Archive for the ‘Mobile’ Category

Jamie Turner at the Social Media Examiner creates a quick guide with 5 Simple Steps to Getting Started With Mobile Marketing. If you’re wondering how you can best utilize the mobile platform to engage patrons, you’ll want to check out this article. Here are the authors recommendations:

• #1: Set up your mobile website
• #2: Claim your business on location-based platforms
• #3: Immerse yourself
• #4: Run a mobile ad campaign.
• #5: Scan a QR Code.

Zoe Fox at Mashable writes about 5 Ways Museums Are Reaching Digital Audiences. This is a great article about the many ways that new platforms are allowing museums “to break free of the confines of the academic ivory tower and engage with their communities like never before.” I think that many of these listed ways apply to libraries as well:

1. Opening the Dialogue
2. Breaking Down the Walls of Inaccessibility
3. Emerging Cultural Aggregators
4. Mobilizing Visits
5. The Digital Museum

Debbie Hemley at the Social Media Examiner gathers up 44 Useful Mobile Apps for Social Media Marketers. “According to a recent study by Flurry, consumers spent 81 minutes per day using mobile apps, compared to 74 minutes of web surfing.” Find out which apps will help you leverage the power of the mobile platform for your own productivity.

The British Library is making digital copies of more than 40,000 classic books available for the iPad through an e-Classics app. All of the works date from the 18th and 19th centuries and include novels, poetry and historical accounts. Users must pay a monthly subscription of £1.99 to access the full collection.

The latest issue of the Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research has an excellent article on Mobile Access to Audio and Video Collections in Libraries and Other Cultural Institutions. Written by Carolyn Doi, Music Liaison Librarian at McGill University, James Mason, Technical Services Librarian at the University of Toronto, and Jared Wiercinski, Digital Services and Outreach Librarian, Concordia University this comprehensive article details the latest library initiatives to make multimedia collections accessible via mobile devices.

“Mobile devices have become commonplace, and are increasingly capable of accessing multi-media resources such as audio and video. Many libraries maintain multi-media digital collections that could be accessed on mobile devices. Mobile devices, however, offer unique display and technical challenges that need to be addressed. The benefits of mobile access to library collections include the promise of increased use and an enhanced user experience. In this article we provide a detailed discussion of the issues related to mobile delivery of digital media, including a literature review, an overview of significant technical issues, and three case studies.”

via Current Cites

The folks at Online Colleges has put together a detailed list of 10 Major Mobile Learning Trends to Watch For. This is an excellent list and discussion of new trends that libraries will want to be aware of:

1. Location-based integration.
2. Online class management.
3. The domination of ebooks.
4. Cloud computing in schools.
5. Bring your own device classrooms.
6. Online collaborative learning.
7. The rise of the tablet.
8. Social media for education.
9. Snack learning.
10. Mobile learning in workplace training

via Stephen’s Lighthouse

Sarah Kessler at Mashable discusses 4 Ways Mobile Tech Is Improving Education. Considering that 98% of US high school students have access to some kind of smartphone and a full 90% of the world’s population now has access to a mobile network, this is an increasingly relevant topic. This thought-provoking article talks about the following promising applications of mobile technology in the classroom:

1. Inquiry-Based Learning
2. Flipping the Classroom
3. Reinventing the Textbook
4. Teaching Hard-To-Reach Communities

The team at Educause has put together another of their “7 Things” guides, this time covering 7 Things You Should Know About Mobile App Development.

“Users increasingly expect to be able to do virtually everything on a mobile device that they can do on a laptop (if not more). The initial decision point for any mobile development program would appear to be between native apps and the mobile web, though some contend that this debate represents a false choice—that it’s not an either/or proposition. Regardless, access is vital—either everyone must have the same device, or the apps must work on all supported devices. Although controlling—or even knowing—exactly how mobile apps use, store, and transmit data is increasingly difficult, integration with enterprise systems is a step that most mobile initiatives will have to take sooner or later.”

This guide takes a new approach to the topic and discusses these 7 things:

1. Mobile, Mobile, Everywhere
2. A Fork in The Road…?
3. …Or a Third Path?
4. Anticipate Integration
5. Potpourri of Apps
6. Full-Featured, Internet-Connected Computer…in Your Pocket
7. Accessibility Opportunity

The latest issue of EDUCAUSE Review is titled Getting a Handle on Mobile: Perspectives and features articles and columns covering mobile challenges in higher education. Here are just a few of the feature articles:

• Mobile Literacy
• E-Reading: The Transition in Higher Education
• Why Mobile?
• Mobile Matters: Communication Trumps Technology

Brian Casel, web designer and co-host of Freelance Jam guest posts on Mashable where he presents a list of 10 Key Considerations for Your Mobile Web Design Strategy. If you’re entering into a mobile project, or are considering designing a mobile version of your library’s website, you’ll want to check out this post. Here are his first six suggestions:

1. Define Your Need for a Mobile Site
2. Consider the Business Objectives
3. Study the Data of the Past Before Moving Forward
4. Practice Responsive Web Design
5. Simplicity Is Golden, But …
6. Single-Column Layouts Usually Work Best

Zachary Sniderman at Mashable gathers up 51 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed. Catch up on the important stories you may have missed with this essential post. Articles are organized into Editors’ Picks, Social Media, Tech & Mobile, and Business resources. Here are just a few:

• How the Web Has Changed Our Perception of Copyright Law
• Why Xbox Kinect Technology Will Be the Next Frontier for Marketers
• LinkedIn Surpasses 100 Million Users [INFOGRAPHIC]
• 7 Tips for Launching a Successful Podcast
• 10 Tips for Posting on Your Brand’s Facebook Page