Apps for academic success: Developing digital literacy and awareness to increase usage

Abstract

As a consequence of the high adoption levels of mobile technology, users are increasingly accessing academic library-subscribed content via vendor-supplied mobile applications (apps) or responsive websites. However, users may be unaware of the existence of some standalone apps and might miss benefitting from available apps at their most significant point of need. This paper outlines the McGill Library’s multifaceted approach to promotion and outreach to increase awareness and usage of mobile apps in an effort to provide additional access points for the library’s e-resources. A variety of online and traditional promotional methods were employed, such as faculty news e-bulletins, an app web-guide, images on the Library home page slideshow, and in-person demonstrations, to advertise two of the Library’s subscribed apps, PressReader and BrowZine. Complementing this approach, four different workshops were offered at different times during an academic year targeted to specific audiences: faculty, university communications and library staff, and students. The authors describe the content and results of these initiatives showing how specific promotional strategies appear to have a greater impact on usage. They conclude with thoughts on how current behaviours in mobile usage might begin to affect the future direction of mobile access to library-subscribed e-resources.