Canadian academic libraries and the mobile web

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess how Canadian academic libraries have responded to the rapidly evolving mobile environment and to identify gaps in the services provided, while suggesting areas for future development. Methodology:We conducted an examination of the mobile content and services provided by the libraries of the member institutions of the Association of University and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). Based on this examination, we describe the current state of mobile librarianship in Canadian academic libraries. A review of the literature places the investigation in its broader context. Findings:Only 14% of AUCC libraries currently advertise some type of mobile web presence, with mobile websites being prevalent over downloadable apps. Examples of content and services are highlighted to illustrate current trends and to provide insight into future directions for developing mobile services. Practical implications:This study raises awareness of the importance of mobile technology for academic libraries and the need to address the lack of mobile content and services provided by most Canadian postsecondary institutions. We also identify best practices exhibited by the surveyed libraries.Originality/value: This is the first exploration of this type into how academic libraries in Canada have responded to the mobile environment. The value of this research is in helping libraries identify and address shortcomings in the mobile content and services they provide, and in highlighting efforts by libraries to address their users' needs in this area.

Library Homepage Design at Medium-Sized Institutions

“…While the library home pages studied contained few links to mobile sites and very few links to mobile apps, mobile access will become increasingly important in the future. Canuel and Crichton (2011) argue that the increasing ubiquity of smartphones in society at large (and students in particular) offers great potential for academic Library Home Page Design 22 libraries. Fatt Cheong Choy argues more strongly for a mobile presence for libraries, stating that, "If users are using mobile devices as the de-facto interface in their transactions with the electronic world, libraries must have a presence to take advantage of this heightened convenience that is in the hands of our users" (67).…”

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

“…Functionality, design, and intuitive usability made native apps more appealing to users over mobile-ready websites. A dichotomy between the need for services as reported by the users and the actual availability of that service was found in a survey of the usability of mobile web interfaces of academic libraries (Canuel and Crichton, 2011). In the rush to provide mobile services, Han and Jeong (2012) concluded, libraries were neglecting the needs of those they were trying to serve by not asking the users.…”

Mobile Web Adoption in Top Ranked University Libraries: A Preliminary Study

“…Later, Canuel and Crichton analyzed the 95 academic libraries belonging to the AUCC (Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada). The au-thors only found a mobile version in 13 of them (Canuel & Crichton, 2011).…”

“…Highlights include some country-focused studies such as Aldrich (2010), based on libraries and universities belonging to the Association of Research Libraries (ARL); Canuel and Crichton (2011), who focus in the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC); or Liu and Briggs (2015), who analyze the top 100 US universities based in the U.S. News & World Report's national university rankings. Even so, the compar-ative evaluation of mobile web and app quality among the libraries of top worldwide universities is lacking, as is analysis of the relationship between their quality and web impact on the universities that host them.…”