Development of Mobile Web for the Library

AbstractThe university library provides information services aimed at fulfilling learning and academic research for students and faculty members. In the age of rapidly growing Internet technology, library websites have become a gateway to knowledge and the entrance for readers to access valuable resources and services. With the advancement of mobile technology in recent years, an increasing number of library readers have started to access library resources and services through their mobile devices. The information provided through a traditional website is too complex to be browsed with a mobile device, and users may also encounter some technical limits. Websites developed for mobile devices might overcome users’ difficulties when reading heavily from traditional web pages. Mobile web helps overcome difficulties in searching for needed information and makes information more accessible. For any library, especially university libraries, developing mobile websites is becoming a necessary trend to satisfy users’ mobile needs of exploring the world of knowledge. This study provides experiences of developing a mobile web for the academic library. Users’ applications and reactions to the system are analyzed and summarized. Technological and implementation issues related to the construction of a library mobile web are discussed. Implications of the study results might provide valuable information for promoting a ubiquitous library service and information access