Is it time for your library to develop a fully mobile web site? The answer:
unequivocally yes. But, where do you begin? The Oregon State University Libraries
began in December 2008 by appointing a three-member team (the authors of this
article) to investigate mobile library trends. We started the process by writing a
proposal intended to gain widespread support from our libraries' administration,
faculty, and staff. The proposal included timely information about mobile technologies,
mobile device trends, and mobile technology users. The proposal was accepted, the
project was implemented in stages, and the OSU Libraries' mobile web site is up and
running (http://m.library.oregonstate.edu). This article includes all the information
needed to begin the proposal process, including up-to-date information about mobile
devices and their adoption; research and data about young adults and mobile devices; a
review of library mobile catalog options including those provided by Innovative
Interfaces, Inc (III) and OCLC; future directions for mobile libraries; and insights from
current library leaders and innovators about the importance of incorporating the
38,2 libraries' resources into the mobile environment.