April 28, 2024

Patrons Expect More Mobile Services | Handheld Librarian Conference

Lee Rainie

There are now more mobile phone subscriptions than there are people in the United States, and U.S. citizens—particularly young people—have rising expectations for mobile services offered by both commercial businesses and public institutions, according to “The State of Mobile Connectivity,” a keynote address by Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, at the 7th Handheld Librarian online conference on Wednesday. Citing data from a Pew study released earlier this year, Rainie noted that 17 percent of U.S. consumers now use a mobile phone or smartphone as their primary or exclusive point of access to the internet. For young people, minority groups, and households earning less than $50,000 per year, the rate is significantly higher.

The State of Mobile in Libraries 2012

Where do mobile library services stand in 2012? Nearly two years after the 2010 LJ Mobile Libraries Survey, The mobile library landscape has broadened significantly.