Webinar on NCSU mobile site

NCSU: 31K student, 8K faculty, large STEM focus

Beginning of project: August 2009-meeting with a number of campus partners. Quick launch of campus mobile site in Sept 2009 using MIT Mobile Web open source code framework (published at http://mitmobileweb.sourceforge.net/) . Started wireframes in Sept., Oct beta soft launch, and Nov. formal launch of mobile library site; 23K page views since Jan. (http://m.lib.ncsu.edu) ; project team of 3 people with other responsibilities and no budget, only staff time (25-45% of time on programming) and had some existing iPod Touches for testing (did Mobilive earlier for lower end devices)

Focused on immediate needs:
• locations & hours (Google maps),
• computer availability,
• catalog search (known item search for call # & location), not a vendor-provided service (had home-grown way of getting XML out of catalog), gave them more flexibility, esp. w/look and feel)
• ref desk services (IM chat, text, phone, email ready reference),
• webcam feeds (can see how long coffee line is),
• campus mobile site,
• news and events

Tips
• Asked what's already available, what worked well on mobiles, what tools could be created easily and what would be fun
• Don't put everything on there!
• Use only essential links and reduce options (search box, field search, available items only)
• Limit data entry and scope of info
• Link back to main site
• Promote site (mobile redirect on main site; YouTube video; ad on main site)
• Reality check with students (work study, advisory groups, buttonholed students in halls)

Technology

  • Native applications (iPhone apps)-better for charging; games, accelerometers, camera; accessing file systems; using offline; GPS/finding current location
  • Mobile web apps (used this approach after doing): more flexibility, independent; used basic web development expertise (XHTML, CSS, nonessential )
  • Don't get stuck on standards and design
  • Classified device targeting to 3 levels (top, middle and low): device targeting strategy
  • Adapt content for the 3 different classes of devices
  • Separate data from presentation (data -> mobile application stack -> presentation layer) so can only change presentation layer quickly
  • Testing: big challenge! Access to various kinds of phones is difficult (guerilla testing: go to local mobile store and look at websites; keep list of people who have various phones and ask them to play before rolling out changes; some online emulators and Dreamweaver (not so great b/c they don't have exact device capabilities or memory issues)
  • Be Agile (rapid development cycle; iterative; don't get paralyzed); Be Playful (think about haiku!) and reuse content in creative ways; Collaborate with campus units and external stakeholders (and contribute value back)
  • WURFL dataset-translates browser user agent string (allows you to find class of device): http://wurfl.sourceforge.net/
  • Scripts on all lab computers that tells what's free and code to map: computer availability
  • http://m.library.sfsu.edu/ (uses WordPress plugin)
  • ADA compliant mostly (just text can be served except for webcams)
  • Difficulty of different vendor interfaces for e-resources (yeah)
  • No circulation yet but will be in future; limited first launch to things that didn't require log in (central IT developing mobile log in)
  • Android vs. iPhone? Top level (runs webkit browsers), other ones don't. Web-based is less intensive.
  • Sustainable development-established a mobile committee w/different dept reps; worked with web team (can hand it off to them to evolve w/current desktop website)

Most popular apps:
• Webcam-b/c of publicity in Chronicle of Higher Education and on-campus use such as people checking to see how long the café line is)
• catalog;
• computer availability;
• ref not as popular

Devices: Mostly iPhone and iPod Touch (75%), Android next; then Blackberry

Future services:
• Study rooms (availability and messaging so students can tell each other where they are)
• Patron account info (complex),
• E-reserves (PDFs; their own reserve system based on Emory's)
• Wayfinding (video tours or QR codes; how to get them to the book on the shelf)
• Staff tools (access to info in stacks);

Initiative on mobile (campus and library level)

Notes from end of LITA webinar on ALA Midwinter Tech Trends panel

Augmented reality: can be used for exhibits, immersive games, architecture of buildings and places/navigation/directions (Wikitude: http://www.wikitude.org/)
Serendipity: Foursquare (http://foursquare.com/)
• Says "hey you can do this here" on the fly; location-based
• Game;/reward cycle---get a badge as the "mayor" of certain places you post to (Stalker-riffic app? Can set privacy and say you were there)
• can provide tips for a location (annotations for physical space).
• Distinction between owner of place and visitors? No.
Community building
Mobile library apps-authentication issues
Bleo-flexible ebook file type (runs on PC, tablet, laptop, etc). Presents as if it was a printed page, newspaper, enlarged and reduced, etc. Built in audiobook/text-to-speech (down to word level) capabilities. Not compatible w/other ereaders or eInk. Not out yet; presented at Consumer Electronic Show.

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