Academic Libraries and Mobile Devices: User and Reader Preferences

The authors surveyed 250 students, faculty, alumni, administrators, and staff about how they use mobile devices, if at all, to access a university library. Fifty percent of respondents reported that they used their mobile devices to access the library—primarily the catalog and the research databases; however, usability hindered accessing other desired services. These results have implications for library administrators with respect to making decisions about App choices, the advertisement of services, and the transition to e-collections.