Talk to be given to Scottish FE College Librarians in Glasgow, 29th November 2012.

1. Delivering Content to Mobile Devices
Andrew McCreath
Exec Director of IT&Communication
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen

2. A touch of context
• HEIDS “above campus” IT Services Study 2011
– Collaborative tools highlighted. Such tools include:
• Email
• Shared calendaring;
• Shared documents and document storage;
• Communications tools such as instant messaging, Voice Over
IP, (VOIP); video conferencing, Twitter and Facebook;
• Conferencing and bulletin boards such as like Ning or Elgg;
• Shared and secure file management such as Sharepoint /
Google Docs, Sites and Office365;
• Content Management systems such as Drupal, Joomla and
Wordpress;
http://www.heids.ac.uk/reports/HEIDS_Shared_IT_Services_Study_Report.PDF

3. What
Stirling Collaborative
Nov 2011 Tools are of
Interest?
SharePoint
Telford College
Feb 2012
Lync + Telford’s Mobile Apps
Office 365 + Lunch
at
ZeroOne
O365 Event
Dundee
UWS, Hamilton Creating
Aug 2012 Mobile
Apps

4. UWS – Hamilton, 24th August
• 3 Contrasting Approaches.
• All delivered access to information, and
selected services.
• Edinburgh Telford College
– App developed by third party, 1st release Oct 2011
• Edinburgh University:
– Ombiel app
• Stirling University
– Decided to develop a “web app”

5. Edinburgh Telford College
• Engaged with students to determine design and
functions
• Key functions – personal timetable, interactive
diary, absence recording, contacts for key
departments
• Cost savings from not printing student handbook
• Winner of Jisc I-tech award in 2012 for support to
learner services
• App developed by Smartphone
http://www.slideshare.net/mccreatha/mobile-app-development-telford-college

7. Edinburgh University / Ombiel
U@Ed
• Providing access to the data and underlying
services is the key challenge more than the
App availability.
• Ombiel find a number of services are
commonly requested by Institutions - Library
services, VLE access, availability of PC's. For
staff, access to finance and student records.
• “If it's on a database, it can be pushed onto an
app”.
http://www.slideshare.net/mmorrey/ued-mobile-app-for-the-university-of-
edinburgh

8. Student Survey

11. Stirling University
mStir
• Quick access, bite size, time sensitive information
well suited to mobile access situations. Not just
replicating the web site.
• Webkit engines can create a very good "app"
experience on mobile devices
• Creating app was relatively straight forward
• Getting accurate data from back end systems
onto the app was main challenge
• Printer & PC availability – high demand
• Developing “Library Anywhere”
bit.ly/mstirheids

14. UWS Hamilton – Action Areas
• Procurement
• Sharing of Expertise / Knowledge
• Collaborate to define external data feeds
• Collaborate to create a national survey

15. Institutions
Bespoke
1 Commercial
Suppliers & Commercial App
External Organisations Development
Resource
Commercial Shared
Solution Commercial
Developer App
Bespoke
Inhouse
App
2
3 Shared
Community
App
Shared National
Survey of Learners 4
Open Source?

16. SCURL Community of Practice
on Mobile Devices
• A survey will be composed and designed by
some members of the Mobile Devices CoP.
• It will be circulated to
– SCURL members (incl National Museums of Scotland)
– FE College Librarians
– HEIDS
– The Public Library sector
• Issued inDecember 2012 with analysis of the
responses to be completed by mid January 2013.

17. Survey Contents
• Existing activity amongst SCURL member libraries/other Scottish
libraries, particularly in relation to (but not excluding other areas): resource
discovery, delivery of content (using own or vendor tools), showcasing
collections, location based and transactional services, orientation and
education, skills to support m-library developments;
• Approaches being used e.g. in house developments, 3rd part supplier, mixed
economy;
• Are developments cross-organisation or at library/department level;
• Any insights into user behaviour in relation to the consumption of m-library
services/resources;
• Use of specific technologies including SMS services, QR codes, augmented reality
etc;
• Priorities for future m-library developments;
• The range of approaches to developing m-library services/resources e.g. App or
mobile web or both;
• Areas for potential collaborative development, delivery or licensing;
• Any potential role of 3rd party suppliers in any collaborative approach.

18. Questions?