I think it’s becoming clear that the dominant device worldwide for access to the world of information, learning and entertainment will be what we now call a phone. It’ll need a new name or will it be one of those words (retronyms) that just changes meaning? I wonder.
The (mobile) world as we will know it
“According to a report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU):
• “By the end of 2010, there will be an estimated 5.3 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide, including 940 million subscriptions to 3G services.
• Access to mobile networks is now available to 90% of the world population and 80% of the population living in rural areas.
• People are moving rapidly from 2G to 3G platforms, in both developed and developing countries.
• In 2010, 143 countries were off ering 3G services commercially, compared to 95 in 2007.
• Towards 4G: a number of countries have started to off er services at even higher broadband speeds, moving to next generation wireless platforms – they include Sweden, Norway, Ukraine and the United States.”
The full report is available here.”
I believe that mobile friendly libraries are an essential part of your technology and service strategies.
Stephen
One Response
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Stephen,
I totally agree with this and hope to see all libraries really push accessibility for mobile users. I work in a medical library and rarely ever see a med student or resident without a smartphone. We’re trying to provide them with comprehensive mobile access but the tough part is getting buy-in from IT since they see smartphones as nothing but security risks.