Managing resources effectively

Although m-library services can be useful tools for both libraries and patrons, libraries should consider the time and cost involved in providing these services. For example, even using pre-developed software, it took Open University 4 months to adapt its library website to make it mobile-friendly.11 Some libraries may decide mobile services are not worth the time and cost, or that resources could best be used in other areas of the library.

As well, the number of smartphone (e.g., iPhone) users is increasing. Since these devices can access full-size regular websites relatively well, it may not be necessary to develop dedicated mobile websites. Instead, to be mobile-friendly, a Cambridge University report suggests that websites could be developed using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) or Auto-detect and Reformat, which rearrange and resize a site to fit the size of the viewing window.11 However, even if libraries choose not to design a designated mobile site, sites should still be designed with mobiles in mind. This can include ensuring heavily used pages (e.g. information on library hours) are only one click away from home page,23 and not loading single pages too heavily with content.11

Finally, libraries may choose to put resources into developing mobile features that are the most valuable to their users. For example, since physicians, nurses and other health care practitioners are using mobile devices in a variety of clinical settings,8 a medical library may want to focus its resources on making those materials commonly used at the point of care mobile-friendly.

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