A Special Project Report Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies,

Information and Library Science in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for a Master of
Library Science Degree

Southern Connecticut State University

Department of Information and Library Science
Fall 2015

Erika Carlson
carlsone5@southernct.edu

Anticipated Date of Graduation: Fall 2015

Special Project Director: Dr. Yan Q. Liu, Ph.D., Professor and Graduate Faculty

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction and Overview..... 3
Significance and Relevance......... 5
Review of Literature.6
Ethics Governing the Project ....10
Authors Qualifications..10
Human Subjects (IRB) Protection.........10
Method..11
Overview.......11
Part I: What mobile services are offered at Connecticuts larger public libraries?......................11
Part II: What are the challenges in providing mobile services in a Connecticut public library?.12
Part III: How can public mobile library services improve to meet the needs of its user?............13
Conclusion.........14
Results...14
Overview........14
Discussion.18
Limitations.....19
Conclusions........20
References.21
List of Tables and Figures
Table 1...19
Figure 1.....16

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Figure 2.17
Figure 3...18
Appendix.24
Appendix A: NIH Certificate
Appendix B: Survey Cover Letter
Appendix C: Survey Questionnaire
Appendix D: IRB Approval Letter
Appendix E: Special Project Proposal Approval Letter

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Introduction and Overview

Mobile demands, capabilities, and services continue to grow at a rapid pace in both
private and public industries. Some of the pioneer, empirical research on mobile services has
taken place at the university level, studying mobile services, specifically, library mobile services
in colleges and universities. Developing and using mobile services to enhance instruction in
classrooms, as well as comparing different university library mobile sites, and testing locally
developed mobile sites, shows us that the demand for mobile service sophistication is in fact real
and valuable. The research has helped universities across the nation and globally to continue to
alter, modify, and develop library mobile services that meet the needs of their users.
Chih-Ming Chens (2011) innovative study on streamlining mobile services in the library
in conjunction with Project Based Learning, is helping to bring educators, media specialists, and
technology developers together to zero in on how to maximize the library to enhance student
learning. By employing the intelligent mobile location-aware book recommendation system
[IMLBRS], Chen (2011) was able to help students new to PBL find the books they needed on
the shelves from their location within the library at the time of information retrieval (p. 471).
Working with both a control group that used the OPAC system as well as an experimental group
that used the IMLBRS, Chen was able to prove that students performed significantly better on
the PBL projects by using the IMLBRSs versus just the OPAC. Chens (2011) study also
included student feedback and ratings on how the IMLBRS could be improved and what went
well, as well as what proved to be difficult in using the system to assist in the PBL projects.
Library mobile services are proving to make a positive impact on student learning, as well as

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providing access to relevant information in a more efficient manner. Chen (2011) noted, Mobile
devices provide an opportunity for developing new library services, such as in-library
exploration, social engagement, and outreach to traditionally underserved populations (as cited
in Hahn, 2008).
How users perceive a mobile site is just as important, if not more important than a library
mobile site being provided. As the rush to provide mobile sites and services continues, it is clear
that not all are created equal. Additionally, not all are tested for usability. This step is key,
considering the vast amount of phones, services, mobile devices, and technology that are
currently on the market and in the hands of users. In Pendell and Bowmans (2012) article on
library mobile website usability, it was discovered and confirmed that the Portland State
Universitys library mobile site fluctuated depending on the device used to access the site and
services. Some users were not able to check out or renew books, while others had webpages that
never loaded (Pendell and Bowman, 2012). By using both a closed laboratory with a think aloud
method, as well as video recording, Pendall and Bowman (2012) used three most commonly
used measures in mobile usability testing...efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction (as cited in
Coursaris and Kim, 2006). Their study, conclusions, and findings have helped those developing
library mobile websites at the university level. In essence, users appreciate simple, streamlined
navigation and clearly worded labels; error message pages and other supplemental pages linked
from the mobile website pages should be identified and mobile-friendly versions created;
recognize that how users connect to the mobile website is related to their experience using the
site; and anticipate problems with third-party services [which often cannot be solved locally]
(Pendell and Bowman, 2012).

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What is lacking in library mobile sites and services, is what is happening outside of
education and universities. Little has been published on library mobile sites and services in
public libraries. Liu and Briggs (2015) administered in-depth website visits and survey
questionnaires at the top 100 universities in the United States to find out what exactly is offered
at the university library mobile sites as well as what are the best practices for mobile services at
the university level (Liu and Briggs 2015). Similar methods and research questions will be
applied in this study. Connecticuts larger public library mobile sites will be surveyed for types
of mobile services offered. Additionally, an e-mail survey will be sent to the same libraries to
find out what services they offer on their mobile sites and what they think of their mobile sites.
The mobile site survey and e-mail survey will examine the following questions:
1) What mobile services are offered at Connecticuts larger public libraries?
2) What are the challenges in providing mobile services in a Connecticut public
library?
3) How can public mobile library services improve to meet the needs of their users?
Significance and Relevance
Several studies have taken place and continue to elaborate on the topic of library mobile
services both in public education and at the university level. However, little is known about the
mobile services being offered in public libraries. This exploration and analysis will benefit
Connecticuts public libraries in determining what mobile services are being offered throughout
the state and how libraries can improve their mobile sites and services to meet the needs of their
users. Academic libraries have helped to create the blueprint of creating mobile sites and
services and will have a strong impact on the public sectors development.

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Review of Literature
A review of literature reveals that undoubtedly, more and more Internet users are
accessing online information through their mobile devices, specifically smartphones, versus the
traditional staple of desktops. Stephanie Mlot (2012), while reviewing a Pew Internet &
American Life Project report, found that 17 percent of all adult cell phone owners rely on
mobile platforms to do most of their Internet browsing. Additionally, Cody W. Hanson (2011)
reported that the Federal Communications Commission [FCC] counted over 270 million mobile
phone users in the United States in 2009 and that as of 2010, 82 percent of American adults
own a mobile phone or computing device that works as a mobile phone or a mobile computing
device that works as a phone, while 90 percent of Americans aged 18-29 own a cell phone (as
cited in Federal Communications Commission, 2011, Lenhart, 2011 and Smith, 2011). What
exactly this mean for the public in terms of projecting use of mobile services is quite impressive.
While interviewing Steve Ward, the president of Vievu LLC and a mobile worker, Wingfield
(2008), discovered that while on business trips, Ward tends to leave his laptop in the hotel room
and solely uses his smartphone to check his e-mail, visit websites, and tap into his companys
accounting, shipping and customer-relationship-management records, as well as to watch his
favorite television episodes while on the plane, simply because it is easier to transport the phone
versus the laptop. Clearly, the American public is moving with mobile devices and therefore,
mobile services need to keep up.
Empirical research in library computer access and use is key in understanding the need
for mobile library services. California State University San Marcos, or CSUSM, was
established in 1991 and is one of the youngest campuses in the 23-campus California State

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University system (Thompson, 2012). This university built its campus library in 2004, when
the momentum of mobile devices including laptops and smartphones began. In designing the
physical space, technology was obviously considered. The schools vision included a design and
belief that the technology would not be for just supporting access to library resources, we
expanded its role to providing cradle-to-grave support for the entire research
process (Thompson, 2011). Thompson (2011) and staff felt that technologys role in the
student research process led us to consider the entire building as a partner in the student's
learning process. These visions for the future library were met through the design of providing
patrons with over two hundred desktop computers, distributed amongst reference, classrooms,
media library, and the computer lab, with the whole building being wireless to ensure mobile
capabilities and access to services (Thompson, 2011).
A two-year study was conducted from 2009 to 2010 to answer several computer and
technology related research questions. The authors realized at the times of the study that mobile
technology changed significantly. Specifically, student ownership of mobile technology was at
80 percent. Researchers wanted to know if this would affect the use of the desktop computers
as well did providing an application-rich computer environment encourage students to conduct
more of their studying in the library, leading them more frequently to use traditional library
collections and services (Thompson, 2011). Thompson (2011) found that in 2010, which was
the same year of the second study year at CSUM, EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research,
revealed that 89 percent of students had laptops (as cited in Thompson, 2011). Additionally,
the University of Colorado Boulder found that 97 percent of their students own laptops and
other mobile devices. Based on this finding, the university encouraged encouraged students to

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bring their laptops to campus by converting their central computer labs into flexible-use spaces
with plentiful power outlets, flexible furniture, printing solutions, and access to the usual campus
software (Thompson, 2011).
With a mixed-method approach, the researcher combined surveys with real-time
observation to understand how patrons used and chose what type of technology to use
(Thompson, 2011). The two-year study was conducted over two week periods, and found that in
2009, 17 percent of students were observed using laptops and the number almost doubled in
2010 to 33 percent (Thompson, 2011). In addition, 20 percent of students in 2010 were
observed with other mobile technology, such as cell phones or iPods (Thompson, 2011). As
desktop ownership continues to drop, and mobile ownership continues to rise, both with laptops
and smartphones, attention to mobile services is necessary.
Nicole Henning (2014) found that a positive way to increase mobile design and
application creativity for library service is to simply meet and invite the public to share what they
know and what they want in mobile services. Taking interest in the public library, Henning
(2014) realizes that todays literacies include information literacy, visual literacy, oral literacy,
cyber literacy, cultural literacy, digital literacy and more. Thus, public libraries are yearning to
establish mobile sites and services that will meet the needs of their communities and are actively
looking to their community members, professionals, and universities to help.
Thomas (2010) reported that in a Library Journal study, 34% of public libraries
currently offer some type of mobile services to their customers; two out of five libraries of all
types, academic and public, report plans to go mobile in the near future. Equally important,
Thomas (2010) found that although both academic and public libraries are providing or working

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on providing mobile services, public libraries are lagging behind. Library Journals 2010 survey
found that 34% of public libraries currently offer mobile services as compared to 44% of
academic libraries (as cited in Thomas, 2010). Furthermore, 44% of public libraries do not offer
mobile services and do not plan to, while 35% of academic libraries do not offer mobile services
and do not plan to (as cited in Thomas, 2010). These statistics show that barriers must exist in
providing mobile library services when mobile technology ownership continues to increase.
Thomas (2010) finds that issues such as budget, priorities, skills, and perceptions make up the
brunt of barriers in delivering mobile library services. Lack of technology skills in library staff
make the cost of mobile library services too expensive for some. Hiring additional staff or
relying on one skilled staff member simply costs too much for many public libraries.
The literature review points out that mobile technology is outgrowing desktop reliability,
and more importantly, is under more demand by users as desktop sales continue to decrease and
mobile technology continues to increase. However, public libraries are struggling to provide
mobile services to their patrons and community members because of several barriers, the biggest
of which comes from budgetary insufficiencies. This literature review revealed that in order for
public libraries to be able to provide the mobile services that users want, librarians will need to
be creative in seeking the funding. This may come from inviting community members to share
their expertise, sending staff to observe and learn from academic libraries, changing priorities in
state and local budgets, and looking to online web guides for in-house design and creation. This
study helps clarify the current status of mobile library services in Connecticut public libraries
and provides a silent but collective forum of perspectives regarding the perceived challenges of

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providing those services. Librarians will benefit from this study by having clear evidence to refer
to in learning and implementing the best practices and current trends in mobile library services.
Ethics Governing the Project
This research is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of human participants
involved in research that is conducted on the campus or in cooperation with other research
agencies, regardless of whether the project is funded externally, internally or receives no funding
support. This research subscribes to the basic ethical principles for the protection of human
subjects of research that underlie the Nuremberg Codes, the Helsinki Declaration, and the
Belmont Report, as presented in the Southern Connecticut State University Human Research
Participant Protection System, Policies, Procedures and Guidelines Manual.
Authors Qualification
The author is a graduate student in the Department of Information and Library Science,
having completed 33 credits toward the Master of Library Science (MLS) degree with a crossendorsement in Library Media, K-12, with an additional three credits in progress. The author has
completed ILS 580 Research in Information and Library Science, the special project proposal
course for the MLS program, under the direction of Dr. Yan Q. Liu, Professor and Graduate
Faculty. The author successfully completed the NIH Web-based training course Protecting
Human Research Participants on May 30, 2015, Certification Number 1771393.
Human Subjects (IRB) Protection
This proposal has been submitted to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Southern
Connecticut State University and received approval on August 14, 2015. Please see Appendix
for approval letter.

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Method
Overview
Upon approval of the special project proposal, research was designed to gather
information regarding the types of mobile services in Connecticuts larger public libraries via
website visits and a researcher-generated survey. The website visits took an in-depth look at
which larger Connecticut towns employed a mobile site, as well as which towns offered mobile
services. A supplemental survey was also sent to the same libraries and their directors via
Google Forms as well as postal mail. TThe survey asked the directors to confirm the presence of
a mobile site or app, list mobile services offered, and comment on their opinion of the
importance of offering mobile services, and what resources are needed in order to offer the
services. In order to form a complete and exhaustive depiction of the state of mobile services in
Connecticuts larger public libraries, the website visits and surveys were evaluated and compared
for possible discrepancies in results.
Part I: What mobile services are offered at Connecticuts larger public libraries?
Website visits were carried out on an iPhone 5S to check for a mobile version and on a
MacBook Pro laptop for full website visits. The data collection from the mobile and web site
visits took place from October 15, 2015 through November 2, 2015. The iPhone 5S visits were
simultaneously performed next to the full website visits via the MacBook Pro laptop. In doing
so, the researcher was able to first confirm whether or not a mobile site or app for the library was
established, as well as to utilize the mobile site or app version to locate and identify specific
mobile services first noted in the project proposal phase.

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Instrumentation
The full website visits on the MacBook Pro laptop enabled the researcher to determine if
any additional mobile services were available that were not originally located in the mobile site
or app version, if a mobile site version or app was available.
It is important to note that because not all libraries have a mobile site or app available to
its patrons, does not mean that mobile services are not offered on the full site. Thus, the full site
visits were necessary in order to accurately account for mobile services being offered via the full
site even though a mobile site or app may not have been created.
Two separate coding books were used to collect data. The first was used for libraries that
did have established mobile sites or apps. Components of this code book included: 1) type of
mobile app or site, 2) access to catalog search, 3) virtual reference including chat/IM, Text/SMS,
email, and social media, 4) access to e-books, 5) access to online databases, 6) access to patron
accounts for book renewal and ILL services, 7) access to contact information including hours,
location, e-mail, phone, and other, 8) access to a desktop version, and 9) access to social media
for local library and community events.
The second coding book pertained to full website visits performed on the MacBook Pro
laptop. The same components used in the mobile coding book were also used in the full website
coding book in order to keep data results consistent. However, there is margin for error in this
method and procedure as some mobile services are not made apparent through a mobile visit or
full, desktop visit.
Part II: What are the challenges in providing mobile services in a Connecticut public
library?

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During the proposal phase, it was determined that 78 Connecticut public libraries would
be invited to participate in the researcher-generated survey, in addition to the website visits.
Based on a median town population of 21,414 (Connecticut State Library, 2014, Population of
Service Area), all towns with a minimum of 15,000 residents were included.
Instrumentation
The Google Forms version of the survey was administered three times from September
15, 2015 through October 15, 2015. The postal version of the survey was sent to all 78 libraries
on September 27, 2015, with the final response received by the researcher on November 2, 2015.
Of the 78 libraries, 27 responded, indicating a participation rate of 35%.
Part III: How can public library mobile services improve to meet the needs of their users?
The literature review in the proposal phase concluded that many college and university
libraries, especially at the top 100 universities, are keeping up with the demands of their users to
provide mobile library services. Connecticuts larger public libraries offer many of the same
mobile library services, however, they are presented very differently from library to library,
which can potentially cause confusion to patrons who prefer to frequent different libraries.
Instrumentation
The second part of the Google Forms survey was sent electronically as well as by postal
mail to the 78 libraries identified in the proposal phase. It included five open-ended questions for
librarians to comment on their opnion of mobile services and the challenges that abound when
offering them. Twenty of the twenty-seven survey participants left commentary for all five openended questions, which provide insight on how public library mobile services can be improve to
meet the needs of the patrons. This information is found in the discussion.

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Conclusion
Some mobile services, such as ILL, placing holds within a library, and Ask a Librarian
are only available to library card account holders, and may not be visible from a general mobile
or desktop visit. Thus, the survey was administered to help alleviate any inconsistencies with the
data.
Results
Overview
Study results revealed that Connecticut's larger public libraries do indeed offer similar
mobile services, indicating either the demands of patrons are similar, funding for the services are
similar, or a combination of both. Top services offered amongst the targeted libraries include
access to patron accounts with book renewal and ILL features, library contact information with
access to hours, location, e-mail, phone, and fax, mobile access to online databases, and access to
library and community events via social media. For those libraries with an established mobile
site or app, the most common layout was list style. Second to the list style was a combination of
list and icon. For those libraries offering virtual reference, the most common form was Ask a
Librarian via e-mail, with only one library offering chat/IM, text/SMS, or social media.
Although many of the services were similar, how they are presented on the librarys
websites greatly varied, suggesting that not all library mobile services are created equally. Each
librarys mobile site, app, and full desktop site were unique in design. Survey responses
indicated that libraries are left to their own devices in creating web designs and mobile site
designs, which may explain the variances. Responses varied in how sites were established; some
libraries hire third parties, while others are utilizing staff. These differences in layout confirm

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that although most mobile library services are standardized amongst the targeted group, the sites
that hold the services are not created equally.
Summarized in Figure 1, of the 78 libraries, 41, more than 50%, currently have a mobile
site or app. Further analysis revealed that the majority of sites were established as a list in
comparison to bare bones or icon. However, one library offered both a mobile site, as well as an
app, and a separate library offered an app. Additionally, several of the list style mobile sites
included a combination of list and icon layouts, indicating that libraries are working towards
creating mobile sites that mimic the icon layout of a smartphone or tablet and are feasible for
patrons to access library services via a mobile device. It is clear from the website visits that
libraries understand that mobile services are valuable to their patrons.

Figure 1. Larger Connecticut Public Libraries Mobile Site Layouts

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Survey results indicated that of the libraries offering mobile sites and apps (66.7%),
almost half (41.1%) are list layouts, while another 41.1% are not sure of the type of layout. Icon
layouts made up 5.9% of the responses and bare bones accounted for 11.8%. The large amount
of unsure results imply that perhaps other factors such as technical staff, training, funding, or
background knowledge in mobile sites is challenging for libraries to keep up with or perhaps
receive additional funding for. Survey commentary results discussed in the Conclusions portion
of this work further investigate.

Figure 2. Mobile Site Type (Survey Results)

Website visits found that only slightly more than half (51.3%) of the larger public
libraries have a mobile site or app. However, further investigation revealed that all the libraries
in the visits offered mobile services. In addition, survey comments suggest that libraries are fully
aware of the shift in the public's mode of accessing information from desktop to mobile device

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and are trying to accommodate their needs within their means. When looking at what type of
mobile services were available through both a desktop site and mobile site or app, the most
common are seen in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Mobile Library Services Offered in Connecticuts Larger Libraries

Table 1 presents a comparison between the website visits and survey results in regards to
types of mobile library services offered, suggests that there is a lack of understanding or
knowledge of what specific types of mobile library services may look like on a mobile site, app,
or full desktop. The most vast discrepancy found was whether or not there was access to the full
desktop view. This difference between the website visits and survey results may in fact be a user
misinterpretation versus an actual discrepancy. The researchers results of 28.66% come from a
mobile viewing. It is unclear if the survey results of 89.47% mean that the library has a website
that is in desktop layout or if they were reporting that there is an option to view the full desktop

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layout from the mobile site. Moreover, it is necessary to expound that the totals of the two
results vary from 78 website visits to 27 received surveys, which alters the accuracy of
comparison. However, it is significant to comment that even with the difference in totals of
percentages, no other type of service varies more than 10%, further suggesting that public
libraries understand the public demand and value of mobile services and are continuing to work
on providing those services to their patrons.
Table 1
Comparison of Types of Mobile Library Services Offered between Website Visits and Survey Results

Type of Service

Website Visits (%)

Survey Results (%)

Difference (%)

Catalog Search

100%

95.24%

4.76%

Contact Information

100%

95%

0%

E-books

100%

100%

0%

Patron Accounts

100%

90.48%

Online Database

95.20%

Social Media

92.90%

100%

7.10%

Desktop Layout

28.66%

89.47%

60.87%

Virtual Reference

26.20%

19.05%

7.15%

Totals

(N=78)

85.71%

9.52%
9.49%

(N=27)

Discussion
In determining the types of mobile services offered in Connecticuts larger public
libraries, the website visits and surveys, clearly imply that the libraries are aware of their patrons
needs to be able to access information, as well as general public library services via a mobile

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device. Many of the types of specific mobile services, most notably, a.) catalog search, b.)
virtual reference, c.) ebooks, d.) online databases, e.) patron accounts, f.) contact information, g.)
desktop layout, and h.) social media are accessible via the libraries' websites, however they are
not all presented in the same way. Likewise, not all of the libraries offer a mobile version or app
for their site.
Comparison results between website visits and survey responses indicate that the larger
Connecticut public libraries are aware of the specific types of mobile services they offer.
However, an overall difference of about 10% between the research and survey results indicate
that there is a possible lack of understanding about mobile services offered or not enough
participants responded to the survey to provide an ideal comparison.
For those libraries that did participate, the open-ended responses provided great insight as
to some of the challenges facing public libraries that want to or do offer mobile services.
Question four in the open ended section of the survey asked libraries to address the challenges
they faced in offering mobile services. The most common responses to what was challenging
had to do with having the proper staff that were technologically trained, funding for upgrades
and third parties, time, and energy. For those libraries that responded that it was not very
challenging to provide mobile services, the main reason was because they either had a third party
that managed the mobile services and/or site, or they had a trained staff member.
Limitations
Website visits were limited to an iPhone 5S and Apple MacBook Pro. Additional website
visits using other devices may have produced somewhat different results in terms of checking
mobile services for usability and efficiency. Also recognized during the latter part of the study is

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the fact that some libraries are beginning to offer mobile print services.. This additional mobile
service will benefit continued analysis of mobile services in Connecticut public libraries.
Conclusion
In looking to the future of how Connecticut public library mobile services can be improve
to meet the needs of users, this study has helped reveal feasible and manageable means of
making improvements.. Working collectively will greatly benefit all of the public libraries in
providing mobile services that are somewhat standardized in what they do and how they are
presented in a website, mobile, site, or app design. Library specific roundtables presently exist
throughout the state that meet regularly to share and learn what others are doing in terms of other
aspects of library services. Most roundtables are posted on the listservs and can easily be created
for a mobile service agenda. Additionally, webinars provide another interactive and collective
mode of sharing knowledge and how-tos for those who are not able to travel to a roundtable
meeting. The benefits of a webinar can even extend beyond the state of Connecticut and can
provide a look into how other public libraries around the country are implementing mobile
services. Further collective sharing is encouraged by the Public Library Association. This ALA
affiliate offers a plethora of online services as well as conferences for those working in public
libraries, including mobile services.
As Connecticut public libraries look to improve the delivery and design of mobile
services, it is also necessary to recognize that sufficient funding has the biggest influence on
what specific mobile services exist and how they are incorporated into a website, mobile site, or
app. It will be necessary for libraries to continue to advocate for funding in order to ensure they
can fulfill the needs of their patrons regarding mobile services.

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References
Bohyun, K. (2013). The Present and future of the library mobile experience. Library Technology
Reports, 49(6), 15.
Chen, C. (2013). An intelligent mobile location-aware book recommendation system that
enhances problem-based learning in libraries. Interactive Learning Environments,
21(5), 469-495.
CT State Library. (2014). Connecticuts Public Libraries: A Statistical Profile, July 2013-June
2014. http://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/dld/stats.
Epps, L., & Watson, K. (2014). Emergency! How queens library came to patrons rescue
after hurricane sandy. Computers in Libraries, 34(10), 3.
Hahn, J. (2008). Mobile learning for the twenty-first century librarian. Reference Services
Review, 36, 272-278.
Hanson, C.W. (2011). Chapter 1: Why worry about mobile? Library Technology Reports,
47(2), 5-10.
Henning, N. (2014). Mobile apps in library programs. Library Technology Reports, 50(8),
18-22.
Gross, A. (2015). Bay area libraries look forward. Publishers Weekly, 26(24), 24.
Mlot, S. (2012). Farewell laptop? Mobile internet use jumps. PC Magazine, 1.
Pendell, K.D., & Bowman, M.S. (2012). Usability study of a librarys mobile website: An
example from Portland State University. Information Technology & Libraries, 31(2),
45-62.
Smith, S. D., & Caruso, J. B. (2010). The ECAR study of undergraduate students and

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information technology, 2010. In Educause Center for Applied Research.

Thomas, Lisa Carlucci. Gone mobile? Library Journal, 135(17), 30.
Thompson, S. (2012). Student use of library computers: Are desktop computers still relevant in
todays libraries? Information Technology & Libraries, 31(4), 20-33.
Ward, D., Hahn, J., & Mestre, L. (2014). Adventure code camp: Library mobile design in the
backcountry. Information Technology & Libraries, 33(3), 45-52.
Wingfield, Nick. (2008, October 27). Time to leave the laptop behind. The Wall Street Journal.
Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB122477763884262815
Yan Quan, L. & Briggs, S. (2015). A Library in the palm of your hand: Mobile services in top
100 university libraries. Information Technology & Libraries, 34(2), 133-148.

Appendix
SURVEY CONCERNING MOBILE LIBRARY
SERVICES IN CT PUBLIC LIBRARIES

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September 17, 2015

Dear Library Administrator/Director:
I am a student in the Master of Library Science program at Southern Connecticut State
University. As part of the degree requirements, I am currently conducting a study on
mobile library services in Connecticut's public libraries with a minimum resident
population of 15,000. I am seeking your help in learning more about what mobile library
services are offered, the challenges endured in offering mobile library services, and how
the community's needs can be met with mobile library services.
Participation is voluntary. There will be no penalty for refusal to participate. Return
of this survey indicates your consent to use this data in research. [This research has
been reviewed under the Human Research Protection Program, Institutional Review
Board at Southern Connecticut State University (Protocol 06-107).]
I have compiled the survey in two forms, via Google Forms and paper. If you prefer to
use Google Forms, you may click on the link here. Please read the introductory
paragraph in the survey regarding your privacy. I will receive your answers online and
no further actions are required.
If you prefer postal mail, a paper version has been mailed and should arrive shortly. Please complete the
survey and return in the stamped envelope immediately after completion. Please note the address on the
stamped envelope is my current residence, 689 Powell Avenue, Little Torch Key, FL 33042. The survey
takes about 10 minutes to complete.
Your assistance and participation are greatly appreciated. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail or
phone with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,

Erika L. Carlson, Graduate Student

Master of Library Science Program
Southern Connecticut State University
501 Crescent Street
New Haven, CT 06515
carlsone5@owls.southernct.edu
Tel: (203) 648-2202

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