M‐libraries: Libraries on the Move to Provide Virtual Access

Citation

Herring, J. (2009), "M‐libraries: Libraries on the Move to Provide Virtual Access", Library Review, Vol. 58 No. 7, pp. 542-543. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530910978244

If you thought that a mobile library was an articulated vehicle that brought printed material to rural and suburban areas, then think again. In this book's context, a mobile library is an M‐library which can “deliver information and learning materials on mobile devices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), palm top computers and smart phones” according to one of the book's editors.

Given the (desirable and undesirable) social ubiquity of mobile phones, it is unsurprising that libraries of different kinds have taken up the challenge of providing a range of services which can be accessed via mobile technology.

The book is based on papers from the First International M‐Libraries Conference and although it is not the actual conference proceedings, it has the feel of conference proceedings, given that there are 24 chapters and a total of over 40 authors from a range of countries. As with most books of this kind, it can be used for a range of purposes and this may well depend on the reader's prior knowledge of terminology (e.g. nomadicity, OERs, m‐learning, cell phone informatics), mobile technologies, the networked society and the effects of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on learning.

For the novice, Lorcan Dempsey's foreword is an excellent introduction to “libraries in a world of permanent connectivity”. He manages to cover a wide range of aspects of how mobile technologies can affect the way people, in particular young people, learn both formally and informally.

The book is in four overlapping parts with the first part devoted partly to outlining how libraries of different kinds need to adapt to new technologies and to new forms of online learning. There is also an interesting (for those interested) chapter on knowledge construction and knowledge sharing in a mobile (physically and technologically) society although this chapter is much more specialized than others in this part of the book.

In the second part, there is a much more specific focus and this is mainly on the use of mobile technologies in specific projects in developing countries, although many of the projects could equally be run in “developed” countries. Some of these chapters are over descriptive of the technologies or the projects and could have been more analytical but provide good examples for readers interested in projects of this type as sound ideas are proposed.

In the third section, the emphasis is again on projects and mainly in universities. Areas covered include students on placement, distance learners, resource sharing, metadata and involving university faculty and this section is similar to the previous one in that the reader can be selective. In the final section, there are chapters on cell phones, PDAs and planning for connectivity which are interesting case studies in this area.

One of the disappointments of this book is the final chapter in this section which consists of four pages on information literacy and mobile technologies. This is a rather superficial chapter and looks like an afterthought on the part of the editors. But the concluding chapter brings together a number of themes very well.

Overall, this is a topical, informative and interesting book which can be used by practitioners, academics and students. As with most books of this nature, the quality of writing is variable as is the level of analysis as opposed to description in different chapters. But despite this, the book should be widely read as it contains interesting and relevant material for a wide range of readers.