
  • 4.
    Mobile computing changed “bigtime” in the last few years. Photo from Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pagedooley/4313864280/lightbox/
  • 5.
    Mobile Internet  Source:Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First (2011) p.8.
  • 6.
    Wireless data tsunami “Over the past five years, AT&T’s wireless data traffic has grown 20,000%.”  “The nation’s second largest wireless carrier’s data traffic has at least doubled every year since 2007.” Source: http://techcrunch.com/2012/02/14/atts-wireless-data- traffic-doubles-every-year-but-throttling-is-not-the-solution/
  • 7.
  • 8.
  • 9.
    Smartphones = The most common Web access devices now “ Home usage of personal computers in 2010 was down 20% from 2008 in the United States. The culprit? Smartphones and tablets gobbling up our time online (http://bkaprt.com/mf/5). “ In November 2010, visitors to web-based email sites declined 6%, but visitors accessing email with their mobile devices grew by 36% (http://bkaprt.com/mf/6). “ Traffic to mobile websites in 2010 grew 600% after tripling between 2009 and 2010 (http://bkaprt.com/mf/7). Source: Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First (2011) p.8.
  • 10.
  • 11.
    How are thosemobile sites now? http://www.flickr.com/photos/rwhgould/5554807256/lightbox/
  • 12.
  • 13.
    2010  2012 http://sherman.library.nova.edu/m/
  • 14.
    2010  2012 http://medlib.fu.edu/m
  • 15.
    2010  2012 http://m.harvard.edu/libraries/
  • 17.
    2010  2012 https://www.lib.umn.edu/mobile/
  • 18.
  • 19.
    2010  2012 http://m.lib.ncsu.edu/
  • 20.
    General trend : More stuff in the mobile site  The library mobile sites are now showing more information beyond library hours, location, and contact us.  While this type of basic information appeared as primary tasks before, now search and research, library resource use is appearing to be more of primary tasks on a library mobile website. `(e.g. Libguides, Books, Articles, Course Reserves, Databases, etc.)  A search box is starting to appear on a mobile website homepage.  Additional features are being added to the mobile site such as an library account transaction (e.g. item renewal) and course reserves.  Study room reservation, computer availability information are offered in some mobile sites.
  • 21.
    Looking back atsome of the tips 2 years ago …  Environmental scan - OK  Target audience - YES  Primary tasks & user needs /expectations  Marketing  No longer true  Mobile devices’ constraints and slow networks  Focus on users’ information needs on the go  A companion site with less features and content
  • 22.
    Which is fasterand more convenient?
  • 23.
    Always on, alwayswith you Are our assumptions about mobile user behavior accurate?
  • 24.
    84% 80% 74% 69% 64% 62% 47% Source: http://blog.compete.com/2010/03/12/smartphone-owners-a-ready-and-willing-audience/
  • 25.
    User Behavior onthe Mobile  Motivation: Micro-task, Bored, Local Source: Josh Clark, Tapworthy (2010) Ch. 2.  Edit/Create (urgent change/micro-tasking)
: I need to get some-thing done now that can’t wait.  Lookup/Find (urgent info, local)
: I need an answer to some-thing now - frequently related to my current location in the world.  Explore/Play (bored, local)
: I have some time to kill and just want a few idle time distractions.  Check In/Status (repeat/micro-tasking): Something important to me keeps changing or updating and I want to stay on top of it. Source: Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First (2011) p.50.
  • 26.
    Don’t dumb thingsdown on the mobile “There are, of course, differences based on mobile and desktop usage patterns; but the core value of a web service remains the same across both formats and beyond. In fact, you’ll quickly find your customers will expect to do just about everything (within reason) on mobile. Especially those who primarily (or only) use their mobiles to get online. So don’t dumb things down on mobile—focus on what really matters most anywhere people can access your website. Source: Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First (2011) p.22.
  • 27.
  • 28.
    Towards a full-feature library mobile website  DIY Mindset of today’s library users  Let them serve themselves on the mobile device!  “You’re pretty good at helping me, thanks, but I’d really prefer to do more things by myself — and by the way, you don’t make that very easy for me.” - Matthews, Brian. 2011. “Helping patrons help themselves,” Chronicle of Higher Education Blog Network. http://chronicle.com/blognetwork/theubiquitouslibrarian/2011/10/13/are-we- in-the-diy-era-helping-patrons-help-themselves/
  • 29.
    > People lookat their smartphones Are we ready? an average of 150 times a day. That’s approximately once every six minutes during waking hours. > Mobile internet is the only internet for 25% of U.S. users. Jay Ramirez, “Five Reasons Marketers Should Think Mobile First. 2012. http://www.moroch.com/blog/2012/03/five-reasons-marketers-should-think-mobile-first/
  • 30.
    References  Aaron Tay, “What are mobile friendly library sites offering? A survey.” Musings about Librarianship, 2010.http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/2010 /04/comparison-of-40-mobile-library-sites.html  “M-Libraries.” LibSuccess Wiki, 2012. http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=M-Libraries  Josh Clark, Tapworthy: Designing Great iPhone Apps. O’Reilly, 2010.  Luke Wroblewski, Mobile First. A Book Apart, 2011.  Jay Ramirez, “Five Reasons Marketers Should Think Mobile First. 2012. http://www.moroch.com/blog/2012/03/five- reasons-marketers-should-think-mobile-first/  See other references on slides.