The Library Mobile Experience: Practices and User Expectations

Abstract

With the rapid adoption of the smartphone and the tablet, we are quickly entering an era in which the smartphone is the most common device used to access the Web. This report reviews the recent tremendous mobile growth and changing mobile consumer behavior as well as growing user expectations for mobile. This report also examines how the first generation of mobile library websites has changed over the last few years and explores future directions. Patrons now expect more mobile-friendly information resources, research support, and sophisticated features such as menu customization and room reservation on mobile. This report also discusses responsive web design and some of its pitfalls and argues for the better discoverability of libraries’ mobile (web or native) apps.