Cummings, Merrill, and Borrelli’s Inquiry into Small Screen Use by Academic Library Users: Timing is Everything

Objective – The authors undertook this study to understand the relatively new phenomenon of handheld computing and the use of small-screen devices among academic library users. They sought to determine if users would be inclined to search the online library catalogue on their devices and, by extension, if there would be a growing demand for small-screen compatible library services. Design – Online and paper surveys were used with both closed and open questions. Respondents included students, faculty, and staff at Washington State University (WSU). Setting – Washington State University Library, Pullman, Washington, United States of America. Subjects – The survey was open to any user of the Washington State University (Pullman) Library. The 206 respondents included 126 (61.2%) undergraduates, 26 (12.6%) graduate or professional students, 32 (15.3%) WSU employees, and 15 (7.3%) faculty members. Methods – A survey was distributed both online and on paper. The online version used Surveymonkey.com and participation was solicited through various social media. It was open for three months during the Spring semester, 2007. The paper version was distributed to all library users on two days in June 2007. Eighty-four online and 122 paper responses were received. Main Results – Most of the respondents (58.4%) who owned a personal digital assistant (PDA) or Web-enabled cell phone (WECP) indicated that they would search the library catalogue on a small-screen device. Responses to the open question “How would you use the OPAC [online public access catalogue] if it was available on a PDA or WECP?” were mixed, both positive and negative. The positive responders noted the possible time savings associated with the availability of more information on their devices. The negative responders noted the cost of data, the annoyance of public phone use, and the complex format of the current catalogue that would not transfer to a small screen. Conclusion – The authors cited the growing usage trends in handheld devices, along with the willingness of current owners to use their devices, to predict an increase in usage of small screen searching. They speculated that further research should investigate how small screens would be used and what would that experience look like, rather than if patrons would use them

Using Web Analytics for Mobile Interface Development

Libraries are developing mobile Web sites to keep up with the dynamic landscape of emerging technologies. However, the development of a mobile Web site is not as simple as serving the existing desktop Web site on a handheld device. Library developers can use analytics software to better understand users and to develop a user-centered mobile Web site. This case study explores the use of a library’s traditional desktop Web site’s analytics information in creating a mobile interface. 2 Although Web analytics can provide a great amount of information about users, data should be used as supplementary information. Usability testing, focus groups, and surveys are other methods that can be conducted to understand users. Analytics cannot be a substitute for these types of user input, yet it may be useful for the initial development of mobile Web sites

Cummings, Merrill, and Borrelli’s Inquiry into Small Screen Use by Academic Library Users: Timing is Everything

A Review of: Cummings, J., Merrill, A., & Borrelli, S. (2010). The use of handheld mobile devices: Their impact and implications for library services. Library Hi Tech, (28)1, 22-40. https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831011026670 Abstract Objective – The authors undertook this study to understand the relatively new phenomenon of handheld computing and the use of small-screen devices among academic library users. They sought to determine if users would be inclined to search the online library catalogue on their devices and, by extension, if there would be a growing demand for small-screen compatible library services. Design – Online and paper surveys were used with both closed and open questions. Respondents included students, faculty, and staff at Washington State University (WSU). Setting – Washington State University Library, Pullman, Washington, United States of America. Subjects – The survey was open to any user of the Washington State University (Pullman) Library. The 206 respondents included 126 (61.2%) undergraduates, 26 (12.6%) graduate or professional students, 32 (15.3%) WSU employees, and 15 (7.3%) faculty members. Methods – A survey was distributed both online and on paper. The online version used Surveymonkey.com and participation was solicited through various social media. It was open for three months during the Spring semester, 2007. The paper version was distributed to all library users on two days in June 2007. Eighty-four online and 122 paper responses were received. Main Results – Most of the respondents (58.4%) who owned a personal digital assistant (PDA) or Web-enabled cell phone (WECP) indicated that they would search the library catalogue on a small-screen device. Responses to the open question “How would you use the OPAC [online public access catalogue] if it was available on a PDA or WECP?” were mixed, both positive and negative. The positive responders noted the possible time savings associated with the availability of more information on their devices. The negative responders noted the cost of data, the annoyance of public phone use, and the complex format of the current catalogue that would not transfer to a small screen. Conclusion – The authors cited the growing usage trends in handheld devices, along with the willingness of current owners to use their devices, to predict an increase in usage of small screen searching. They speculated that further research should investigate how small screens would be used and what would that experience look like, rather than if patrons would use them

NMC horizon report: 2014 library edition

The NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Library Edition, examines key trends, significant challenges, and emerging technologies for their potential impact on academic and research libraries worldwide. While there are many local factors affecting libraries, there are also issues that transcend regional boundaries and common questions; it was with these questions in mind that this report was created. The NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Library Edition was produced by the NMC in collaboration with University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Chur, Technische Informationsbibliothek (TIB) Hannover, and ETH-Bibliothek Zurich. To create the report, an international body of experts from library management, education, technology, and other fields was convened as a panel. Over the course of three months in the spring of 2014, the 2014 Horizon Project Library Expert Panel came to a consensus about the topics that would appear here in the NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Library Edition.&nbsp

Understanding Children’s Help-Seeking Behaviors: Effects of Domain Knowledge

This dissertation explores children’s help-seeking behaviors and use of help features when they formulate search queries and evaluate search results in IR systems. This study was conducted with 30 children who were 8 to 10 years old. The study was designed to answer three research questions with two parts in each: 1(a) What are the types of help-seeking situations experienced by children (8-10 years old) when they formulate search queries in a search engine and a kid-friendly web portal?, 1(b) What are the types of help-seeking situations experienced by children (8-10 years old) when they evaluate search results in a search engine and a kid-friendly web portal?, 2(a) What types of help features do children (8-10 years old) use and desire when they formulate search queries in a search engine and a kid-friendly web portal?, 2(b) What types of help features do children (8-10 years old) use and desire when they evaluate search results in a search engine and a kid-friendly web portal?, 3(a) How does children’s (8-10 years old) domain knowledge affect their help seeking and use of help features when they formulate search queries in a search engine and a kid-friendly web portal?, 3(b) How does children’s (8-10 years old) domain knowledge affect their help seeking and use of help features when they evaluate search results in a search engine and a kid-friendly web portal? This study used multiple data collection methods including performance-based domain knowledge quizzes as direct measurement, domain knowledge self-assessments as indirect measurement, pre-questionnaires, transaction logs, think-aloud protocols, observations, and post-interviews. Open coding analysis was used to examine children’s help-seeking situations. Children’s cognitive, physical, and emotional types of help-seeking situations when using Google and Kids.gov were identified. To explore help features children use and desire when they formulate search queries and evaluate results in Google and Kids.gov, open coding analysis was conducted. Additional descriptive statistics summarized the frequency of help features children used when they formulated search queries and evaluated results in Google and Kids.gov. Finally, this study investigated the effect of children’s domain knowledge on their help seeking and use of help features in using Google and Kids.gov based on linear regression. The level of children’s self-assessed domain knowledge affects occurrences of their help-seeking situations when they formulated search queries in Google. Similarly, children’s domain knowledge quiz scores showed a statistically significant effect on occurrences of their help-seeking situations when they formulated keywords in Google. In the stage of result evaluations, the level of children’s self-assessed domain knowledge influenced their use of help features in Kids.gov. Furthermore, scores of children’s domain knowledge quiz affected their use of help features when they evaluated search results in Kids.gov. Theoretical and practical implications for reducing children’s cognitive, physical, and emotional help-seeking situations when they formulate search queries and evaluate search results in IR systems were discussed based on the results

Communication model of mobile library services in the academic libraries

Mobilni su uređaji donijeli mogućnost izrazite pokretljivosti u prostoru prilikom pretraživanja informacija i time su utjecali na ponašanje i očekivanja korisnika koji žele doći do informacije u bilo koje vrijeme i na bilo kojem mjestu. Knjižnice su prepoznale važnost svjetskog trenda sveprisutnosti mobilnih uređaja te su se počele prilagođavati i sve više nastoje zadovoljiti potrebe mobilnih korisnika tako da u drugom desetljeću 21. stoljeća veliki broj knjižnica pruža mobilne izvore i usluge. Cilj disertacije je istražiti informacijsku interakciju korisnika (studenata i znanstvenonastavnog osoblja) i knjižničara visokoškolskih knjižnica na Sveučilištu u Zagrebu pri korištenju mobilnih knjižničnih izvora i usluga te izraditi komunikacijski model razmjene informacija u mobilnom okruženju. Prema ovom cilju postavljene su četiri hipoteze. Kako bi se one provjerile, provedeno je istraživanje koje je pokazalo kako mobilni uređaji nisu prihvaćeni kao komunikacijski kanal za prijenos knjižničnih informacija između knjižničara visokoškolskih knjižnica na Sveučilištu u Zagrebu i njihovih korisnika te da visokoškolske knjižnice nisu prilagodile svoju komunikaciju korištenju njihovih izvora putem mobilnih uređaja. Knjižničari, kao i njihovi korisnici, nisu educirani koristiti nove načine komunikacije koje pružaju mobilni uređaji premda posjeduju solidna znanja i informacijsko-komunikacijske kompetencije i vještine, no postoji potreba za dodatnom edukacijom samih knjižničara o mobilnim knjižničnim izvorima i uslugama, kao i potreba korisnika da ih knjižničari o njima educiraju. Komunikacijski model razmjene informacija u mobilnom okruženju pretpostavlja visokoškolsku knjižnicu kao pošiljatelja informacija koji putem mobilnih uređaja kanalizira poruke u vidu mobilnih knjižničnih izvora i usluga do primatelja/korisnika informacija, a istim se kanalom odvija i povratna veza. Ključna komunikacijska komponenta modela je edukacija kao aktivnost kojom se pošiljatelj informacija/knjižnica usmjerava prema korisniku u cilju usvajanja i unaprjeđenja informacijsko-komunikacijskih kompetencija i vještina potrebnih za snalaženje u mobilnom okruženju i njihovoj primjeni za korištenje mobilnih knjižničnih izvora i usluga.Mobile devices have brought a distinct mobility in space and thus influenced the behavior and users expectations who want to get the information at any time and place. Libraries have recognized the importance of the global trend of ubiquitous mobile devices and began to adapt them to meet the needs of mobile users so in the second decade of the 21st century the majority of libraries provide mobile adjusted resources and services. Given that students are at the forefront of mobile devices accepting and using, this research includes student population at the University of Zagreb in order to explore information interaction between users and librarians and to develop a communication model of information exchange in the mobile environment. In addition faculty members and librarians are included as they are link between students and information sources. Taking into account mobile trend, this thesis deals with the influence and changes that the mobile environment brings to communication between librarians and users in the form of academic mobile library resources and services. In the first chapter Development, expansion and use of mobile devices the terminological ambiguities in the Croatian language related to the appearance of mobile devices and trends in the context of libraries have been clarified. Given the widespread use of mobile phones and smartphones, their development, expansion and factors of mobile devices using are shown. Theoretical framework chapter provides a theoretical framework with a review of the theoretical directions and perspectives of computer mediated communication, information behavioral models and information-communication competences and skills that are essential part of the communication model of mobile library services in academic libraries. The chapter Mobile devices and libraries describes the application of mobile devices in education, the educational role of librarians in academic libraries and the experience of users and librarians with mobile library resources and services that have shown the user's interest in accessing all library resources and services through mobile devices as well as librarian readiness to adapt to such user requirements. In the chapter Mobile library resources and services mobile web pages, library applications, mobile catalogues, academic databases, text messages, social networks and media, new technologies and services were presented as they are important for mobile users and they are included in the communication model of mobile library services in the academic libraries. In the chapter Research on using mobile library resources and services in academic libraries the aim and hypotheses of research, methodology and the results of the research were presented and interpreted. Research has showed that mobile devices are not accepted as a communication channel for the transfer of library information between academic librarians at the University of Zagreb and their users and that academic libraries did not adapt their communication regarding using their resources through mobile devices. Librarians as well as their users are not educated enough to use the new ways of communication by mobile devices and, although they in general possess sufficient knowledge and information-communication competences and skills, there is a need for additional education of librarians on mobile library resources and services as well as the need of users for librarians to educate them in this regard. The proposed communication model of information exchange in the mobile environment presumes the academic library as a sender of information ie. mobile library resources and services which mobile devices channel to the information recipient/user, and the same channel is used for the feedback. The key communication component of the model is education as an activity by which the information sender/library is directed towards the user in order to adopt and improve the information-communication competences and skills needed to manage the mobile environment and to apply those skills (creation and content sharing, security and privacy protection, device synchronization and „cloud” usage, finding applications), to the use of mobile library resources and services. In the closing chapter, scientific contribution, general conclusions and thoughts on Croatian academic libraries mobile resources and services were presented