Resource Review 3: A Review of "Ubiquity of Mobiles to Have Big Impact"

The article "Ubiquity of Mobiles to Have Big Impact" appeared in the August 1, 2009 edition of Library Journal. It points out several aspects of mobile devices in relation to libraries, discussed at the ALA conference this past summer in Chicago as well as the LITA Top Tech Trends conference. One major issue is that libraries simply cannot ignore mobile devices. Mobile devices affect ease, mode, and speed of information retrieval, which is a central focus for libraries (public libraries included). The article also raises the question, "How does mobile technology alter the traditional library service model?", which is certainly something libraries should be paying attention to.

One librarian from Ann Arbor mentions in the article that "as digital copies become commonplace, libraries should embrace a new role of providing unique content, either by "making that stuff" or "letting your patrons make that stuff"" (Hadro, 2009). The rise in popularity of mobile phones seems to be a perfect opportunity for libraries to embrace the capacity of mobiles, and to create original content available for both desktop and mobile devices. Libraries will certainly be behind the times if they do not include mobile devices as part of long term planning.

Full Citation: "Ubiquity of mobiles to have big impact" (2009). Library Journal, 134(13), pp. 14.