Mobile Applications for Libraries
Content
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
THE TECH SET
Ellyssa Kroski, Series Editor
Building Mobile Library Applications
Jason A. Clark
www.neal-schuman.com LIBRARY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
THE TECH SET
Ellyssa Kroski, Series Editor
#
Building Mobile Library Applications
Jason A. Clark
AL A TechSource
An imprint of the American Library Association Chicago
www.neal-schuman.com
2012
© 2012 by the American Library Association. Any claim of copyright is subject to applicable limitations and exceptions, such as rights of fair use and library copying pursuant to Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Act. No copyright is claimed for content in the public domain, such as works of the U.S. government. Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Clark, Jason A. Building mobile library applications / Jason A. Clark. p. cm. -— (The tech set ; #12) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-55570-783-5 1. Mobile communication systems—Library applications. I. Title. Z680.5C48 2012 006.7—dc23 2012007206 This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).
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CONTENTS
Foreword by Ellyssa Kroski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii xi
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Types of Solutions Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. Social Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. Metrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9. Developing Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 11 17 23 79 87 95 99
Recommended Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Don’t miss this book’s companion website! Turn the page for details.
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THE TECH SET® Volumes 11–20 is more than just the book you’re holding! These 10 titles, along with the 10 titles that preceded them, in THE TECH SET® series feature three components: 1. This book 2. Companion web content that provides more details on the topic and keeps you current 3. Author podcasts that will extend your knowledge and give you insight into the author’s experience The companion webpages and podcasts can be found at: www.alatechsource.org/techset/ On the website, you’ll go far beyond the printed pages you’re holding and: Access author updates that are packed with new advice and recommended resources Use the website comments section to interact, ask questions, and share advice with the authors and your LIS peers Hear these pros in screencasts, podcasts, and other videos providing great instruction on getting the most out of the latest library technologies For more information on THE TECH SET® series and the individual titles, visit www.neal-schuman.com/techset-11-to-20.
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PREFACE
Mobile devices are becoming an essential part of people’s everyday lives. As these new devices such as smartphones, tablets, and e-book readers move into the mainstream, there will be an expectation that library services and resources will be part of this mobile ecosystem. Building Mobile Library Applications focuses on mobile application design and development—the practice of building software, web apps, or websites for mobile and handheld devices. Learning about mobile application development is one step librarians can take to answer the growing expectations for real-time, at-hand information consumption that mobile devices provide. Taking this a step further, mobile-savvy librarians are moving beyond just learning about mobile to actually building mobile library applications that provide patrons with catalog searches on the go, promote library databases optimized for mobile, and offer other cutting-edge services like historical walking tours using mobile devices. In learning to build and use these types of mobile applications, libraries can engage their patrons in context, in locations where they need the info.
ORGANIZATION
With both beginning and expert developers in mind, Building Mobile Library Applications guides you through the process of planning, developing, and launching your own mobile library applications. Chapter 1 traces the emergence of the mobile platform and introduces the possibilities for mobile development. Chapter 2 considers the types of mobile applications that can be developed and looks to guide development decisions by discussing what type of application makes sense for your mobile use case. Chapter 3 moves on to the details of project planning and processes that make sense for a mobile
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project work flow. Chapter 4 brings up the social aspect of mobile development and design, talking through how to garner support for your mobile project ideas and providing strategies for shepherding your mobile project through your organization. Chapter 5 focuses on the “how to” with a set of projects ready for implementation, including detailed code recipes and working downloads to get you started. These “takeaway” projects form the core of the book and provide an entry point to mobile development for all skill levels from beginner to expert. Included among the featured projects are learning how to develop an iPhone or Android application for your library, how to mobilize your library’s catalog using a mobile web app, and how to create a mobile website that can be viewed on smartphones. Chapter 6 takes a closer look at how to market your mobile applications to your patrons, search engines, and mobile app stores or marketplaces. Chapter 7 considers emerging best practices and user interface conventions that make designing and developing for mobile an exciting challenge. Chapter 8 shows how to measure the success of a mobile app with analytics and statistical tools that tell the story of your app. Chapter 9 highlights the trends for mobile development and design in the months to come. Finally, the “Recommended Reading” chapter lists and annotates resources to continue learning about mobile design and development. A primary goal of Building Mobile Library Applications is to demystify the process behind developing and designing for the mobile setting. And anybody looking to get a handle on what mobile means for libraries and related institutions will find this book to be a valuable guide. Learning about mobile technologies is a first step, and this book will cover the background of mobile devices, how to think about design for the mobile setting, planning for mobile projects, and much more. However, the core of Building Mobile Library Applications will focus on how to build sample mobile applications that use library data or work in a library setting. It is my hope that readers are empowered to create new library applications and services based on the code samples and walk-throughs available here.
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INTRODUCTION
Mobile Design and Development Who Should Read This Book? What Can You Expect?
With four billion applications on just one mobile device platform (iPhone) and device purchasing set to outpace both types of desktop computers combined, there can be little doubt that mobile is moving into the mainstream. Given this rapid adoption, my hope is that this book is a discussion of and a foundation for learning how to build mobile applications and sites.
Mobile Device Usage
By the year 2014, consumers will be buying more smartphones than PCs and laptops. Since the launch of the iPhone, more than four billion apps have been downloaded, with an average of 47 apps per user. Android and iPad app stats are also in the millions.
From “Internet Trends,” PowerPoint Presentation at Morgan Stanley’s CM Summit, June 2010 (http://www.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/pdfs/MS_Internet_Trends_060710.pdf).
Mobile applications, apps for short, are stand-alone, dedicated pieces of software or web applications/sites that enhance our phones’ or tablets’ capabilities and access information in elegant, consistent ways, and are the means for creating new services for our mobile patrons. People want apps; they have been trained to expect apps for their mobile devices. Library software development must keep up with the demand. We can gain much in this pursuit. Among the possibilities are: new ways of browsing using location data, real-time, contextual search providing results about where a person is located, voice-initiated browsing and searching, and archiving images and documents from mobile cameras.
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Building Mobile Library Applications
In many ways, our success in reworking traditional library web services into mobile settings will help define the direction of our profession. The rise of the mobile platform can be traced to Apple’s release of the iPhone on June 19, 2007. With the release of the iPhone, consumers now had access to a mobile computer in their pocket. The smartphone template introduced by the iPhone changed what people expected to experience in the mobile setting. It wasn’t just about texting or phone calls anymore; here was a computer with a full web browser and optimized operating system built for computing in mobile settings with limited bandwidth and connections. Portable media browsing, media creation (images and video), full website viewing, and other actions commonly associated with desktop PCs were now a part of the mobile environment. And apps, those little pieces of downloaded software or optimized web applications and sites, became the conduit for services delivered to this new platform. Given the relative newness of the mobile platform, the history of mobile development in libraries is brief, but growing quickly as one might expect. One of the first libraries to enter mobile development was the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL). In early 2009, DCPL built an app for browsing and searching library materials and released it for the iPhone (http://dclibrarylabs.org/archives/476). The DCPL app was a first attempt to translate a traditional library service, the catalog search, into a mobile setting. Three years later, the move to mobilize the catalog remains the most frequent mobile app type coming from libraries. A next step for libraries was to recognize the local context and immediacy of place that could be applied to mobile development. To this end, in early 2010 North Carolina State University (NCSU) Library released WolfWalk, an app based around a historical walking tour with archival photos of the NCSU campus (http://goo.gl/ga4YQ). As the mobile platform has matured, other cultural organizations have begun to experiment with mobile development. The Smithsonian Institution has a complete mobile development arm that is building apps ranging from Leafsnap, a mobile app that uses the device camera to help identify tree and plant species, to Stories from Main Street, a crowdsourcing mobile app that uses device microphones to record local history stories from all over the nation.
MOBILE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Not all libraries will have the types of development resources mentioned, but each of us can get started with a basic understanding of
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Introduction
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the benefits and complexities of mobile design and development. First, mobile design and development can be liberating. Whitespace is necessary, and screen space is at a premium. Decisions about what to include in your mobile app or site need to be based on the core actions and utility your users need. This “limitation” of the small surfaces in mobile frees you from the complexity associated with the multiple links and entry points of desktop applications. Second, mobile design and development addresses an emerging need of our library audience: the ability to use library resources and get questions answered when the need arises. Mobile brings the dream of a portable library into reality. Third, mobile design and development can leverage existing skill sets. Many of the apps we build in this book will use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills that are already in place for many libraries. This “mobile web-centric” approach to mobile development offers a way forward that can make library resources truly crossplatform. Finally, mobile design and development and its simplicity aesthetic can inform physical library services. By forcing us to take a hard look at what is essential for a service to succeed, mobile can help us revise and reform current library services. Even with these benefits, I’m not looking to trivialize mobile design and development. Creating simple mobile designs can be really difficult. Multiple devices and the growing fragmentation of the mobile market are huge design and development challenges. What works on one platform may not work on another. Additionally, having to choose a mobile platform—Apple (iOS), Android, BlackBerry—to provide library materials or to invest time learning a new software development environment can be cost-prohibitive or even run counter to the library mission of equal access for all. However, there are ways around these potential sticking points, and, whenever possible, I have looked to develop platform-neutral solutions for this book.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK? WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
This book is for anybody looking to get a handle on what mobile means for libraries and related institutions. Readers should also have a keen interest in learning how to make decisions about a mobile strategy and getting their hands dirty with practical, applied mobile projects. At its core, this book is about the implementation of some exemplary mobile projects. These projects range from the simple to the complex, but all projects are written up in a tutorial, step-by-step manner. All you’ll need to follow along with the vast majority of
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Building Mobile Library Applications
examples is a text editor and a web browser (recent versions of Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari). Over the course of this book, we will look at defining types of mobile apps, planning and project management for mobile development, negotiating the social mechanics of your library, marketing your apps and sites in this new and emerging mobile ecosystem, and discussing developing mobile trends. When we are finished, you will have a full sense of how to think broadly about mobile development and design. You will also have multiple working projects and examples of how to create mobile apps and websites for your library. Specific projects include: learning how to develop an iPhone application that features core library services, building a “Where’s My Library” location-aware Android application using Google’s App Inventor, mobilizing your library’s catalog using WorldCat and its associated developer’s tools, and creating a mobile website that can be viewed on smartphones. There is something here for beginners and advanced developers, and the “cookbook” format will allow you to move from the simple to the complex. Let’s get started.
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INDEX
Page numbers followed by the letter “f” indicate figures.
A
Admob, 97 Adobe Dreamweaver, 29, 68 Analytics best practices, 90 defined, 96 Google, 13, 95–98 mobile users, 90 trends, 101 web and, 18, 80, 95–98 See also Metrics; Surveys Android App Inventor, 28, 29, 31f, 92 App Marketplace, 83 basics, 1, 91–92 building an app, 14, 28–31, 31f, 32–33, 94 Market, 32–33, 83, 101 phone prototype, 32 PhoneGap and, 44 platform, 3, 8–9, 14, 39, 96 Where’s My Car? (app), 4, 28, 30–32 App ID, 42–44, 43f App Inventor (Google), 29 App store, 6–10, 38, 68, 44, 83, 95–97, 101 distribution model, 91 API. See Application programming interface (API) Appelquist, Daniel, 99 Apple App Store, 44, 83, 95–96, 101
design options, 2–3, 30, 87–89, 88f, 92–94 interface, user, 90–93 iPad, 1, 92 iPhone, 1–2, 4, 37–40, 87 iPod touch, 37 iTunes, 9, 37, 43–44, 100 registering ID, 42–44, 43f See also iOS (Apple) Application programming interface (API), 44–48, 81 App.net, 31, 80 Apps building, 28–31, 31f, 32–33, 94 defined, 1 history of, 2 iPhone, 1–2, 4, 37–40, 41f, 41–44, 43f, 91–92 marketplace, 4, 32–33, 83, 95–96, 101 options, 93–94 store, 44, 83, 91, 95–96, 101 views, 60f, 94 website building, 23–24, 24f, 25–26, 26f–28f, 27–28 Archiving, 1–2
B
Bango Mobile Analytics, 97 Best practices design options, 2–3, 30, 87–89, 88f, 92–94 development, 89–93
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Conventions, 27, 36, 76, 78, 91, 92–93, 95–96 Crowdsourcing, 2 CSS. See Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) language CSS3, 66, 91, 99–100 Customizing, mobile searches, 58–59 site, 25–27, 16f, 27f, 30–31, 31f, 36 view, 66–68, 60f
Best practices (cont’d.) interface, 87–93 navigation, 87, 89 popovers and alerts, 93 search engine optimization (SEO), 81–85 simplicity of mobile platform, 87, 89 standards, 91–92 See also Marketing Blackberry, 3, 39, 44 Blog marketing, 28, 80–82 mobilizing, 25 social networking, 21, 80–81 software, 38 BookMinder Android App, 9 Brainstorming, 21 Branding, 14, 94
D
Dashboard, 25, 26f Data interface, 46–48, 90–93 Deliverables, 14, 17–18 Design patterns, 93 Desktop files, 61–65 Developer, register as, 38–39 Devices camera and orientation, 10 geolocation application, 44–45, 56–58, 56f mobile, 92–93 Digital wallet, 100 Distribution model, 91 District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL), 2 Drupal, mobile website building, 23–24, 24f, 25–26, 26f, 28f, 27–28
C
C++, 100 Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) language building, 40 catalog and, 45–46 code and, 47 and companion website, 59 customizing, 58–59, 65–68 display interface, 46 files, 61–62 IPhone app, 37 markup and, 70 mobilizing, 3, 6–7, 59–60, 60f optimization, 90–91 overwrite grid, 62–65 performance and, 90–91 PhoneGap and, 44 styles and, 92 trends, 99 Catalog (OPAC). See Library catalog (OPAC), mobile Chart API wizard, 81 Chelmsford (MA) Public Library, 6 CMS. See Content management system (CMS) Code libraries, 9, 46, 48–49, 58, 92 Content management system (CMS), 23, 25
E
Emulator, 29, 32, 40–42, 45, 92
F
Facebook, 80–81, 100 Findability, 81–85, 91, 101 Firefox, 4, 90 Flickr, 88–89, 88f, 90 Florida International University Medical Library, 6 Flurry, 97 Foursquare, 100 Frameworks, 8, 33–35, 37–38, 67–69, 76, 93
G
Geolocation applications, 7–8, 10, 91
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Index
catalog mobilization, 44–45, 45f JavaScript and, 56–58, 56f location-based apps, 99–101 Geotags, 10, 100 Google “App Inventor,” 4, 29 Chrome Web Store, 4, 101 iui framework, 33–37, 33f, 34f, 67 mobile templates, 36 PhoneGap and, 38–39, 44 QR code, 81 Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, 82 Where’s My Car? (App), 4, 28, 30–32 Google AdWords Keyword Tool, 82 Google Analytics, 13, 95–98 Google Android, 8 Google Docs, 11, 12 Google Sitemaps, 85 Google Sites, 36–37 Google Static Maps API, 76–78, 84–85 Google Wallet, 100 GPS, 100–101 Gyrometer, 90
109
where page, 76–78 See also Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) language HTML5, 7, 44, 90–91, 99–100
I
H
Haefele, Chad, 33 HTML about, hours, and ask pages, 74–76 applications, 5–7, 46–49, 84 apps and, 3, 45, 101 files, 34–37, 55 homepage, 70–72 interface, 46–48 landing page, 80, 83 markup, 35–36, 90–91 optimization, 90–91, 101 PhoneGap and, 39–41, 44 platform and, 8, 10, 38, 43, 90, 92 prototype, 18 QR code, 80–81 search page, 72–74 software platforms and, 3 tags, 61, 74, 82, 99 template, 34–37, 92–93 webform, 31
Icons, 30, 41–42, 71–72, 80 ID, app, 42–44, 43f Images, 1–2, 26, 30, 34, 42, 90–91 Implementation. See Project management Interface, user, 90–93 Internet Explorer, 4 iOS (Apple) app, building, 4, 37–40, 41f, 41–44, 43f, 94 App ID, 42–44, 43f Apple iOS SDK, 92 developer, 14, 96 emulator, 40–42 PhoneGap and, 44 platform, 3, 9, 37–38, 41, 44 registering, 42–44, 43f simulator, 41–42 Xcode, 37–41, 41f, 42–44, 43f See also Apple; iPhone iOS SDK (Software Development Kit), 8, 38–39, 43, 90, 92 Iowa City Public Library, 6 iPhone, 1–2, 91–92 apps, 4, 37–40, 41f, 41–44, 43f, 94 best practices and, 87 building an app, 8, 37–40, 40f, 41–44, 41f, 43f and companion website, 37 interface, user, 90–93 User Experience Guidelines, 87 iTunes, 9, 37, 43–44, 100 iui framework, 33–37, 33f, 34f, 67
J
JavaScript apps and, 3 frameworks, 29, 37, 67–69, 76 geolocation application, 44–45, 56–58, 56f interface, 46–47, 90–93 JQuery, 67–70, 73–74, 78, 92
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Location-Aware Services and QR Codes for Libraries (Murphy), 81, 100 Location-based apps, 4, 7–8, 10, 29, 31, 44–45, 77–78, 91, 99–100 JavaScript and, 56–58 Logo, 26, 42, 80, 94
JavaScript (cont’d.) JSLint, 91 mobile, 6–7, 14, 44–45 optimization, 90–91 PhoneGap and, 44 trends, 99–100 jQTouch, 67–68, 92 jQuery, 67–71, 68f, 73–76, 78, 92 building, 37–40, 41f, 41–44, 43f customizing, 78 HTML markup homepage, 70–76 HTML markup where page, 76–80
M
Mac OS X Snow Leopard, 37 Marketing audience, 85–86 benchmarking, 97–98 communicating internally, 93 defining, 11–13 internal, 85–86 print media and, 79–80, 86 public demonstration, 85–86 QR codes and, 81 search engine optimization and, 81–85 social media, 80–81 web and, 80–81 “Making Your Mobile App More Discoverable,” 83 Mashable.com, 83 McGill University Libraries, 7 Metrics analytics, 18, 95–97 Google Analytics, 13, 95–98 measuring options, 95–98 needs assessment, 95–97 PollEverywhere.com, 90 software, 95–97 survey resources, 90, 97–98 SurveyMonkey, 12, 90 tracking code, 98 Micropayments, 100–101 Milestones, 15 MIT Center for Mobile Learning, 29–30, 92 Mobile applications crowdsourcing, 2 native applications, 7–10, 94, 99–100 pros and cons, 5–6 requirements, 9–10, 14 trends, 99–100 types of, 6–10 See also Apps
K
Kaywa QR code, 81
L
Leafsnap, 2 Library catalog (OPAC), mobile access, 2, 44–45f analytics and, 18 and companion website, 59 CSS and, 59, 60f, 61–62, 65–67 customizing, 58–59 geolocation application, 44–45, 56–58, 56f HTML markup homepage, 70–76 HTML markup where page, 76–80 jQuery, 67–70, 68f, 78 linking, 10, 45–46, 48–49 local searches, 57–58 OCLC Library code, 9, 46, 48–49, 58, 92 optimization, 90–91 overwrite grid, 62–65 search template files, 46, 92–93 WorldCat search API, 44–56 Library management, 19–21 Library website. See Mobile website, library “Link Method,” 26 Linking catalog, 10, 45–46, 48–49 mobile, 3, 5–6, 10, 26–30, 42, 69–72, 74, 77 navigation, 93–94 platforms, 3 survey, 12, 21
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Index
Mobile catalog. See Library catalog (OPAC), mobile Mobile design apps, 30 conventions, 27, 36, 76, 78, 91, 92–93, 95–96 development, 89–93 interface, user, 90–93 options, 2–3, 87–89, 88f, 93–94 popovers and alerts, 93 Mobile interface, 90–93 tactical navigation, 87, 90 touch, 7–8, 31, 37, 48, 66, 74, 78, 87–90 Mobile Safari, 4, 91 Mobile site generator, 23–24, 24f, 33–36, 34f “Mobile web-centric,” 3 Mobile website, library about, hours, and ask pages, 74–76 Android and, 28–31, 31f, 32–33 building from scratch, 33–34, 33f–34f, 35–37 and companion website, 28, 33, 37, 44, 59, 67 creating, 23–27, 24f, 26f, 27f, 28f, 36–37 defining audience, 11–13 demo and files, 33 framework, 33–34 homepage, 70–72 iui framework, 33–37, 33f, 34f metrics, 95–98 optimization, 90–91, 101 portable library, 3 pros and cons, 5–6 requirements, 9–10, 14–15 site generator tool, 34–35, 34f static information, 10 support network, 20–21 usage, 1–3 where page, 76–78 Winksite and, 23–27, 24f, 26f, 27f, 28f, 36–37 MS Word, 11 Murphy, Joe, 81, 100 My Projects list, 30, 31f, 32
111
N
Native applications, 5, 7–10, 40–41 apps and, 23, 38, 68, 91, 99–101 building, 10, 93–94 controls, 94 metrics, 95 platform, 37, 68 software development kit (SDK), 8, 38, 43, 90, 92 templates, 92 trends, 99–100 North Carolina State University (NCSU) Library, 2 Notepad, 68
O
Objective C, 100 OCLC Library code, 9, 46, 48–49, 58, 92 Offline storage, 7, 91, 99 OPAC. See Library catalog (OPAC), mobile Open source software, 44 Oregon State University, BeaverTracks, 7
P
Palette, 30 Palm, PhoneGap and, 44 Patrons, 11–13, 20–21, 27–28, 28f PhoneGap, 8, 37–42, 40f, 44, 92 PHP, 45–46, 49, 57–58, 74, 76 Planning and developing, mobile audience, 11–12 goal, 13–14, 17–18 market research, 11–13 project requirements, 9–10, 14–15 reasons for project, 13–14 team, 14–15 timeline, 15, 18 Platforms, mobile Android, 3 defined, 1–2 design, 87–89, 88f, 92–94 development, 2–3 history of, 2 iOS, 3, 9, 37–38, 41, 44 options, 3 software development kit (SDK), 8, 38, 43, 90, 92
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Single frame or window, 93 Site view, 91, 60f, 66–68 Sitemaps, 82, 84–85 Smartphone, 1, 4, 81 apps, 6–7 platform, 59 template, 2, 92 Smithsonian Institution, 2 Social mechanics. See Promotion Social networking, 21, 80–82 Software development kit (SDK), 8, 38, 43, 90, 92 Square, 100 Staff, 19, 20–21, 85–86 Stakeholders, 14, 18–21 Statistics. See Analytics; Metrics; Surveys Stories from Main Street (app), 2 SurveyMonkey, 12, 90 Surveys audience, 12–13, 90 Google Analytics, 13, 95–98 measuring options, 90, 95–98 web statistics, 12–13, 18 See also Analytics; Metrics Symbian, PhoneGap and, 44
PollEverywhere.com, 90 Popovers and alerts, 93 Project management Android app, 28–33 goal, 13–14, 17–18 iPhone app building, 37–44 jQuery, 67–78 Project Planning Templates, 15 See also Library catalog (OPAC), mobile; Planning and developing, mobile Promotion IT department and, 19–20 library administration and, 19 project goals defined, 13–14, 17–18 QR code, 27–28, 28f, 80–81, 85 stakeholders and, 19–21 support network, 20–21 URL, 27–28, 28f See also Marketing Properties, 30–31, 31f Protocol, 84 Prototype, 9, 18, 32
Q
QR code, 27–28, 28f, 80–81, 85, 100
R
Responsive web design, 59, 60f, 61 RSS feed, 23–24, 24f, 25–26, 26f, 28f, 27–28
T
Tablets, 1 Templates, 2, 15, 34–37, 46, 59, 68f, 80, 92–93 Texting, 2 Thumbnails, 42, 89 Timeline, 15, 18 Titanium, 8 Touch environment, 66–69, 74, 78, 87, 89–90 jQTouch, 67–68, 92 Sencha Touch, 8, 37, 92 Trends, mobile, 99–101 Twitter, 80, 100
S
Safari, 4 SDK. See Software development kit (SDK) Search engine optimization (SEO), 81–85 findability, 81–85, 91, 101 key terms, 82–83 optimization, 90–91 Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide (Google), 82 web indexing robots, 82–84 Seattle Public Library, 9 Sencha Touch, 8, 37, 92 SEO. See Search engine optimization (SEO) Server logs, 12–13, 95
U
ugl4eva (app), 9 Undergraduate Library, University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign, 9 University of Minnesota Library, 7 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, 33
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Index
URL mobile, 36, 48, 55, 74, 78 promoting, 27–28, 28f, 80–81, 85–86 sitemaps and, 84 source, 24–25 web browsers, 91 WorldCat Search API and, 49–53 Usability.gov, 15
113
V
Video, 2, 9 Viewer, 30 Visual prototype, 9, 18, 32
W
W3C, 99 W3C Geolocation API, 44–45, 56–57, 56f Web browsers, 2, 4, 67 mobile applications, 6–8, 24, 34, 47, 60f, 66, 70, 91 thumbnails, 89 traditional view, 60f Web indexing robots, 82–84 WebKit Browser Engine, 91 Website, library. See Mobile website, library
Where’s My Car? (Android app), 4, 28, 30–32 Winksite, 23–27, 24f, 27f, 28f dashboard, 25, 26f templates, 36–37 WolfWalk, 2 WorldCat, 4 WorldCat Opensearch XML file, 53–55 WorldCat search API, 44–48 customize, 58–59 geolocation application, 44–45, 56–58, 56f making requests, 49–53 OCLC Library code, 9, 46, 48–49, 58 parse to create results, 53–56 WordPress, 23–28, 24f, 26f, 28f Wroblewski, Luke, 15 WYSIWYG text editors and graphical interfaces, 29, 33
X
Xcode, 37–41, 41f, 42–44, 43f XML, 53–55, 84–85
Y
Yahoo!, 81, 83–84 Yahoo Mobile Sitemaps, 85
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“
This is the series to acquire and share in any institution over the next year. I think of it as a cost-effective way to attend the equivalent of ten excellent technology management courses led by a dream faculty! TECH SET® #11–20 will help librarians stay relevant, thrive, and survive. It is a must-read for all library leaders and planners. — Stephen Abram, MLS, Vice President, Strategic Relations and Markets, Cengage Learning
”
Building Mobile Library Applications is part of THE TECH SET® VOLUMES 11–20, a series of concise guides edited by Ellyssa Kroski and offering practical instruction from the field’s hottest tech gurus. Each title in the series is a one-stop passport to an emerging technology. If you’re ready to start creating, collaborating, connecting, and communicating through cuttingedge tools and techniques, you’ll want to get primed by all the books in THE TECH SET®. New tech skills for you spell new services for your patrons: • Learn the latest, cutting-edge technologies. • Plan new library services for these popular applications. • Navigate the social mechanics involved with gaining buy-in for these forward-thinking initiatives. • Utilize the social marketing techniques used by info pros. • Assess the benefits of these new technologies to maintain your success. • Follow best practices already established by innovators and libraries using these technologies. Find out more about each topic in THE TECH SET® VOLUMES 11–20 and preview the Tables of Contents online at www.alatechsource.org/techset/. 11. Cloud Computing for Libraries, by Marshall Breeding 12. Building Mobile Library Applications, by Jason A. Clark 13. Location-Aware Services and QR Codes for Libraries, by Joe Murphy 14. Drupal in Libraries, by Kenneth J. Varnum 15. Strategic Planning for Social Media in Libraries, by Sarah K. Steiner 16. Next-Gen Library Redesign, by Michael Lascarides 17. Screencasting for Libraries, by Greg R. Notess 18. User Experience (UX) Design for Libraries, by Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches 19. IM and SMS Reference Services for Libraries, by Amanda Bielskas and Kathleen M. Dreyer 20. Semantic Web Technologies and Social Searching for Librarians, by Robin M. Fay and Michael P. Sauers
Each multimedia title features a book, a companion website, and a podcast to fully cover the topic and then keep you up-to-date.
American Library Association 50 E. Huron Street Chicago, IL 60611 1 (866) SHOPALA (866) 746-7252 www.neal-schuman.com
THE TECH SET
Ellyssa Kroski, Series Editor
Building Mobile Library Applications
Jason A. Clark
www.neal-schuman.com LIBRARY AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
THE TECH SET
Ellyssa Kroski, Series Editor
#
Building Mobile Library Applications
Jason A. Clark
AL A TechSource
An imprint of the American Library Association Chicago
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2012
© 2012 by the American Library Association. Any claim of copyright is subject to applicable limitations and exceptions, such as rights of fair use and library copying pursuant to Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Act. No copyright is claimed for content in the public domain, such as works of the U.S. government. Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Clark, Jason A. Building mobile library applications / Jason A. Clark. p. cm. -— (The tech set ; #12) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-55570-783-5 1. Mobile communication systems—Library applications. I. Title. Z680.5C48 2012 006.7—dc23 2012007206 This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper).
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CONTENTS
Foreword by Ellyssa Kroski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii xi
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii 1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Types of Solutions Available . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. Social Mechanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6. Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. Best Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. Metrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9. Developing Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 5 11 17 23 79 87 95 99
Recommended Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Don’t miss this book’s companion website! Turn the page for details.
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THE TECH SET® Volumes 11–20 is more than just the book you’re holding! These 10 titles, along with the 10 titles that preceded them, in THE TECH SET® series feature three components: 1. This book 2. Companion web content that provides more details on the topic and keeps you current 3. Author podcasts that will extend your knowledge and give you insight into the author’s experience The companion webpages and podcasts can be found at: www.alatechsource.org/techset/ On the website, you’ll go far beyond the printed pages you’re holding and: Access author updates that are packed with new advice and recommended resources Use the website comments section to interact, ask questions, and share advice with the authors and your LIS peers Hear these pros in screencasts, podcasts, and other videos providing great instruction on getting the most out of the latest library technologies For more information on THE TECH SET® series and the individual titles, visit www.neal-schuman.com/techset-11-to-20.
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PREFACE
Mobile devices are becoming an essential part of people’s everyday lives. As these new devices such as smartphones, tablets, and e-book readers move into the mainstream, there will be an expectation that library services and resources will be part of this mobile ecosystem. Building Mobile Library Applications focuses on mobile application design and development—the practice of building software, web apps, or websites for mobile and handheld devices. Learning about mobile application development is one step librarians can take to answer the growing expectations for real-time, at-hand information consumption that mobile devices provide. Taking this a step further, mobile-savvy librarians are moving beyond just learning about mobile to actually building mobile library applications that provide patrons with catalog searches on the go, promote library databases optimized for mobile, and offer other cutting-edge services like historical walking tours using mobile devices. In learning to build and use these types of mobile applications, libraries can engage their patrons in context, in locations where they need the info.
ORGANIZATION
With both beginning and expert developers in mind, Building Mobile Library Applications guides you through the process of planning, developing, and launching your own mobile library applications. Chapter 1 traces the emergence of the mobile platform and introduces the possibilities for mobile development. Chapter 2 considers the types of mobile applications that can be developed and looks to guide development decisions by discussing what type of application makes sense for your mobile use case. Chapter 3 moves on to the details of project planning and processes that make sense for a mobile
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project work flow. Chapter 4 brings up the social aspect of mobile development and design, talking through how to garner support for your mobile project ideas and providing strategies for shepherding your mobile project through your organization. Chapter 5 focuses on the “how to” with a set of projects ready for implementation, including detailed code recipes and working downloads to get you started. These “takeaway” projects form the core of the book and provide an entry point to mobile development for all skill levels from beginner to expert. Included among the featured projects are learning how to develop an iPhone or Android application for your library, how to mobilize your library’s catalog using a mobile web app, and how to create a mobile website that can be viewed on smartphones. Chapter 6 takes a closer look at how to market your mobile applications to your patrons, search engines, and mobile app stores or marketplaces. Chapter 7 considers emerging best practices and user interface conventions that make designing and developing for mobile an exciting challenge. Chapter 8 shows how to measure the success of a mobile app with analytics and statistical tools that tell the story of your app. Chapter 9 highlights the trends for mobile development and design in the months to come. Finally, the “Recommended Reading” chapter lists and annotates resources to continue learning about mobile design and development. A primary goal of Building Mobile Library Applications is to demystify the process behind developing and designing for the mobile setting. And anybody looking to get a handle on what mobile means for libraries and related institutions will find this book to be a valuable guide. Learning about mobile technologies is a first step, and this book will cover the background of mobile devices, how to think about design for the mobile setting, planning for mobile projects, and much more. However, the core of Building Mobile Library Applications will focus on how to build sample mobile applications that use library data or work in a library setting. It is my hope that readers are empowered to create new library applications and services based on the code samples and walk-throughs available here.
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INTRODUCTION
Mobile Design and Development Who Should Read This Book? What Can You Expect?
With four billion applications on just one mobile device platform (iPhone) and device purchasing set to outpace both types of desktop computers combined, there can be little doubt that mobile is moving into the mainstream. Given this rapid adoption, my hope is that this book is a discussion of and a foundation for learning how to build mobile applications and sites.
Mobile Device Usage
By the year 2014, consumers will be buying more smartphones than PCs and laptops. Since the launch of the iPhone, more than four billion apps have been downloaded, with an average of 47 apps per user. Android and iPad app stats are also in the millions.
From “Internet Trends,” PowerPoint Presentation at Morgan Stanley’s CM Summit, June 2010 (http://www.morganstanley.com/institutional/techresearch/pdfs/MS_Internet_Trends_060710.pdf).
Mobile applications, apps for short, are stand-alone, dedicated pieces of software or web applications/sites that enhance our phones’ or tablets’ capabilities and access information in elegant, consistent ways, and are the means for creating new services for our mobile patrons. People want apps; they have been trained to expect apps for their mobile devices. Library software development must keep up with the demand. We can gain much in this pursuit. Among the possibilities are: new ways of browsing using location data, real-time, contextual search providing results about where a person is located, voice-initiated browsing and searching, and archiving images and documents from mobile cameras.
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Building Mobile Library Applications
In many ways, our success in reworking traditional library web services into mobile settings will help define the direction of our profession. The rise of the mobile platform can be traced to Apple’s release of the iPhone on June 19, 2007. With the release of the iPhone, consumers now had access to a mobile computer in their pocket. The smartphone template introduced by the iPhone changed what people expected to experience in the mobile setting. It wasn’t just about texting or phone calls anymore; here was a computer with a full web browser and optimized operating system built for computing in mobile settings with limited bandwidth and connections. Portable media browsing, media creation (images and video), full website viewing, and other actions commonly associated with desktop PCs were now a part of the mobile environment. And apps, those little pieces of downloaded software or optimized web applications and sites, became the conduit for services delivered to this new platform. Given the relative newness of the mobile platform, the history of mobile development in libraries is brief, but growing quickly as one might expect. One of the first libraries to enter mobile development was the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL). In early 2009, DCPL built an app for browsing and searching library materials and released it for the iPhone (http://dclibrarylabs.org/archives/476). The DCPL app was a first attempt to translate a traditional library service, the catalog search, into a mobile setting. Three years later, the move to mobilize the catalog remains the most frequent mobile app type coming from libraries. A next step for libraries was to recognize the local context and immediacy of place that could be applied to mobile development. To this end, in early 2010 North Carolina State University (NCSU) Library released WolfWalk, an app based around a historical walking tour with archival photos of the NCSU campus (http://goo.gl/ga4YQ). As the mobile platform has matured, other cultural organizations have begun to experiment with mobile development. The Smithsonian Institution has a complete mobile development arm that is building apps ranging from Leafsnap, a mobile app that uses the device camera to help identify tree and plant species, to Stories from Main Street, a crowdsourcing mobile app that uses device microphones to record local history stories from all over the nation.
MOBILE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT
Not all libraries will have the types of development resources mentioned, but each of us can get started with a basic understanding of
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the benefits and complexities of mobile design and development. First, mobile design and development can be liberating. Whitespace is necessary, and screen space is at a premium. Decisions about what to include in your mobile app or site need to be based on the core actions and utility your users need. This “limitation” of the small surfaces in mobile frees you from the complexity associated with the multiple links and entry points of desktop applications. Second, mobile design and development addresses an emerging need of our library audience: the ability to use library resources and get questions answered when the need arises. Mobile brings the dream of a portable library into reality. Third, mobile design and development can leverage existing skill sets. Many of the apps we build in this book will use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript skills that are already in place for many libraries. This “mobile web-centric” approach to mobile development offers a way forward that can make library resources truly crossplatform. Finally, mobile design and development and its simplicity aesthetic can inform physical library services. By forcing us to take a hard look at what is essential for a service to succeed, mobile can help us revise and reform current library services. Even with these benefits, I’m not looking to trivialize mobile design and development. Creating simple mobile designs can be really difficult. Multiple devices and the growing fragmentation of the mobile market are huge design and development challenges. What works on one platform may not work on another. Additionally, having to choose a mobile platform—Apple (iOS), Android, BlackBerry—to provide library materials or to invest time learning a new software development environment can be cost-prohibitive or even run counter to the library mission of equal access for all. However, there are ways around these potential sticking points, and, whenever possible, I have looked to develop platform-neutral solutions for this book.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS BOOK? WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT?
This book is for anybody looking to get a handle on what mobile means for libraries and related institutions. Readers should also have a keen interest in learning how to make decisions about a mobile strategy and getting their hands dirty with practical, applied mobile projects. At its core, this book is about the implementation of some exemplary mobile projects. These projects range from the simple to the complex, but all projects are written up in a tutorial, step-by-step manner. All you’ll need to follow along with the vast majority of
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Building Mobile Library Applications
examples is a text editor and a web browser (recent versions of Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari). Over the course of this book, we will look at defining types of mobile apps, planning and project management for mobile development, negotiating the social mechanics of your library, marketing your apps and sites in this new and emerging mobile ecosystem, and discussing developing mobile trends. When we are finished, you will have a full sense of how to think broadly about mobile development and design. You will also have multiple working projects and examples of how to create mobile apps and websites for your library. Specific projects include: learning how to develop an iPhone application that features core library services, building a “Where’s My Library” location-aware Android application using Google’s App Inventor, mobilizing your library’s catalog using WorldCat and its associated developer’s tools, and creating a mobile website that can be viewed on smartphones. There is something here for beginners and advanced developers, and the “cookbook” format will allow you to move from the simple to the complex. Let’s get started.
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INDEX
Page numbers followed by the letter “f” indicate figures.
A
Admob, 97 Adobe Dreamweaver, 29, 68 Analytics best practices, 90 defined, 96 Google, 13, 95–98 mobile users, 90 trends, 101 web and, 18, 80, 95–98 See also Metrics; Surveys Android App Inventor, 28, 29, 31f, 92 App Marketplace, 83 basics, 1, 91–92 building an app, 14, 28–31, 31f, 32–33, 94 Market, 32–33, 83, 101 phone prototype, 32 PhoneGap and, 44 platform, 3, 8–9, 14, 39, 96 Where’s My Car? (app), 4, 28, 30–32 App ID, 42–44, 43f App Inventor (Google), 29 App store, 6–10, 38, 68, 44, 83, 95–97, 101 distribution model, 91 API. See Application programming interface (API) Appelquist, Daniel, 99 Apple App Store, 44, 83, 95–96, 101
design options, 2–3, 30, 87–89, 88f, 92–94 interface, user, 90–93 iPad, 1, 92 iPhone, 1–2, 4, 37–40, 87 iPod touch, 37 iTunes, 9, 37, 43–44, 100 registering ID, 42–44, 43f See also iOS (Apple) Application programming interface (API), 44–48, 81 App.net, 31, 80 Apps building, 28–31, 31f, 32–33, 94 defined, 1 history of, 2 iPhone, 1–2, 4, 37–40, 41f, 41–44, 43f, 91–92 marketplace, 4, 32–33, 83, 95–96, 101 options, 93–94 store, 44, 83, 91, 95–96, 101 views, 60f, 94 website building, 23–24, 24f, 25–26, 26f–28f, 27–28 Archiving, 1–2
B
Bango Mobile Analytics, 97 Best practices design options, 2–3, 30, 87–89, 88f, 92–94 development, 89–93
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Conventions, 27, 36, 76, 78, 91, 92–93, 95–96 Crowdsourcing, 2 CSS. See Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) language CSS3, 66, 91, 99–100 Customizing, mobile searches, 58–59 site, 25–27, 16f, 27f, 30–31, 31f, 36 view, 66–68, 60f
Best practices (cont’d.) interface, 87–93 navigation, 87, 89 popovers and alerts, 93 search engine optimization (SEO), 81–85 simplicity of mobile platform, 87, 89 standards, 91–92 See also Marketing Blackberry, 3, 39, 44 Blog marketing, 28, 80–82 mobilizing, 25 social networking, 21, 80–81 software, 38 BookMinder Android App, 9 Brainstorming, 21 Branding, 14, 94
D
Dashboard, 25, 26f Data interface, 46–48, 90–93 Deliverables, 14, 17–18 Design patterns, 93 Desktop files, 61–65 Developer, register as, 38–39 Devices camera and orientation, 10 geolocation application, 44–45, 56–58, 56f mobile, 92–93 Digital wallet, 100 Distribution model, 91 District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL), 2 Drupal, mobile website building, 23–24, 24f, 25–26, 26f, 28f, 27–28
C
C++, 100 Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) language building, 40 catalog and, 45–46 code and, 47 and companion website, 59 customizing, 58–59, 65–68 display interface, 46 files, 61–62 IPhone app, 37 markup and, 70 mobilizing, 3, 6–7, 59–60, 60f optimization, 90–91 overwrite grid, 62–65 performance and, 90–91 PhoneGap and, 44 styles and, 92 trends, 99 Catalog (OPAC). See Library catalog (OPAC), mobile Chart API wizard, 81 Chelmsford (MA) Public Library, 6 CMS. See Content management system (CMS) Code libraries, 9, 46, 48–49, 58, 92 Content management system (CMS), 23, 25
E
Emulator, 29, 32, 40–42, 45, 92
F
Facebook, 80–81, 100 Findability, 81–85, 91, 101 Firefox, 4, 90 Flickr, 88–89, 88f, 90 Florida International University Medical Library, 6 Flurry, 97 Foursquare, 100 Frameworks, 8, 33–35, 37–38, 67–69, 76, 93
G
Geolocation applications, 7–8, 10, 91
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Index
catalog mobilization, 44–45, 45f JavaScript and, 56–58, 56f location-based apps, 99–101 Geotags, 10, 100 Google “App Inventor,” 4, 29 Chrome Web Store, 4, 101 iui framework, 33–37, 33f, 34f, 67 mobile templates, 36 PhoneGap and, 38–39, 44 QR code, 81 Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, 82 Where’s My Car? (App), 4, 28, 30–32 Google AdWords Keyword Tool, 82 Google Analytics, 13, 95–98 Google Android, 8 Google Docs, 11, 12 Google Sitemaps, 85 Google Sites, 36–37 Google Static Maps API, 76–78, 84–85 Google Wallet, 100 GPS, 100–101 Gyrometer, 90
109
where page, 76–78 See also Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) language HTML5, 7, 44, 90–91, 99–100
I
H
Haefele, Chad, 33 HTML about, hours, and ask pages, 74–76 applications, 5–7, 46–49, 84 apps and, 3, 45, 101 files, 34–37, 55 homepage, 70–72 interface, 46–48 landing page, 80, 83 markup, 35–36, 90–91 optimization, 90–91, 101 PhoneGap and, 39–41, 44 platform and, 8, 10, 38, 43, 90, 92 prototype, 18 QR code, 80–81 search page, 72–74 software platforms and, 3 tags, 61, 74, 82, 99 template, 34–37, 92–93 webform, 31
Icons, 30, 41–42, 71–72, 80 ID, app, 42–44, 43f Images, 1–2, 26, 30, 34, 42, 90–91 Implementation. See Project management Interface, user, 90–93 Internet Explorer, 4 iOS (Apple) app, building, 4, 37–40, 41f, 41–44, 43f, 94 App ID, 42–44, 43f Apple iOS SDK, 92 developer, 14, 96 emulator, 40–42 PhoneGap and, 44 platform, 3, 9, 37–38, 41, 44 registering, 42–44, 43f simulator, 41–42 Xcode, 37–41, 41f, 42–44, 43f See also Apple; iPhone iOS SDK (Software Development Kit), 8, 38–39, 43, 90, 92 Iowa City Public Library, 6 iPhone, 1–2, 91–92 apps, 4, 37–40, 41f, 41–44, 43f, 94 best practices and, 87 building an app, 8, 37–40, 40f, 41–44, 41f, 43f and companion website, 37 interface, user, 90–93 User Experience Guidelines, 87 iTunes, 9, 37, 43–44, 100 iui framework, 33–37, 33f, 34f, 67
J
JavaScript apps and, 3 frameworks, 29, 37, 67–69, 76 geolocation application, 44–45, 56–58, 56f interface, 46–47, 90–93 JQuery, 67–70, 73–74, 78, 92
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Location-Aware Services and QR Codes for Libraries (Murphy), 81, 100 Location-based apps, 4, 7–8, 10, 29, 31, 44–45, 77–78, 91, 99–100 JavaScript and, 56–58 Logo, 26, 42, 80, 94
JavaScript (cont’d.) JSLint, 91 mobile, 6–7, 14, 44–45 optimization, 90–91 PhoneGap and, 44 trends, 99–100 jQTouch, 67–68, 92 jQuery, 67–71, 68f, 73–76, 78, 92 building, 37–40, 41f, 41–44, 43f customizing, 78 HTML markup homepage, 70–76 HTML markup where page, 76–80
M
Mac OS X Snow Leopard, 37 Marketing audience, 85–86 benchmarking, 97–98 communicating internally, 93 defining, 11–13 internal, 85–86 print media and, 79–80, 86 public demonstration, 85–86 QR codes and, 81 search engine optimization and, 81–85 social media, 80–81 web and, 80–81 “Making Your Mobile App More Discoverable,” 83 Mashable.com, 83 McGill University Libraries, 7 Metrics analytics, 18, 95–97 Google Analytics, 13, 95–98 measuring options, 95–98 needs assessment, 95–97 PollEverywhere.com, 90 software, 95–97 survey resources, 90, 97–98 SurveyMonkey, 12, 90 tracking code, 98 Micropayments, 100–101 Milestones, 15 MIT Center for Mobile Learning, 29–30, 92 Mobile applications crowdsourcing, 2 native applications, 7–10, 94, 99–100 pros and cons, 5–6 requirements, 9–10, 14 trends, 99–100 types of, 6–10 See also Apps
K
Kaywa QR code, 81
L
Leafsnap, 2 Library catalog (OPAC), mobile access, 2, 44–45f analytics and, 18 and companion website, 59 CSS and, 59, 60f, 61–62, 65–67 customizing, 58–59 geolocation application, 44–45, 56–58, 56f HTML markup homepage, 70–76 HTML markup where page, 76–80 jQuery, 67–70, 68f, 78 linking, 10, 45–46, 48–49 local searches, 57–58 OCLC Library code, 9, 46, 48–49, 58, 92 optimization, 90–91 overwrite grid, 62–65 search template files, 46, 92–93 WorldCat search API, 44–56 Library management, 19–21 Library website. See Mobile website, library “Link Method,” 26 Linking catalog, 10, 45–46, 48–49 mobile, 3, 5–6, 10, 26–30, 42, 69–72, 74, 77 navigation, 93–94 platforms, 3 survey, 12, 21
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Index
Mobile catalog. See Library catalog (OPAC), mobile Mobile design apps, 30 conventions, 27, 36, 76, 78, 91, 92–93, 95–96 development, 89–93 interface, user, 90–93 options, 2–3, 87–89, 88f, 93–94 popovers and alerts, 93 Mobile interface, 90–93 tactical navigation, 87, 90 touch, 7–8, 31, 37, 48, 66, 74, 78, 87–90 Mobile Safari, 4, 91 Mobile site generator, 23–24, 24f, 33–36, 34f “Mobile web-centric,” 3 Mobile website, library about, hours, and ask pages, 74–76 Android and, 28–31, 31f, 32–33 building from scratch, 33–34, 33f–34f, 35–37 and companion website, 28, 33, 37, 44, 59, 67 creating, 23–27, 24f, 26f, 27f, 28f, 36–37 defining audience, 11–13 demo and files, 33 framework, 33–34 homepage, 70–72 iui framework, 33–37, 33f, 34f metrics, 95–98 optimization, 90–91, 101 portable library, 3 pros and cons, 5–6 requirements, 9–10, 14–15 site generator tool, 34–35, 34f static information, 10 support network, 20–21 usage, 1–3 where page, 76–78 Winksite and, 23–27, 24f, 26f, 27f, 28f, 36–37 MS Word, 11 Murphy, Joe, 81, 100 My Projects list, 30, 31f, 32
111
N
Native applications, 5, 7–10, 40–41 apps and, 23, 38, 68, 91, 99–101 building, 10, 93–94 controls, 94 metrics, 95 platform, 37, 68 software development kit (SDK), 8, 38, 43, 90, 92 templates, 92 trends, 99–100 North Carolina State University (NCSU) Library, 2 Notepad, 68
O
Objective C, 100 OCLC Library code, 9, 46, 48–49, 58, 92 Offline storage, 7, 91, 99 OPAC. See Library catalog (OPAC), mobile Open source software, 44 Oregon State University, BeaverTracks, 7
P
Palette, 30 Palm, PhoneGap and, 44 Patrons, 11–13, 20–21, 27–28, 28f PhoneGap, 8, 37–42, 40f, 44, 92 PHP, 45–46, 49, 57–58, 74, 76 Planning and developing, mobile audience, 11–12 goal, 13–14, 17–18 market research, 11–13 project requirements, 9–10, 14–15 reasons for project, 13–14 team, 14–15 timeline, 15, 18 Platforms, mobile Android, 3 defined, 1–2 design, 87–89, 88f, 92–94 development, 2–3 history of, 2 iOS, 3, 9, 37–38, 41, 44 options, 3 software development kit (SDK), 8, 38, 43, 90, 92
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Single frame or window, 93 Site view, 91, 60f, 66–68 Sitemaps, 82, 84–85 Smartphone, 1, 4, 81 apps, 6–7 platform, 59 template, 2, 92 Smithsonian Institution, 2 Social mechanics. See Promotion Social networking, 21, 80–82 Software development kit (SDK), 8, 38, 43, 90, 92 Square, 100 Staff, 19, 20–21, 85–86 Stakeholders, 14, 18–21 Statistics. See Analytics; Metrics; Surveys Stories from Main Street (app), 2 SurveyMonkey, 12, 90 Surveys audience, 12–13, 90 Google Analytics, 13, 95–98 measuring options, 90, 95–98 web statistics, 12–13, 18 See also Analytics; Metrics Symbian, PhoneGap and, 44
PollEverywhere.com, 90 Popovers and alerts, 93 Project management Android app, 28–33 goal, 13–14, 17–18 iPhone app building, 37–44 jQuery, 67–78 Project Planning Templates, 15 See also Library catalog (OPAC), mobile; Planning and developing, mobile Promotion IT department and, 19–20 library administration and, 19 project goals defined, 13–14, 17–18 QR code, 27–28, 28f, 80–81, 85 stakeholders and, 19–21 support network, 20–21 URL, 27–28, 28f See also Marketing Properties, 30–31, 31f Protocol, 84 Prototype, 9, 18, 32
Q
QR code, 27–28, 28f, 80–81, 85, 100
R
Responsive web design, 59, 60f, 61 RSS feed, 23–24, 24f, 25–26, 26f, 28f, 27–28
T
Tablets, 1 Templates, 2, 15, 34–37, 46, 59, 68f, 80, 92–93 Texting, 2 Thumbnails, 42, 89 Timeline, 15, 18 Titanium, 8 Touch environment, 66–69, 74, 78, 87, 89–90 jQTouch, 67–68, 92 Sencha Touch, 8, 37, 92 Trends, mobile, 99–101 Twitter, 80, 100
S
Safari, 4 SDK. See Software development kit (SDK) Search engine optimization (SEO), 81–85 findability, 81–85, 91, 101 key terms, 82–83 optimization, 90–91 Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide (Google), 82 web indexing robots, 82–84 Seattle Public Library, 9 Sencha Touch, 8, 37, 92 SEO. See Search engine optimization (SEO) Server logs, 12–13, 95
U
ugl4eva (app), 9 Undergraduate Library, University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign, 9 University of Minnesota Library, 7 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, 33
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Index
URL mobile, 36, 48, 55, 74, 78 promoting, 27–28, 28f, 80–81, 85–86 sitemaps and, 84 source, 24–25 web browsers, 91 WorldCat Search API and, 49–53 Usability.gov, 15
113
V
Video, 2, 9 Viewer, 30 Visual prototype, 9, 18, 32
W
W3C, 99 W3C Geolocation API, 44–45, 56–57, 56f Web browsers, 2, 4, 67 mobile applications, 6–8, 24, 34, 47, 60f, 66, 70, 91 thumbnails, 89 traditional view, 60f Web indexing robots, 82–84 WebKit Browser Engine, 91 Website, library. See Mobile website, library
Where’s My Car? (Android app), 4, 28, 30–32 Winksite, 23–27, 24f, 27f, 28f dashboard, 25, 26f templates, 36–37 WolfWalk, 2 WorldCat, 4 WorldCat Opensearch XML file, 53–55 WorldCat search API, 44–48 customize, 58–59 geolocation application, 44–45, 56–58, 56f making requests, 49–53 OCLC Library code, 9, 46, 48–49, 58 parse to create results, 53–56 WordPress, 23–28, 24f, 26f, 28f Wroblewski, Luke, 15 WYSIWYG text editors and graphical interfaces, 29, 33
X
Xcode, 37–41, 41f, 42–44, 43f XML, 53–55, 84–85
Y
Yahoo!, 81, 83–84 Yahoo Mobile Sitemaps, 85
www.neal-schuman.com
“
This is the series to acquire and share in any institution over the next year. I think of it as a cost-effective way to attend the equivalent of ten excellent technology management courses led by a dream faculty! TECH SET® #11–20 will help librarians stay relevant, thrive, and survive. It is a must-read for all library leaders and planners. — Stephen Abram, MLS, Vice President, Strategic Relations and Markets, Cengage Learning
”
Building Mobile Library Applications is part of THE TECH SET® VOLUMES 11–20, a series of concise guides edited by Ellyssa Kroski and offering practical instruction from the field’s hottest tech gurus. Each title in the series is a one-stop passport to an emerging technology. If you’re ready to start creating, collaborating, connecting, and communicating through cuttingedge tools and techniques, you’ll want to get primed by all the books in THE TECH SET®. New tech skills for you spell new services for your patrons: • Learn the latest, cutting-edge technologies. • Plan new library services for these popular applications. • Navigate the social mechanics involved with gaining buy-in for these forward-thinking initiatives. • Utilize the social marketing techniques used by info pros. • Assess the benefits of these new technologies to maintain your success. • Follow best practices already established by innovators and libraries using these technologies. Find out more about each topic in THE TECH SET® VOLUMES 11–20 and preview the Tables of Contents online at www.alatechsource.org/techset/. 11. Cloud Computing for Libraries, by Marshall Breeding 12. Building Mobile Library Applications, by Jason A. Clark 13. Location-Aware Services and QR Codes for Libraries, by Joe Murphy 14. Drupal in Libraries, by Kenneth J. Varnum 15. Strategic Planning for Social Media in Libraries, by Sarah K. Steiner 16. Next-Gen Library Redesign, by Michael Lascarides 17. Screencasting for Libraries, by Greg R. Notess 18. User Experience (UX) Design for Libraries, by Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches 19. IM and SMS Reference Services for Libraries, by Amanda Bielskas and Kathleen M. Dreyer 20. Semantic Web Technologies and Social Searching for Librarians, by Robin M. Fay and Michael P. Sauers
Each multimedia title features a book, a companion website, and a podcast to fully cover the topic and then keep you up-to-date.
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