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Top1. Introduction
Relying on modern network technology, mobile libraries provide a channel for people to conveniently obtain digital resources whenever and wherever (Wei & Yang, 2017; Hu & Zhang, 2016). As a result, people’s growing demand for mobile reading are met and the social reading and service function of traditional libraries further expands and deepens (Wei & Yang, 2017; Hu & Zhang, 2016). The service and information quality of mobile libraries has recently become a hot topic. The International libraries conference has been held in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2016. The theme of the first conference was “exchange of experiences on utilizing mobile devices to provide service,” that of the fourth conference was “from marginal to mainstream,” that of the fifth conference was “from equipment to person”, and that of the sixth conference was “mobile library: intelligent library.” These themes reflect the continuity of the research and development of mobile libraries (Jin & Bi, 2017). Some scholars believe that user experience is a factor perceived during the interaction among users, services, and system. Moreover, user experience is believed to be integrated into various sectors of the interaction between users and services, and the physical world influences user experience in the virtual world.
Main research achievements primarily include users’ demand for mobile libraries from the perspective of user experience, construction of mobile library platforms (Palmer, 2014), current situation of mobile library construction, and service quality evaluation of mobile libraries. Although some studies have quantitatively evaluated the service and information quality of mobile libraries from the perspectives of user perception and experience, no dedicated research has been conducted on the factors influencing users’ continuous use of mobile libraries.
Mobile libraries were developed late in China. The Shanghai Library app, which launched in 2010, is one of the earliest library apps. Subsequently, other domestic libraries, such as the National Library of China, Capital Library, and Chongqing Library, developed an app available on Android and IOS. At present, 31 libraries out of 35 domestic public libraries at or above the provincial level have launched mobile library app services. In 2011, Fudan University launched a library app in China for the first time. Since then, major universities have taken an active part in the construction and promotion of library apps. Thus far, 39 “985 universities” have launched mobile library apps. These apps effectively improve the service level and bring more and better experiences to readers.
In this paper, related domestic and foreign literature is summarized. Furthermore, current situations regarding the development of mobile libraries and users’ behavioral characteristics and extract factors, including personalized services, information convenience, perceived risk, timeliness, information quality, and information reliability, are considered. A research model for factors influencing users’ continuous use of mobile libraries is then constructed based on the psychological experience of users of mobile libraries, such as perceived usability and service quality. The direction and degree of the impact of various factors on users’ continuous use of the mobile library are also analyzed. The questionnaire survey method and structural equation method are utilized in this study to examine the influencing factors of users’ willingness to continue usage of mobile libraries. The authors of this study aim to provide a guideline that will help China’s public and university libraries understand the behavioral characteristics of users and promote the transformation and upgrade of traditional libraries in the mobile Internet environment.