Library staff usage of surf

tabletsPartners:

Pieta Eklund, LLR, University of BoråsJan Christer Magnusson, Chalmers University Library

Elin Nord, City Library of Göteborg

Today’s presentation

• Background and intention• Workflow• Evaluation• Preliminary results

Background

• A project financed by the Royal Library of Sweden

• Report in spring 2013• Three participating Libraries:

o Chalmers library(Göteborg)o Library & Learning Resources(LLR, Borås)o City Library of Göteborg

Ongoing project

• Real-life situation Autumn 2012• No finished results

Dual purpose

LLR (Borås) and the City Library of Göteborg investigates the use of surf tablets as information work tools

Chalmers library investigates how to add value to the information literacy program

Workflow• First inaugurating meeting• Two start up meetings with the

participating libraries• We have discussed the best way to use the

surf tablets• Both iOS and Android tablets have been

used; iPad, Samsung Galaxy and Acer A500

• Problems:o Can’t reach the circulation moduleo Writing on the tableto Web pages and services not adapted for tablets

Workflow: LLR• Pilot testing in May 2012

o 6 librarianso One hour, two times a weeko Take a note of our experiences afterwards

• Aim: o Which questions would be raisedo Knowledge on pros and cons.

• How to give help (treatment and closing contact)• Gathering user evaluation

o Which time of day optimal for survey

Workflow: LLR

• We decided to brand ourselveso T-shirts in visible colourso Library introduction at the start of Autumn semestero Library blog &

News flash at the Library Homepage(http://bibblogg.wordpress.com/2012/08/24/surfande-bibliotekarier/)

o Facebook

Workflow: Chalmers library

• One meeting to decide on how to use the tablets in educational surroundings

• Seemingly useful in information literacy courses – or is it really?

Workflow: City library of Göteborg

• Using the surf tablets in:o Two of the niche libraryo City library 300m2 o City Library Miinio Linnestaden libraryo Majorna library

• As mobile information desk

Evaluation

• To be able to evaluate the project we have:

o Constructed a user surveyo Librarians have answered a survey o Librarian connected to instituions has collected

experiences and views

Questions

• Usero Institution affiliation – if existingo Was the user supported by the meeting or noto How do users look at surfing librarians

Questions

• Librarian:o Where did the meeting take place?o What kind of questions did the user ask?

• Technical questions, simpler information literacy questions, research questions

• Was the surf tablet used?

…and it was possible to add more comments

Evaluation: LLR• LLR has had:

o 37 surf hours since start of semester by 5 librarianso 31 answers from studentso 51 answers from librarianso 16 answers on localities and technical questionso 32 questions on how to find a booko 3 research questionso 26 times has the librarian initiated the meetingo 24 have the users initiated the meetingo 7 times has the surf tablet been used

• Everybody have been pleased with meeting at the existing locality

User comments• ”It is good because us pupils don’t have to run

three floors down to get help and be forced to leave our laptops or renew the search ”

• ”Smart to have at multiple places”• ”Great to have access to competent librarians in

place!”• ”Great that you came”• ”Jolly good. Was thinking that it would be great if

someone was upstairs to help me. Hope you’ll be here next time.”

Evaluation: Chalmers• Chalmers has had:

o 101 education opportunities by 7 librarianso 61 times the surf tablet was used – 60% of the timeo The reference guide, home page and Chalmers appo Disabilities – Audio Note and Dragon dictateo Easy to use but too long time to find materialo Important not to forget the surf tableto Smartphone – easy to use by one teacher (the rest don’t

know)o Focus on mobile units instead of tablets

• Better pedagogy to show the students at their work stations and let them type

Work places

Evaluation: City Library of Göteborg

• Obstacles in the way:

o Afraid that the surf tablet will be stolen if you happen to leave it someplace

o Feeling limited by holding it in my hando Testing a shoulder bag

Preliminary results• Users love to be contacted where they are sitting• The surf tablet is not necessary in educational work• The surf tablet is not optimal in information literacy

o Better pedagogy and quicker to point at the screen of the work station where the student sits than to use the tablet

o It may be better to use the surf tablet as an ”old fashioned” extra information desk than as an educational assistant

• Extra educational help - does not make use of the full potential of the surf tablet

• Specially designed educational apps would maybe be of help

• Needs rethinking of the concept mobile learning• We need to redefine ”classroom” and ”learning

environment”

Surf tablet – static unitInfinite number of

pages

Future mobile learning?

That’s how we use it at the office (Touchtech)

• We have downloaded Dropbox and shared it between us. The interactive table via Touchtech files has access to the shared dropbox folders

• As soon as anyone finds something interesting, that person can save it in the Dropbox folder whether he/she is in front of a computer or a smartphone/surf tablet. Later, when we all gather around the table it’s automatically synced – extrememly useful