Providing location-based services

Mobile devices often provide location information (e.g., through GPS).10 m-libraries can take advantage of this by offering location-based services. For example, a library website can offer different services to a patron who is in the library compared to a patron who is at home.

Using location information can also help patrons accomplish a task on their mobile device by cutting down on the amount of text or menu navigation required. Considering the small size of keyboards and screens, this is very useful. One example of a site that does this is WorldCat's pilot mobile site. For certain types of GPS-enabled phones, this mobile site will automatically indicate the location of the nearest library containing the searched-for book.7 This means that the patron no longer has to type in a postal code. As well, the mobile site can work with mapping software in the mobile device to map the route to the nearest library.18

Location information can also be used to help patrons navigate within a library. For example, one study developed SmartLibrary to act as a navigation aid in a large library. SmartLibrary uses a mobile interface to the catalogue and location information from the device to direct users to books. The user can search for a book in the mobile catalogue. By then clicking locate, the shortest path from the user's current location to the book's location in the library is drawn on the library map on the screen. In the study, those that had less experience with shelf classification (the traditional method of finding materials in a library) rated SmartLibrary as less labourious to use than shelf classification. This suggests that it might be a very good tool for users new to the library world.3

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