1. Library staff
usage of surf
tablets
Partners:
Pieta Eklund, LLR, University of Borås
Jan Christer Magnusson, Chalmers University Library
Elin Nord, City Library of Göteborg

2. Today’s presentation
• Background and intention
• Workflow
• Evaluation
• Preliminary results

3. Background
• A project financed by the Royal Library
of Sweden
• Report in spring 2013
• Three participating Libraries:
o Chalmers library(Göteborg)
o Library & Learning Resources(LLR, Borås)
o City Library of Göteborg

4. Ongoing project
• Real-life situation Autumn 2012
• No finished results

5. Dual purpose
LLR (Borås) and the Chalmers library
City Library of investigates how
Göteborg to add value to
investigates the the information
use of surf tablets literacy program
as information
work tools

6. Workflow
• First inaugurating meeting
• Two start up meetings with the participating
libraries
• We have discussed the best way to use the
surf tablets
• Both iOS and Android tablets have been
used; iPad, Samsung Galaxy and Acer A500
• Problems:
o Can’t reach the circulation module
o Writing on the tablet
o Web pages and services not adapted for tablets

7. Workflow: LLR
• Pilot testing in May 2012
o 6 librarians
o One hour, two times a week
o Take a note of our experiences afterwards
• Aim:
o Which questions would be raised
o Knowledge on pros and cons.
• How to give help (treatment and closing contact)
• Gathering user evaluation
o Which time of day optimal for survey

8. Workflow: LLR
• We decided to brand ourselves
o T-shirts in visible colours
o Library introduction at the start of Autumn semester
o Library blog &
News flash at the Library Homepage
(http://bibblogg.wordpress.com/2012/08/24/surfande-bibliotekarier/)
o Facebook

9. Workflow: Chalmers
library
• One meeting to decide on how to use
the tablets in educational surroundings
• Seemingly useful in information literacy
courses – or is it really?

10. Workflow: City library of
Göteborg
• Using the surf tablets in:
o Two of the niche library
o City library 300m2
o City Library Miini
o Linnestaden library
o Majorna library
• As mobile information desk

11. Evaluation
• To be able to evaluate the project we
have:
o Constructed a user survey
o Librarians have answered a survey
o Librarian connected to instituions has collected
experiences and views

12. Questions
• User
o Institution affiliation – if existing
o Was the user supported by the meeting or not
o How do users look at surfing librarians

13. Questions
• Librarian:
o Where did the meeting take place?
o What kind of questions did the user ask?
• Technical questions, simpler information literacy
questions, research questions
• Was the surf tablet used?
…and it was possible to add more
comments

14. Evaluation: LLR
• LLR has had:
o 37 surf hours since start of semester by 5 librarians
o 31 answers from students
o 51 answers from librarians
o 16 answers on localities and technical questions
o 32 questions on how to find a book
o 3 research questions
o 26 times has the librarian initiated the meeting
o 24 have the users initiated the meeting
o 7 times has the surf tablet been used
• Everybody have been pleased with meeting at the
existing locality

15. User comments
• ”It is good because us pupils don’t have to run
three floors down to get help and be forced to
leave our laptops or renew the search ”
• ”Smart to have at multiple places”
• ”Great to have access to competent librarians in
place!”
• ”Great that you came”
• ”Jolly good. Was thinking that it would be great if
someone was upstairs to help me. Hope you’ll be
here next time.”

16. Evaluation: Chalmers
• Chalmers has had:
o 101 education opportunities by 7 librarians
o 61 times the surf tablet was used – 60% of the time
o The reference guide, home page and Chalmers app
o Disabilities – Audio Note and Dragon dictate
o Easy to use but too long time to find material
o Important not to forget the surf tablet
o Smartphone – easy to use by one teacher (the rest don’t
know)
o Focus on mobile units instead of tablets
• Better pedagogy to show the students at their work
stations and let them type

17. Work places

18. Evaluation: City Library
of Göteborg
• Obstacles in the way:
o Afraid that the surf tablet will be stolen if you happen to
leave it someplace
o Feeling limited by holding it in my hand
o Testing a shoulder bag

19. Preliminary results
• Users love to be contacted where they are sitting
• The surf tablet is not necessary in educational work
• The surf tablet is not optimal in information literacy
o Better pedagogy and quicker to point at the screen of the work station
where the student sits than to use the tablet
o It may be better to use the surf tablet as an ”old fashioned” extra
information desk than as an educational assistant
• Extra educational help - does not make use of the full
potential of the surf tablet
• Specially designed educational apps would maybe be of
help
• Needs rethinking of the concept mobile learning
• We need to redefine ”classroom” and ”learning
environment”

20. Surf tablet – static unit
Infinite number of pages

21. Future mobile learning?

22. That’s how we use it at the
office (Touchtech)
• We have downloaded Dropbox and shared it
between us. The interactive table via
Touchtech files has access to the shared
dropbox folders
• As soon as anyone finds something
interesting, that person can save it in the
Dropbox folder whether he/she is in front of a
computer or a smartphone/surf tablet.
Later, when we all gather around the table it’s
automatically synced – extrememly useful