In the past several years, both public and academic libraries have begun
implementing mobile versions of at least some elements of their web sites including
catalogs. In 2006 a case study was published about the development of the mobile web
site at Ball State University (BSU) Libraries (West et al., 2006). According to the article,
the BSU Libraries' mobile site offers library patrons a catalog and journal search,
videos about the libraries, information about collections, services such as ILL and
course reserves, and quick links to mobile reference web sites. The study found, "(I)
library web sites can be adapted to the limited power, memory, small screen size, and
bandwidth of mobile devices, and (2) small screen mobile devices are acceptable for
showing web services that are easy to read, easy to navigate, and that provide timely
information." The information provided by BSU's research is a timely reminder that
while library sites often contain large amounts of information, librarians can still
effectively communicate their content in a mobile context