Smart Phones and Libraries

To start, what is a smart phone?  Perhaps a smart phone can be thought of, not so much as a telephone, but more as a mobile computer that you can make a phone call with.  One of the big pushes in the technology world is towards integrated technologies.  Cell phones were once just that, phones, now a whole myriad of functionality has been added to these devices so that they are now more akin to personal computers.  Users are making use of their ‘phones’ for just about everything these days and are able to download custom applications to take advantage of the full resources of the device.

So, how can libraries take advantage of the functionality that comes with these mobile devices?  Let’s start with the internet resources.  First of all, library catalogues are all available online, however, downloading a streamlined version of the catalogue designed specifically for mobile devices would certainly increase access and utility.  Other users may wish to access information pertaining to their library accounts such as overdue materials, print credits, or other vital information.  The convenience of having a ‘terminal’ in your pocket is immediately realized.

Beyond simply browsing the catalogue, how else can libraries make us of smart phones?  There is a whole range of uses that the library can employ such as: providing facilities information; hours of operation; study room bookings; virtual tours; and so on.  The library can also grant access to audio and video resources, ebooks, or journal articles in support of your research that can be browsed from anywhere, whether inside the library or not.  Likewise, libraries can provide suites of tools or specialized apps (applications) that could be downloaded to mobile devices for use with other resources of the library.  Another benefit, perhaps more so for users, is the ability of more substantial devices such as laptops or tablets to be ‘tethered’ to the phone, thereby enabling access to the internet - via the phone - where wireless connections are unavailable.

How are these devices of benefit to the library?  The beauty of this scenario is that once someone starts to make use of the device for anything, it will trigger an idea for someone else for a completely different application.  The possibilities are endless!