1. Mobile Computing Project Milestone Report 2
Brad Faust, Andy West
December 2, 2004

2. Presentation Overview
Quick Recap of project to date
Investigation of mobile offerings from major academic database vendors
The University Libraries mobile web site - Andy will discuss this topic
CardCat access from mobile devices
Future Work

3. Project Recap Mobile Computing Project – why?
Observation that so many library customers have mobile computing devices today
Desire to reach these individuals through the devices they use
Rapid expansion of wireless voice and data services

4. Project Recap Based on LSTA grant from the Indiana State Library
Work began May 1, 2004
We wanted to address the possibilities of integrating library services with mobile computing devices

5. Academic Databases - Mobile
Researched mobile computing product offerings from several academic database vendors in August
Found that two currently have something available:
Lexis-Nexis
Nat. Library of Medicine

6. University Libraries Mobile
Regular site unfriendly on mobile devices
Too large for screens
Too big for scrolling
Too wasteful of minutes
The University Libraries desires to bring our services to users of mobile devices like cell phones, BlackBerries, and Pocket PCs like iPaqs.
We can't do this with the regular Web site, because it is not friendly to mobile devices, as this picture demonstrates. The regular site is designed for monitors and mice: too vast for mobile device screens and too large for cell phones which can only scroll up and down.
Also, cell phone and BlackBerry users can't browser our regular site at their leisure, because every minute they must scroll through the site is a minute drained from their monthly service plans.

7. University Libraries Mobile
How Useful?
Short pages
Easy to read
Easy to navigate
Minimal images
Our mobile Web site is designed with these devices in mind.
Most of the pages are short to minimize the time users take in scrolling down the page. Those pages that couldn’t be shortened are divided into separate pages with a links page to bind them.
The site’s pages use fonts that make them easy to read on a small screen.
The pages are interwoven with links that take users to library service information, then back to the home page. Some pages have numbered links users can activate with a cell phone keypad. On all but the home page, pressing # on a cell phone takes users to the home page.
There is no place on a cell phone or BlackBerry to store images, so they are kept small to make them quick to load.

8. This is a diagram of the current Web site
This is a diagram of the current Web site. Most information on library collections and services are now available to mobile device users.
Yellow boxes have lists of numbered links to page, which users can reach with a keypad number or a stylus tap.

9. University Libraries Mobile
Now available at
Comments/Suggestions:
Feedback Form on mobile web site (option 5)
The mobile Web site is now available for testing at dub dub dub dot bsu dot edu slash libraries slash mobile slash.
Any questions?
If you have any questions after the presentation, my address is mawest2 at bsu dot edu. For the more adventurous, you can try the feedback form on the mobile Web site.
Thank you for your time.

10. CardCat Mobile Custom Gateway to CardCat designed for mobile devices
Smaller graphics
Accessible through library mobile web site in Search link

11. Future Work Build out the MOPAC application Build out CardCat Mobile
Build out CardCat Mobile
Test additional mobile devices
Build out other library services

12. Web Resources University Libraries Mobile Site
Andy West’s Mobile Project Web Site
Ball State’s mobile site

13. Thank You
Please send comments, ideas, or suggestions to Brad, Andy, or Stan
This project is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Indiana State Library

14. Project Team Brad Faust – bfaust@bsu.edu Andy West – mawest2@bsu.edu
Assistant Dean for Lib Info Tech Services
Andy West –
Mobile Computing Developer
Stan Shannon –
Special Projects Developer
Project Co-Investigators
Arthur W. Häfner, Ph.D., M.B.A., & Brad Faust