"Engagingly offbeat . . . the van becomes as much of a vehicle of fantasy as the Little Prince's biplane or James's giant peach. . . genuinely compelling." Guardian Twelve-year-old Bobby Nusku is an archivist of his mother. He catalogues traces of her life and waits for her to return home. Bobby thinks that he's been left to face the world alone until he meets lonely single mother Val and her daughter Rosa. They spend a magical summer together, discovering the books in the mobile library where Val works as a cleaner. But as the summer draws to a close, Bobby finds himself in trouble and Val is in danger of losing her job. There's only one thing to do -- and so they take to the road in the mobile library... Quirky, dark, magical and full of heart, Mobile Library is both a tragicomic road trip and a celebration of the adventures that books can take us on. It's a love-letter to unlikely families and the stories that shaped us. PRAISE FOR DAVID WHITEHOUSE "Powerful, eccentric . . . Whitehouse's writing is energetic and pacey, spiked with startling moments of tenderness and superbly controlled. Don't wait for the inevitable film." The Times "Whitehouse cleverly illustrates the way in which lives and books intertwine." Daily Mail

Just as Andrew Carnegie’s support changed the landscape of public libraries in America, Apple’s launch of the iPhone on June 29, 2007 forever altered how people expected to interact with services. Libraries, like every other kind of organization, must now make their services—not just their catalogs—available on an array of mobile devices. Mobile Library Servicesprovides 11 proven ways to reach out to mobile users and increase your library’s relevance to their day-to-day lives. Librarians detail how they created mobile apps to how they went mobile on a shoestring budget. Written by public, academic, and special librarians, these 11 best practices offer models for libraries of every type and size.

A complete guide to the process of planning, developing, and launching mobile library applications.

How are libraries meeting the evolving needs of mobile users? According to comScore, the smartphone is in the “late majority stage of technology adoption curve.” And people don’t turn to their devices only for quick facts when on the move: 93 percent of mobile users access the Internet from home on their devices; what’s more, Pew reports that 63 percent of Americans age 16 and over would use app-based access to library materials and programs if they were available. In this issue of Library Technology Reports, Kim shows how leading libraries are meeting these evolving needs. Topics include: 6 steps to improving your mobile website Analysis of the advantages and challenges of the responsive Web Comparison of user perceptions of web apps and native apps Visual review of the changes in the libraries mobile web implementation since 2010 Results of MIT surveys of more than 15,000 patrons in 2008 and 2011 Tips for simplifying mobile’s complexity

A Right to Read is the first book to examine public library segregation from its origins in the late 19th century through its end during the tumultuous years of the 1960s civil rights movement. Graham focuses on Alabama, where African Americans, denied access to white libraries, worked to establish and maintain their own "Negro branches." These libraries - separate but never equal - were always underfunded and inadequately prepared to meet the needs of their constituencies."--BOOK JACKET.

Interest in m-library services has grown exponentially in the last five years, as libraries are recognizing the potential of ubiquitous and increasingly sophisticated mobile devices. Building on the highly regarded M-Libraries: libraries on the move to provide virtual access, this new book brings together research and case studies from all corners of the globe on the development and delivery of library services and content to mobile devices. Based on the proceedings of the Second International M-Libraries Conference held in Vancouver, this new collection of contributions from authorities in the field serves to demonstrate the ingenuity and creativity of developers and service providers in this area, ranging from the innovative application of basic mobile phone technology to provide information services in remote parts of the globe lacking internet access, to the development of new tools and technologies which harness the full functionality of popular mobile phones. Key topics include: enhancing library access through the use of mobile technology the university library digital reading room mobile access for workplace and language training the role of an agent supplying content on mobile devices cyberlearning and reference services via mobile devices podcasting as an outreach tool service models for information therapy services delivered to mobiles bibliographic ontology and e-books health literacy and healthy action in the connected age a collaborative approach to support flexible, blended and technology-enhanced learning The collection demonstrates the emergence of an evidence base for m-libraries, with a number of contributions presenting the results of user surveys and studies of user behaviour. Readership: This highly topical book should be read by information professionals in all sectors, and by policy makers, researchers, developers, publishers and suppliers. It will also be of great interest to library and information studies students and newcomers to the profession.