Mobile Technology Integration in First-generation IIT Libraries: an evaluative study

Abstract

With the rapid advancements of mobile technologies and its applications in libraries are increasingly providing mobile-accessible information services to the library users on their devices. These services fall into two categories—traditional library services modified for mobile devices and services created specifically for mobile devices to 24×7 information access by the users globally. The study aims to evaluate the adoption and implementation of mobile applications in first-generation Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) libraries in India and assess the benefits and key challenges associated with delivering library services on m-tech platforms. A descriptive survey method was used to data collection via a structured online questionnaire using Google Forms, circulated among five librarians of studied libraries, and the response rate was 100%. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in tabular formats.

The results indicate a high level of adoption of mobile applications to enhance library services in studied libraries. The first-generation IIT libraries have established high-tech mobile technology infrastructures to deliver library services, including servers, Wi-Fi, and mobile devices. The study reveals that first-generation IIT libraries in India have significantly adopted mobile applications to enhance library services. While there are substantial benefits, key challenges were noticed to further improving library services in the mobile world. The study strongly recommended for every library to develop a dedicated mobile library apps tailored to user needs, investing in m-tech infrastructures, and information and communication technology (ICT) training for staff to overcome adoption barriers in libraries.