Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Research you can trust--perhaps

Librarians have always been careful researchers, checking multiple sources and seeking out the best. Now in the fleeting world of technology thoroughness is scarcely possible. We have to snatch the information as it comes roaring past and try to evaluate it on the fly. An example of this is a story in the NY Times about a study that found younger mobile users (under 35) often prefer apps to using the mobile web. As more and more libraries, including the children's and YA departments, hasten to put their information in a format available to mobile users, this is an important trend. But is it true? The story, like all good reporting (or librarians) goes on to cite other recent studies that suggest this may not be true. Much depends on the way questions were asked of people in the sample. Everyone agrees that the secret to getting people to pay attention to material posted for mobiles is to keep it simple and clear. Some libraries try to crowd too much on their websites and then compound the problem by trying to adapt their sites to mobile access without changing the format. It's time to review the research and decide which you can trust. Perhaps experiment a little with your website. More is not always better. Listen to what users are saying about wanting information simple and clear on their mobiles and then analyze what you are offering. It takes time and effort, but there is no easy way to give the patrons what they want. Keep tinkering, keep reading the research and find the best guidelines for your library.

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