Selecting and Evaluating the Best Mobile Apps for Library Services

Mobile apps and the shift of students from consumers to creators were highlighted as key trends by the 2014 NMC Horizon Reports; meanwhile, technology research firm Gartner predicts that by 2017 some 268 billion apps will have been downloaded. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, but this issue of Library Technology Reports is here to help, with succinct guidance for incorporating apps into digital literacy training and other library services. No longer just for media consumption, mobile apps are proving to be excellent tools for content creation. To assist libraries in taking full advantage of their possibilities, Hennig includes: An overview of app literacy examining mobile operating systems, mobile ecosystems, core apps, natural user interfaces, device capabilities, accessibility, and jail breaking A detailed app evaluation checklist that supplements traditional review criteria for print resources Recommendations for core apps organized around common activities Go-to review sources to keep up with the newest apps Summaries of 19 iOS features that support accessibility Ideas for library instruction and event-programming with apps