The Intention to Use Mobile Digital Library Technology: A Focus Group Study in the United Arab Emirates

Mobile Library Technology

Although libraries today provide many digital resources such as e-books, databases and online catalogues, their resources are not always the first search choice for students (Buzynski, 2007). This might be related to the outdated image that students hold about libraries, an image that does not fit with the needs of the new generation of students who prefer receiving information quickly, and who rely heavily on technology to access information (Albrecht and Pirani, 2009; Prensky, 2001). Students increasingly rely on smartphones to access online services; these have the benefit that they are always connected, unlike desktops or laptops that usually require a person to be in a certain place in order to have Internet access (Choy, 2011). This suggests that students may be more willing to engage with library services if they are provided through mobile library applications; such applications could also help improve a library’s image by providing a better match with the technologies that younger people are naturally adopting.