M‐Libraries 3: Transforming Libraries with Mobile Technology

Citation

Isfandyari‐Moghaddam, A. (2012), "M‐Libraries 3: Transforming Libraries with Mobile Technology", The Electronic Library, Vol. 30 No. 6, pp. 871-872. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640471211282163

The reality that library and information science (LIS) is a growing organism has been reinforced with the entrance of information and communication technology (ICT) into the field. ICT with its transformative power is affecting a variety of fields including LIS. The penetration of mobile technologies into libraries has resulted in the emergence of mobile libraries (m‐libraries) to confirm such a claim. Because of the importance of studies and experiences presented in the Third International M‐Libraries Conference, the edited book M‐Libraries 3: Transforming Libraries with Mobile Technology was published. Reminding us that we are moving into the Library 3.0 world in which personalised information for individual learners that is specific to their locations will be provided, it includes 21 chapters arranged under three foundational parts: developing mobile services (1); people and skills (2); and focus on technology (3). The opening chapter “Education for all with mobile technology: the role of libraries” highlights that “We are in the mobile generation. Mobile technology is being used by people to conduct everyday business and to accomplish everyday tasks […] This provides an excellent opportunity for libraries to reach learners around the world, regardless of location” (p. 2). It introduces some initiatives to provide education for all with an emphasis on some basic questions concerning the role(s) librarians can and will play in migration from the information and knowledge ages to the wisdom age. Part 1 (7 chapters) deals mainly with selected case studies reporting the utilisation of various mobile technologies like e‐resources, e‐book reading devices, open distance learning (ODL), mobile phones, podcasts, iPods, etc. to deliver different information services in several academic libraries, teaching hospitals or clinics. Part 2 (6 chapters) generally focuses on the skills and literacies needed by both librarians and end‐users, whose knowledgeable skillful interaction with mobile technologies can lead to increased use and productivity. Taking a technological approach, Part 3 (7 chapters) provides readers with the implementation and application of mobile technologies commonly used to offer library and related services from both the hardware (e.g. multi‐platform terminals, hand‐held reading devices, mobile website design, wireless networks, etc.) and the software (e.g. user experience, needs and preferences, copyright protection, etc.) perspectives. The last (21st) chapter emphasises that creating an effective library service needs transformation: “libraries need to transform themselves for the near future as well as for the distant future” (p. 200). It is to be hoped that future edition(s) extracted from the International M‐Libraries Conference will examine critically the exploitation of such mobile technologies from a multidimensional view under which various social, cultural, economic, and political issues are considered. To sum up, this is a book of value to LIS students and professors, and library managers and practitioners.