mobile websites for libraries - nela 2011
DESCRIPTION
Presentation given by Steve Butzel of the Portsmouth Public Library at the New England Library Association Conference on Monday, October 3, 2011.TRANSCRIPT
Serving Library Patrons in the Mobile SpaceSteve Butzel
Portsmouth Public Library
“Imitate, Assimilate, Innovate”Steve Butzel
Portsmouth Public Library
Mobile & Smartphone Stats
Two in five cell owners (42%) own a smartphone as of May 2011*
Since 83% of Americans own some kind of mobile phone, this means that one-third of all American adults (35%) are smartphone owners.*
Morgan Stanley analysts predict that the mobile web will be bigger than desktop Internet usage by 2015* Information taken from 2011 Pew Internet and American Life study, “Smartphone Adoption & Usage”
Quick, easy access to information…
What do our patrons want in the mobile space?What do our patrons want in the mobile space?
When does the library open or close?When does the library open or close?
When is story hour today?When is story hour today?
New arrivals
Does my library have these?Does my library have these?
So keep your mobile site simple!
Back to our users…they’re busy.Back to our users…they’re busy. Really busy.Really busy.
Apps
http://www.bibliocommons.com
But can we do better?
What are other trends in mobile webpage design?
What seem to be the trends?
A branded banner image A good attention grabbing visual Some interactivity, transactions Easy navigation Ties to Social Networking Sites Automatically hide the address bar
<body onload="setTimeout(function() { window.scrollTo(0, 1) }, 100);"></body>
Gamification
http://gamesandlibraries.wetpaint.com/page/2011+Games+and+public+libraries
Gamification
http://gamification.co/2011/04/05/find-the-future-at-the-new-york-public-library/
What do you think?
Some technical stuff (Thanks Brian)
Auto-Detect & Redirect Options Testing on multiple devices Tracking statistics
Auto-Detect & Redirect: Options
CSS (like Canton Public Library) Best method, but most takes the most work to
implement
Javascript Runs in patron’s browser, so not totally reliable
PHP & ASP Runs on the server, so better than javascript
Auto-Detect & Redirect: PHP
http://detectmobilebrowsers.mobi/
1. Download their main script to your webserver
2. Use their Function Generator to build the code for your main website homepage
3. Edit your .htaccess to allow .html files to run PHP code
4. Their FAQ explains everything
Auto-Detect & Redirect
But just in case…
Failsafe Link
Test, Test, Test, Test, Test
Try your new mobile site out on as many different phones you can find
Online phone emulators http://www.testiphone.com http://mobiready.com http://validator.w3.org/mobile/
Firefox User Agent Switcher https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59/
Tracking Usage Stats
http://www.statcounter.com http://www.google.com/analytics/ What to look for
Overall usage Visitor location Devices used
…all the usual stats
Tracking Usage Stats: Overall Use
Tracking Usage Stats: Location
Tracking Usage Stats: Devices
Online Newsstand Project
http://www.theonlinenewsstand.org
Participating Libraries
Thank You!
[email protected] @sbutzel (rarely) 603-766-1711
Brian Herzog, SwissArmyLibrarian.net/mobile [email protected]
My colleagues: Jennifer Moore, Kim McKee, Heather Armitage, Barbara Bourgoine