Taming Mobile Applications

It has been predicted that by 2016, 9 out of 10 college students will own a smartphone. In order to connect with students where they are most likely beginning their information searches, it is increasingly important for libraries to make their collections discoverable via a mobile platform and to create an effective mobile search environment for library resources. This program highlighted some of the mobile applications available for and in use by libraries, focusing on Murray State University’s implementations of two particular applications, BrowZine and Boopsie. The presentation addressed the institutional needs that led Murray State to the acquisition of these services, the ins and outs of the implementation, challenges involved in the set-up, marketing, and user education, and how the applications were received and used once they were set up.