Paper given at the 2013 joint LAI/CILIP conference April 10-11th, Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin

1. ANLTC/SWETS RESEARCH AWARD 2012
Strategic mobile library development:
the place of library apps and the
options for creating them
Library Association of Ireland and CILIP Ireland Joint
Conference and Exhibition 2013
UCD Library Leabharlann UCD
University College Dublin, An Coláiste Ollscoile, Baile
Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland Átha Cliath,
Belfield, Baile Átha Cliath 4,
Eire

2. Contents
• The project
• Some general themes
• Irish situation as survey revealed it
• What could we do in an app?
– Reviewing what others have done
– User feedback
• Next steps:
– More on how to do an app demonstrator
– Visiting some places
– Finalising the topics and methods
– Doing 3 or 4 little demonstrators in different ways

3. The Project

4. Basics
• €2,000 grant given to us, award every other year
• Josh Clark and Ros Pan = Outreach Unit, part of
Planning and Administration Team
• One area look after is the UCD Library website
including mobile website so it fits in with our remit
• Related to Library IT team, mobile catalogue and
presence in University mobile app
• Fits into UCD Library Mobile strategy, just one part
that can inform that over next year, lead on that
Head of Library IT
• Timeline November 2012 – early October 2013
• Designed practitioner based research, into an area
that we are not well informed about

5. • Goal: To gain full understanding of the current
development of the mLibrary, the amount of
development/interest in mobile app as one
option, and understanding and some practical
experience in using various approaches to such
development by means of developing demos
• Scope: The scope of the project encompasses
desk research and conference attendance, visits
and/or survey, development of demonstrator
apps, report writing and presentation.
• Out of scope:
– Visits beyond Europe
– Live apps for real life usage

6. Work packages summary
• Work package 1: The preparation and project
information organisation
• Work package 2 Reading up on all areas: desk
research& conference information gathering
• Work package 3: Flesh out knowledge of what goes on
in Irish libraries
• Work package 4: The demonstrator apps
• Work package 5: Writing and delivering
• Work package 6: Closure and Exit Strategy

7. Context: what to invest in mobile?
•Constant talk of use of internet via mobiles
overtaking desktop use by 2014
Ellyska Kroski presentation on Slideshare Mobiles to Go

8. Overall context statement
• Context: UCD Library has a number of
mobile offerings for users – website,
catalogue. UCD has a mobile app for
users. Given that more users will
access internet via mobile than
desktop device by 2014 on current
estimates, the library needs to
consider how it delivers its mobile
offering and the place of apps in that
strategy

9. Deliverables & Milestones
• Deliverables: a report; a range of demonstrator
library apps; a conference presentation; a
published paper
• Milestones :
• 05 Nov 2012 commence project
• 31st May 2013 interim project report (funder
requirement)
• 07 Oct 2013 final submission of report and other
demonstrator deliverables etc to ANLTC funders
(funder requirement) and for ourselves....
• 31 Oct 2013 internal consideration of anything
want to mainstream from the project
• 31 Dec 2013 done any conference
presentations, papers etc want to do on the project

10. How are we getting on?
• Finding it hard in terms of time required
• May ask for extension as partner in this project
taking off 3 months in June which would be the key
time to develop the demonstrator apps
• Done reasonable trawl round literature, by no means
comprehensive, got skeleton report c 100 pages
• Got a snapshot response to survey which we have
done on Irish situation
• Done little in-house informal student feedback
exercise, 830 responses still analysing, interesting
findings there
• Reasonable idea of next steps:
– Places to visit and talk about this
– What could form the little demonstrators & how to do
– And building them…

11. General themes

12. What are we including in the scope?
Established timeline of app
development
– 2007 Apple release the iPhone, iPod touch,
app store “ a step leap in the multifunctional
mobile device”
– 2009 the first Android device is available
– 2010 Apple release the iPad, the app store
and others really take off
– 2011 Smartphone explosion of ownership,
overtaking feature phones
– 2012 tablets begin to take off and mini-
tablets/cheaper tables emerge 2013-

13. Enabling factors
• Costs coming down;
• Improved 3G and 4G networks offering up to 1GB
per second transfer speed;
• wifi becoming widespread and often free in
locations, allowing a shift from phone calls only to
widespread use of mobile media without incurring
large costs;
• CPUs in mobile devices offering more comparable to
netbooks;
• Inclusion of facilities to target the mobile user on the
move – gyroscopes, compasses, GPS capabilities;
• the explosion of mobile apps/websites which make
the investment an attractive proposition.

14. Library timeline?
“Libraries seem to have engaged
enthusiastically with the early
web, with many of us having web
pages by 1995…However, most of us
seem only recently to have started
to think about engaging with mobile
phones or mobile computing..”
“Using Mobile Technology to Deliver Library Services:
A Handbook”, 2012, Andrew Walsh

15. Library barriers?
JISC. Technologies in Libraries End of project survey: barriers/challenges
to implementation. Available online at
http://mlibraries.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2012/12/05/end-of-project-survey-
barrierschallenges-to-implementation/ Accessed Dec 19th 2012

16. Difficult to prioritise – UCD Library
website via mobile devices Mar 2013
• Use of the website via mobile devices (including
tablets), 9% of all visits to the site came from
such mobile devices and 10% of all page
views.
• Just under half of that mobile use was from iPhones
and a quarter from iPads, steady for the last 6
months = Apple devices, 75% mobile use
• Student feedback indicates that a really large
number of students have Android smartphones – we
can perhaps assume that undergraduates are not
our key mobile user group as Android use does not
show up in the analytics

17. Averages mislead – a small number
of web pages get lot of mobile use
Top use web pages Pageviews Mar.
Desktop home page 77463
Desktop opening hours 6146
Mobile website home page 5701
Desktop Search tools page 5447
Mobile opening hours top page 2542
Mobile opening hours JJL 2403
Desktop our libraries page 1510
Desktop JJL info page 1419
Desktop literature review page 1350
Desktop borrowing & renewing 1334

18. Difficult to prioritise – other snapshots
• ITCarlow. First 2 weeks January 2013, 5% catalogue
searches came from mobile devices
• UCD Library in Jan 2013 7% of total catalogue visits
were to one of our 2 mobile catalogues
• ITTallaght. Whole of 2012 4.6% visits to website were
from mobile devices
• NUIG Galway. For whole of 2012 8.6% of visits to
their library website were from mobile devices
• 9.42% of visits to Lenus the Irish Health Repository
(www.lenus.ie) were from mobile devices during 2012

19. Context: how to develop for mobile?
– Increasingly mobile device is fine with standard desktop
website, adaptive design websites that re-size etc, no need
to do anything special at all for mobile
– Focus on just our website, but shift to fully Responsive Web
Design route
– Yes do need something but the best route is to develop
mobile websites rather than mobile apps: we look at 100s of
websites, not realistic to think that every one can develop
apps – not a sustainable model, flash in a pan
– In so far as going for apps, aim for apps multi-
platform, mobile web apps with HTML5, CSS3 etc
– Just carry on and do one app for ios, one for android and so
on, very common now… native apps
JISC Observatory report Delivering web to mobile, Mark Power

20. Irish situation

21. Survey
• Put together informal survey in SurveyMonkey
• Publicised on lir mailing list, and sent chaser
• 30 replied but after remove duplicates and zero-
use responses down to 23 institutions
represented
• Useful feedback, but need to view as sample not
as comprehensive as would have liked
• Things move rapidly e.g. since survey DCU have
piloted augmented reality with the layar
app, Limerick gone live with talis mobile
catalogue
• If you have any mobile website, catalogue or app
and are not on the list following please do a
survey form, available here!

22. Children's University Hospital Temple Street
Daughters of Charity
DCU Library
DIT Library
Dublin Business School
Dublin City Public Libraries
Dublin Dental University Hospital Library
Failte Ireland
GMIT Library
Health Service Executive, Regional Library & Information Service Dr. Steevens Hospital
IADT, Dun Laoghaire - The LILRC
Institute of Technology Carlow
Institute of Technology Sligo Library
Institute of Technology Tallaght
Irish College of General Practitioners Library and Information Centre
NUI Galway, James Hardiman Library
NUI Maynooth
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
School of Celtic Studies, DIAS
Sligo Libraries (Sligo County Council)
St. Angela's College, McKeown Library
Trinity College Library Dublin
University College Dublin Library
University of Limerick Glucksman Library

23. Findings – institutional level

24. 1. Few institutions have an overall mobile website
DIT http://dit.ie/mobile/
Home page only seems to be, rest of
links are standard web pages I think
DCU indicated something under
development
St Angela’s College Sligo do have one.
http://mobile.dudamobile.com
Fairly full mobile website, some sections revert
to standard desktop pages

27. 2. Institutions with an overall app
DCU
DCU have an app, currently it is available for iPhone and Android
It does not currently (March 2013) include any library content or linkages.
Being re-done and will include library content in new version

28. NUI Maynooth
They have an app “The Maynooth app” for iPad, iPhone and Android.
It includes a little Library content including summary of opening hours and
a link to the Library app “NUIM Library”

29. Trinity College Dublin
TCD have a general app which is for students and is
available for iOS - all platforms - and Android.
This was built using CampusM, a third party
solution also widely used in the UK buy around
25% of universities there.
Regarding library content, there is a link to the
library mobile catalogue in it, included from a
home page button

30. http://ilancasterinfo.lancs.ac.uk/

31. University College Dublin
UCD have a university app, built using Blackboard mobile
This contains some library content and opening hours info accessed via maps and
the directory
The main library content is a link to the mobile catalogue (currently AirPAC, due in
summer to move to Encore version

32. 3rd party solutions as a way forward for
the institutional app?
“Clearly the likes of CampusM and
Blackboard Mobile could offer a
convenient outsourced solution, but
they do so at a financial cost, without
providing as much functionality as
some of the in-house examples. “
The M-Library Project: UK academic libraries going
mobile, University of the Highlands and Islands
Edinburgh Napier University, 2011, p. 11

33. 3. Web apps
Edinburgh Napier University web app

34. Ryerson, ongoing university level wep app project
http://m.ryerson.ca

35. 4. Responsive Web Design strategy
“This enhancement to the website
recognises the huge shift in website
access platforms from traditional PCs &
laptops to tablets, smartphones and
other mobile devices, ensuring the
website meets the needs of today's
users. Our website is now fully
responsive which is a first for any
Higher Education Institution in Ireland“
IT Tallaght, http://www.it-tallaght.ie/
http://www.it-tallaght.ie/index.cfm/page/newsarchive/id/140

40. Findings – Library level
• Most commonly found by far is the mobile
catalogue, either via LMS vendor or 3rd party
solution like Library Anywhere
• Users of things like LibGuides get a mobile version of
all guides produced
• Database vendors offer apps and mobile sites
• You can “cobble these things together” into a
website or app or a front page in various ways
• Some of the catalogues allow extra info to be
added, extends bit more than just catalogue function
• More comprehensive mobile-designed websites…UCD
Library has one, St Angelas full included in the
institutional one… anybody else??

41. 1. “Complete” mobile library website

42. 2. Mobile catalogues + - 3rd party solution
• Library Anywhere reported in use by 4 survey responses
www.libanywhere.com - total users is 8
• Catalogue interface for mobile users plus the ability to add
info, web links as well
• Users get both mobile website AND app, not sure know
that – nobody told me that in the survey anyhow!
University College http://www.libanywhere.com/la/index.php?dofollow=50f55228dfccb6.51568672-
Cork Library 467418194
Carlow County http://www.libanywhere.com/la/index.php?dofollow=50f552f4814c73.54624397-99278146
Libraries
Clare County Library http://www.libanywhere.com/la/index.php?dofollow=50f55454585285.85167237-
1596556947
Kildare County http://www.libanywhere.com/la/index.php?dofollow=50f554d6714382.21271635-
Libraries 1748066442
GMIT http://www.libanywhere.com/la/index.php?dofollow=50f55aab25d5f5.02723872-661412790
DIT http://www.libanywhere.com/la/index.php?dofollow=50f55aeab3f543.22239528-1236926749
IT Tallaght http://www.libanywhere.com/la/index.php?dofollow=50f55b0c5da462.46992044-909056204
Limerick IT http://www.libanywhere.com/la/index.php?dofollow=50f55ca02678f1.49369650-522721341

44. • DIT have a quite well developed implementation.
Quite a lot of the links take you to the desktop
website, Repository interface or Serials Solutions
search screen, some like the repository offering a
mobile version

45. • A notable inclusion at IT Tallaght and IT
Limerick is a separate link to search their
Summon resource discovery tool from Serials
Solutions with mobile tailored pages as well
as catalogue search, shown here in ITT
screenshots.

46. Boopsie option.. not in Ireland..
University of Auckland

47. 3. Mobile catalogues from LMS vendors
• Innovative Interfaces in use at UCD and TCD
• TALIS Prism mobile catalogue in use at DCU and more
recently at Limerick

49. 4. Library level apps in Ireland?
• Modest level of development…
• Maynooth do have a library app
• Have highly specialised Book of Kells app for iPad from TCD
• All users of Library Anywhere get app as well as mobile
website. Could be important, our UCD students all want an
app and what they want in it is the catalogue they say.
Extra functions in app e.g. scan book barcode with mobile
camera to get catalogue record up
• Since the survey DCU have started piloting use of Layar in
their library, a different thing really, using somebody else’s
niche app in your own library for one particular result..
enhanced print in this case

50. • NUIM Library is the name
• iOS only (tbc)
• catalogue search in their Ex Libris catalogue (do
not have a mobile catalogue otherwise tbc)
• Dynamic opening hours
• News
• Contact form

52. • All uses of Library Anywhere have an app
• iOS and Android
• Called LibAnywhere

53. Layar in use at DCU, Aurasma another
similar option
• 3rd party app that library can make use of
• You scan image or logo and get extra information either
get taken to it or it is overlayed onto your poster or
triggering image
• Targeted app, very specific added info function
• Can use in different way but one way is to augment print
info such as posters, as piloting at DCU (also do apps..)

54. Aurasma demonstrators – Birmingham City University
Help on a screen-based service Pointing a mobile device at the
Summon discovery tool overlays guidance arrows and notes onto the
screen– pointing out the where to enter the search, where to refine
filters & then view results
Anthony Humphries, BCU
http://mlibraries.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2012/12/12/a-dose-of-
augmented-reality-exploring-possible-uses-within-a-library-

55. 5. Resourcing is an issue in Ireland
I think mobile technology is the now. We are quite behind on this
technology and the biggest barrier is cost and ICT infrastructure.
challenges are: - persuading The Powers That Be to free up resources -
trying to figure out where the landscape will be in 3 - 5 years to help us
strategise something relevant for the medium term - getting colleagues
on board with the final product to help get the word out - this can be
particularly challenging sometimes - resource providers are very much
in a state of flux in terms of mobile provision and this necessarily has an
effect on us
Nothing else for the moment and I'm not sure if that will change in the
future. Our biggest concern would be the resource spend on it, and the
time needed to keep another branch of library services running at an
acceptable level. It's better to have nothing than a service that has
stalled.
Due to increasing staff shortages and increasing usage, we have not
been able to advance our services as much as we'd like. We are currently
moving to a new LMS. Hopefully after this has been implemented, will we
be able to look into this area.
The key challenge to development is that there are too few on the
ground who are expert but who are single-handedly trying deliver ALL
services.

56. What could we
include in an app?
• Can look at what other people
who have apps include
• Can ask users what they want
• Can put that together with own
thoughts and decide

57. What library apps currently have
• Encounter examples in the literature e.g mlibraries
support project survey and case studies
• Can search apps store for library apps
• Also found app search engine uQuery very good
www.uquery.com to find wider range of library
apps
• Put these together and get quite a long list of
possible functionalities to include in a library app
• Some things nearly all general purpose library apps
have e.g. catalogue and account; some great ideas
seen, but seen less: harder to do
• A couple of very full featured options found

58. Example: Curtin University library
• Catalogue search
• Account management
• Built in barcode scanner for barcodes and QR codes
• Opening Hours today
• Library locations and google maps
• Database listing including links through to databases
(complete listing possibly)
• Link to Libguides collection
• New Books display
• Exam papers linkage
• Room Bookings
• Computer availability display
• Library news
• Contact Us (just lists) with option to get this included
in the device Contacts listing

60. Example: Ball State University (built with Boopsie)
• Search library resources which opens to extensive
menu of choices for catalogue, singlesearch, articles,
ejournals, digital media repository
• exam videos
• research help opening to main website guides
• Ask a Library opening to submenu of chat, text
sending, email, internet phone built in
• My Account
• Computer availability in libraries
• Location and hours and uses GPS to show you your
distance from them
• Study room booking (just website link)
• Built in comments and suggestions form

66. http://mlibraries.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2013/02/22/whats-in-an-app-
mobile-ising-the-library-at-birmingham-city-university/ blog entry,
Feb 22nd 2013 by AnnMarie Lee, accessed March 24 2013

67. What users say they want
• Why pursue the library app idea?
• Is a degree of user pressure:
• “People want apps; they have been trained to
expect apps for their mobile devices. Library
software must keep up with the demand.”
• At present time they are very popular, Andrew
Walsh has this to say, for example:
“Without a doubt, smartphone owners prefer the
“app experience” to browsing the web, and will tend
to use a well-designed app in preference to even
the best websites” Clark, J. A. (2012). Building
Mobile Library Applications. London, Facet
Publishing.

68. Snapshot 1: Small user survey BCU
Birmingham City University case study available online at
http://mlibraries.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2012/03/27/using-sms-to-reach-students-
at-birmingham-city-university-library/ Accessed Dec 19th 2012, p. 7.

69. Snapshot 2: UCD mobile app feedback
UCD developed first version of its mobile app – the usage showed that of the
things that they had tried out, a lot were not really what users wanted.

71. Snapshot 3: Edinburgh University Library
“Both the survey and the focus groups revealed that
students wanted to be able to search the catalogue,
view their library account, check PC availability in the
library, book study rooms, and have access to a map
or GPS for finding their way around the library
building.”
Survey undertaken November 2011 Reported by Gillian Andrea
Nowlan, (2013),"Going Mobile: Creating a Mobile Presence for Your
Library", New Library World, Vol. 114 Iss: 3, EarlyCite version accessed
online 07-02-2013

72. Snapshot 4: Leeds Metropolitan survey
“They told us that the top 5 services they would like
to access via a mobile device were:
■Timetables
■Emails
■Virtual Learning Environment
■University Portal
■Library Catalogue / Account”
Debbie Morris, guest blog entry.
http://mlibraries.jiscinvolve.org/wp/case-studies/mobile-leeds-met-
library-developing-and-promoting-our-mobile-provision/. Accessed
March 24th 2013.

73. Snapshot 5: Local student input at UCD
• Ran Roadshows in early March 2013
• Informal questionnaire around what mobile
devices they had and library mobile and apps
• Had 830 forms back – iPad mini prize draw very
attractive but not much thought in answers
• Not possible to go through the form with each
person which had been the plan

74. • Mostly they were 1 and 2 year undergrads
• Very few own tablets or have plans to buy
them (lot of Library staff have them….)
• Entirely focused on the Smartphone with its
small screen – vast majority have one [plus
laptop]
• Lot of them own Android phones
• A lot had downloaded the University app
• But very mixed awareness of library mobile
website and mobile catalogue offering
• Most of them wanted the library to develop an
app, even when they know little of our mobile
offerings to date, tend to say yes please

75. • Most of them wanted the library to develop an app, even
when they know little of our mobile offerings to date, tend to
say yes please
• The main thing they want in the app is the catalogue
function and related renewal etc
• Not got lot of idea otherwise: not a great source of
inspiration! Other things mentioned:
– General website type information
– Floor maps preferably showing where particular books or
class ranges are
– How busy the Library is
– News type information
– A few mention using the device to check out books
• Some comments that the University app is too large to be
downloaded onto some Android smartphones so please keep
app small
• Not directly app related but overwhelming yes to providing
SMS for notices, particularly advance warning on due books
and alerts to collect items

76. Other thoughts
• Most library apps are what could call general with
mixed range of functions offered
• Warwick app is just floorplans, that is an example
• Are some tour app building solutions available
• Found interesting piece of literature making case
for doing app based on reference queries to help
with staffing issues – bulk of queries were hours
and wayfinding/item finding queries so that could
be the basis of a Help Me app
• MAY for demonstrator purposes focus on the
more narrow type of library app…..more
manageable as proof of concept: floor maps
only, library tours only, special collections online
gallery app etc

77. Preliminary thoughts at this point
• Floor maps, ideally with at least link from
classmark to right place on the floor
• Welcome new students/library tour focus/possibly
AR or QR codes in the mix
• Cultural Heritage topic of some kind – online
exhibition style of thing
• Single team support e.g. Research support team
app
• eLearning app – Libguides and video selection
• In a sense as not going to be permanent
content not as crucial as the HOW ARE WE
GOING TO BUILD IT QUESTION….

78. Next steps
a. More reading & visiting
c. Decide HOW to do app
e. Demo development

79. Visits may make
Place Explore
IT Tallaght RWD, Library Anywhere
Maynooth Future of library app
St Angelas College, Sligo Mobile website, efforts to
build native app on zero prior
skill set
UCD IT Services staff Blackboard Mobile user
Birmingham City Uni AR experiments
Mobile and app plans
Leeds Met Uni Mobile and app plans
Lancaster Uni RWD, CampusM app

80. Demo development
Skill up
Get someone else to do it
Use 3rd party options free or
costed for the non-techie and
live with limitations they
impose on content

81. Context: how to develop for mobile?
– What skill set you need to develop an app
– What is the cost to get something done by a third
party
– What can be achieved with web-based application
builders that claim can do decent app with no
programming required, how limiting are these?

82. Skill up option…. Not realistic with time
we have…
Beginning iPhone and iPad Web apps: Scripting with
HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript (Apers &
Paterson, 2010)
Head First HTML with CSS & XHTML (Freeman &
Freeman, 2010).
iPhone and iPad Apps for Absolute Beginners
(Lewis, 2009)
Learn Objective-C on the Mac (Knaster
& Dalrymple, 2008).

83. Use higher level tools to develop
Tools, like PhoneGap and Sencha Touch now exist
that allow a developer to build a standard HTML
mobile site and compile that site into a native app
version
“Overall I'd suggest to develop a
generic mobile app using Phonegap
that can be compiled to a native
app for iPhone, Android, Windows
etc.”
Mel Ó Cinnéide, School of Computer Science and Informatics,
University College Dublin, Ireland. February 2013

84. Get somebody else to do it
• Small enough demo that can pay IT person to do
just a demo
• Follow up loads in academic units to find such a
person, not too pricey!
• Get students to do it as projects – no cost, some
places have done that

85. Use higher level template solutions
• Library Anywhere, Boopsie options
• SCARLET templates for cultural heritage – still
need quite a bit of coding skill?
• At other end of the scale, very basic app builders
like MyTour – can we live with just images, text
and audio track to get a result out? is it worh
€750?
• To be explored further….web-based app builders
“No coding required!” – but what will the DO for
us other than flat information…?

88. Finally....
We are looking for interested parties:
• Feel that they have achievements or knowledge
in this area and willing to share it
• Interested in area generally, have plans or ideas
• Agreeable to visit for group discussions around
the topic
• Interested in helping with demonstrator apps
Let us know now or e-mail
outreach@ucd.ie