1. Project: Mobile Academics
Anna Kågedal, Uppsala University Library, anna.kagedal@ub.uu.se
Ninna Wiberg, Uppsala University Library, ninna.wiberg@ub.uu.se
Linda Vidlund, Uppsala University Library
Ebba Warén, Uppsala University Library
For several years, librarians at Uppsala University have been working with various
methods to better “market” the digital resources provided. Since our users are
becoming more mobile, the time has come for us to try to create a better academic
environment on mobile devices.
Aim:
• To market the library’s e-resources and raise the usage statistics.
• To provide opportunity for professional development for the librarians
• To show our patrons what sort of support we can offer as librarians.
• To contribute to a better research climate.
Target groups:
Researchers, and students at Uppsala University.
What did we do?
Fall 2012 we examined all groups that were receiving any kind of teaching from the
involved librarians, to investigate how the situation regarding access to mobile
devices was. By using a simple mentometer technique, we estimated that 95% of the
students owned smartphones, and roughly 15% owned tablets. Hardly anyone
owned an e-book reader.
We saw the questioning session in itself as a marketing practice for our e-resources,
since these questions opened a natural way to talk about our electronic resources
and how to use their devices academically. However, we decided to put together
something more targeted towards students and researchers at Uppsala University.
Hence the seminar “Mobile Academics”.
During the fall we have given 2 seminars, with the following content:
• E-books – how we choose them and why there are no Swedish course books
• Demonstration of one e-book provider – how to use their books etc.
• Demonstration of pdf-readers and apps for note taking – for Android and
iProducts
• Roundup about the future
What happens next?
Spring term 2012 we will continue to deliver these seminars on various locations on
campus AND to our Mobile Academic/Mobile Student we will add Mobile Librarian
and target our colleagues as well.