Mobile Technologies

Presentation for the General Training ProgrammeJulie Allinson

30th Nov and 3rd Dec 2010

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jblyberg/4506047012/

Why this session?

• Our customers use them• … and will increasingly expect library services

delivered to their device of choice

• They bring challenges and opportunities to Libraries, and education

• As Library staff we need to be aware of technology changes

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carlosporto/775089650/

Mobile technology?• Laptops of all shapes and sizes• ‘E-readers’

– Amazon Kindle, Sony E-Reader• Tablets

– iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Blackberry PlayBook, Archos 9

• Smartphones– iPhone, Android devices

• Media players (and beyond)– iPod Touch

• Gaming devices– Nintendo Dsi, Sony PSP

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/momorgan/3797505189/

Gadgets, or pedagogic tools?• Photographic and screen-based

research• Teaching with screen-based

media• iTunes U, vodcasts and

archived lectures• supporting construction and

delivery of lectures• Specialist note-taking facility

with attendant sonic recording• Student portfolios• BOOKS

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/raneko/4811755003/

see article in the Times Higher http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=412505

Easier in the old days …

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/childofwar/3097124543/

What about library content?

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ownipics/4837494207/

• Much of our content is accessible via the web, which makes it (partly) accessible from such devices

• Access to academic E-Books varies

As ever, publishers and suppliers are in control with licence terms which prevent activities that are permitted with print equivalents

Some issues

• Different supported formats: Apple uses the epub standard, but Amazon uses it’s own ‘mobipocket’ format.

• DRM … a PDF with DRM can’t be read natively on any of these devices

• These are designed as personal devices – sharing is difficult

• This is backed up by licence terms

What about other library services?

• One example is QR codes (like barcodes) which can be scanned by many smartphones, and used for activities such as:– Link to a mobile site– Begin text message to the

library– Virtual tour directions– Item information

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeleyg/5034257110/

Your tasks

• Using the supplied instructions (and by asking me!)• Have a play with each device• Look at some of the books and PDFs available• Download a free E-book from Amazon to the Kindle• Share it with the iPad or iPod Touch• From the iPod or iPad, download the Elsevier SciVerse

ScienceDirect application and see how it works• Download a barcode scanner for the iPod or iPad and

scan the QR codes supplied.