On The Move With The Mobile Web by Ellyssa Kroski provides a nice overview of mobile technology and what it presently means for libraries.
What is in the Report
In my most recent list of top technology trends I mentioned mobile devices. Because of this Kroski had a copy of the Library Technology Report she authored, above, sent to me. Its forty-eight pages essentially consists of six chapters (articles) on the topic of the Mobile Web:
- What is the Mobile Web? – An overview of Web technology and its use on hand-held, portable devices. I liked the enumeration of Mobile Web benefits such as: constant connectivity, location-aware services, limitless access, and interactive capabilities. Also, texting was described here as a significant use of the Mobile Web. Ironically, I sent my first text message just prior to the 2008 ALA Annual Meeting.
- Mobile devices – A listing and description of the hardware, software (operating systems as well as applications), networks, and companies working in the sphere of the Mobile Web. Apparently three companies (Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint Nextel) have 70% of the market share in terms of network accessibility in the United States.
- What can you do with the Mobile Web? – Another list and description but this time of application types: email, text messaging, ringtones & wallpaper, music & radio, software & games, instant messaging, social networking, ebooks, social mapping networks (sort of scary if you ask me), search, mapping, audiobooks, television, travel, browsers, news, blogging, food ordering, and widgets.
- Library mobile initiatives – A listing and description of what some libraries are doing with the Mobile Web. Ball State University’s Mobile Web presence seems to be out in front in this regard, and PubMed seems pretty innovative as well. For some commentary regarding iPhone-specific applications for libraries see Peter Brantley’s “The Show Room Library“.
- How to create a mobile experience – This is more or less a set of guidelines for implementing Mobile Web services. Some of the salient points include: it is about providing information to people who don’t have a computer, think a lot about location-based services, understand the strengths & weaknesses of the technology. I found this chapter to be the most useful.
- Getting started with the Mobile Web – A list of fun things to do to educate yourself on what the Mobile Web can do.
Each chapter is complete with quite a number of links and citations for further reading.
Cellphone barcodes
Through my reading of this Report my knowledge of the Mobile Web increased. The most interesting thing I learned was the existence of Semapedia, a project that “strives to tag real-world objects with 2D barcodes that can be read by camera phones.” Go to Semapedia. Enter a Wikipedia URL. Get back a PDF document containing “barcodes” that your cellphone should be able to read (with the appropriate application). Label real-world things with the barcode. Scan the code with your cellphone. See a Wikipedia article describing the thing. Interesting. Below is one of these barcodes for the word “blog” which links to the Mobile Web-ready Wikipedia entry on blogs:
Read the report
I still believe the Mobile Web is going to play larger role in people’s everyday lives. (Duh!) By extension, I believe it is going to play a larger role in libraries. Ellyssa Kroski’s On The Move With The Mobile Web will give you a leg up on the technology.
Tags: mobile web