February 2008 Archives

A collaboration between University Libraries and ITS, the Handheld Devices pilot has two goals: to pilot mobile/handheld devices in the Libraries while coming up with a process for piloting new technologies in the Libraries generally. We also wanted to do this taking a coordinated ITS approach, i.e., bringing in expertise and resources from several ITS units.

Here are a couple of our use cases:

1. Roving Reference: Handheld devices allow reference personnel to conduct a reference interview away from their desks to assist a patron locating information resources using the CAT, electronic resources, in addition to delivering resources via email.

2. Learning services are augmented when the instructor can work with and ahead of the student at the student's workstation. It is not always possible to sit at a computer next to the patron and work with/ahead of them. Handheld devices also provide mobility that cannot be gained through the instructor's workstation. Students who might be afraid to ask questions in a classroom setting will have to opportunity to gain meaningful assistance on a one-on-one setting, while still being in the classroom. Access required to CAT, and subject databases.

The project team is:

University Libraries: Mike Wright, Heather Ross, Dan Mack, Loanne Snavely, Gary White, Ellysa Cahoy, Emily Rimland, John Meier, Binky Lush, Dace Freivalds, Andrew Calvin, and Helen Sheey

ITS: Mark Saussure, Derek Morr, Brad Kozlek, Tim Perry, Steve Baylis, Tim Arnold, me.

After following a fairly rigorous process of developing use cases and requirements, and then mapping devices to requirements, we are now testing four devices (the Sony Vaio, Nokia N-180 Tablet, Fujitsu Lifebook and an OQO Model 02) through the end of February/beginning of March. Testing is taking place in several departments and branches - Arts & Humanities, Library Learning Services, Business, Social Sciences, and Physical and Mathematical Sciences (PAMS). As well as testing general criteria like portability or durability, test cases were developed for each use case.

After testing comes evaluation and conclusions about moving from pilot, as well as establishing a formal means of keeping our testing of new devices up to date. We also will follow up with an assessment of the project and processes we followed and see how they worked and how they might be applied to the rollout of new technologies generally.

All of the project documentation is available on our project wiki.

The January 2008 FACAC meeting was hosted by the University Libraries. FACAC is the Faculty Advisory Committee on Academic Computing, a group under the Faculty Senate Committee on Computing and Information Systems.

Here's an overview of UL IT Initiatives that I gave at the meeting.