Mobile Applications in Librarianship

Abstract

Thanks to the rapid development of technologies for mobile phones and other portable devices (tablets, iPods, etc.), as well as the evolution of mobile applications, what was until recently a dream now it’s a reality. We can now take a virtual tour through libraries and museums and even glance inside their treasure vaults, browse digital editions of old and rare books, examine important historical documents or manuscripts, read scientific articles online, or simply work through pending paperwork from our homes or any other place, at any time of the day or even night. The aim of this paper is to examine different types of applications and their possible use in different library services. The main intention of this paper is to encourage libraries to transform their operations by following modern trends, having in mind that almost every library user today has a mobile phone and actively uses its applications. The first part of the paper is dedicated to different types of mobile applications and their characteristics, while the second part presents several examples of good practices in the use of mobile applications in different types of libraries, both in Serbia and abroad.