Mobile Tools 2.0

Trends in Mobile Tools & Applications for Libraries
Megan Fox, Web & Electronic Resources Librarian, Simmons College

This was one of the most informative programs I attended. I am just now scratching the surface of the ways mobile tools are going to change user demand for library services.

For example, 90% of college students have cell phones. Shipments of "smart phones" are up 50% over last year. 80% of teens use text messaging. Just imagine what all of this means for us!

One thing it means is that if we want mobile users to use our web sites, we'd better investigate optimizing our site for viewing on a mobile phone like Freemont Public Library has. You can learn more about transcoding and getting a .mobi domain name at Wikipedia, Mippin , FeedM8, and Zinadoo.

Young adults believe texting and IMing is more authentic than e-mail. Which (sigh) they think is for old people. But new products like Reference by SMS can translate text messages into e-mails. Guess what this means, everybody? That's right, no more excuses for not allowing patrons to text message us their reference questions! And, websites like Meebo now make instant messaging from the reference desk a real possibility!

As if you needed another reason never to be apart from your cellphone, Nokia is investigating ways to allow "pay-by-phone" services

The mobile phone payments Venyon wants to facilitate are based on NFC (near-field communication), which uses an RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip and antenna to exchange information with a payment station from a range of a few centimeters. Typically it would involve tapping the phone against a subway turnstile, a vending machine, a payment device at a checkout stand, or another phone, Pesonen said.

Megan also mentioned tumblr as a site to watch. To me it's like a short-attention-span Facebook mixed with Twitter. But what do I know.

And just 'cause it's fun. Check out how colleges are using game show-style clickers in the classroom to improve participation.