The Provision of Mobile Services in US Urban Libraries

Authors

  • Ya Jun Guo Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics
  • Yan Quan Liu Southern Connecticut State University, Tianjin University of Technology
  • Arlene Bielefield Southern Connecticut State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v37i2.10170

Abstract

To determine the present situation regarding services provided to mobile users in US urban libraries, the authors surveyed 138 Urban Libraries Council members utilizing a combination of mobile visits, content analysis, and librarian interviews. The results show that nearly 95% of these libraries have at least one mobile website, mobile catalog, or mobile app. The libraries actively applied new approaches to meet each local community’s remote-access needs via new technologies, including app download links, mobile reference services, scan ISBN, location navigation, and mobile printing. Mobile services that libraries provide today are timely, convenient, and universally applicable.

Author Biographies

Ya Jun Guo, Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics

Ya Jun Guo, PH.D., Associate Professor in
Information and Library Science at Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics, Zhengzhou,
China.

Yan Quan Liu, Southern Connecticut State University, Tianjin University of Technology

Yan Quan Liu, Ph.D., Professor of Information and Library Science at Southern Connecticut State University, and Special-hired Professor at Tianjin University of Technology.

Arlene Bielefield, Southern Connecticut State University

Arlene Bielefield, J.D., Professor in Information and Library Science at Southern Connecticut
State University, New Haven, CT

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Published

2018-06-18

How to Cite

Guo, Y. J., Liu, Y. Q., & Bielefield, A. (2018). The Provision of Mobile Services in US Urban Libraries. Information Technology and Libraries, 37(2), 78–93. https://doi.org/10.6017/ital.v37i2.10170

Issue

Vol. 37 No. 2 (2018)

Section

Articles

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