The library on the phone assessing the impact of m phone access at UNISA library

The library on the phone: assessing the impact of mphone access at UNISA library Buhle Mbambo-Thata, DPHIL Executive Director UNISA Library Services Pretoria South Africa 12/05/16 Presentation outline • • • • • • Context of UNISA W hy A irpac? Implementation process Findings Emerging issues Conclusion 12/05/16 Context of UNISA • Single National ODL Institution • Social Mandate • ODL mandate • 280 000 students • Student profile (… ) 12/05/16 Student profile • A ge Data 2008 – – – – 12/05/16 < 25 Headcounts 79 429 - 30.24% 25-30 Headcounts 67 10 - 25.74% > 30 Headcounts 115 641 - 44.02% Total Headcounts 262 680 Why Airpac • Product from LIS provider III • Back up guaranteed • Sure that product will continue developing 12/05/16 Implementation process: Project leader 12/05/16 Implementation process • Culture of consultation • Established as a project – – – – – Project leader Project goals and benefits Project phases Constraints Outcomes • Marketing 12/05/16 Implementation process(continued) • Marketing – Marketing plan • Page markers • posters – College presentations • Launch • Future marketing… … 12/05/16 Implementation Process… Marketing 12/05/16 Implementation process: Marketing 12/05/16 Research • W hat did we want to find out? – What was the impact of implementation on services? – Was m-services having an impact on our service structures and formats? – Should we be changing any thing yet- resource allocation, operational models, etc? – Was it improving our efficiency? • 12/05/16 Research… • How did we want to find out? – Conducted web-based survey limited to staff – Analysis focused on qualitative open ended responses as numbers were not critical to the outcome 12/05/16 Research… • W hy did we want to find out? – Remain relevant to mandate – Management information for planning – Contribute to knowledge on m-learning devices as an emerging area of scholarship 12/05/16 Findings 12/05/16 Did AirPAC have an impact on your services? • have had to develop training materials (A video will also be made available to all students to promote A irPA C) • have had to provide intensive marketing to inform students about product • although origin of request was not indicated, the number of requests increased significantly since training was provided to researchers • now able to send notifications like, recall a book etc • delighted to know that we are “accessible to 24/7”… … 12/05/16 What you anticipate will be the impact of AirPAC on your services? • clients to use A irPA C as an alternative to post and fax book requests(efficiency) • currently most requests are posted/faxed by clients which is not only time consuming for the client but also costly(efficiency) • Clients to request or renew books and to view their loan records without calling (efficiency) 12/05/16 Anticipated impact on service… (continued) • clients will become self sufficient thus freeing time for librarians to investigate/explore other emerging technologies (job content and enrichment) • Clients will download e-journal articles(, e-books etc on their mobile phones (resource allocation) 12/05/16 Anticipated impact on service… (continued) • have to offer training in the use of A irPA C and be able to answer questions regarding A irPA C (more work-resource allocation) • help reduce simple queries from clients once used (efficiency) 12/05/16 AirPAC as a tool for information access in all ODL environment • access made easy• reducing transactional distance between learner and UNISA • usability –tool can perform many functions • affordability- can all students afford tools that are internet enabled or is it excluding others? 12/05/16 Emerging issues • ease of access to the library catalogue and databases • need for more marketing and training • develop other services for m-devices • develop tools for assessing impact • improve efficiency at request services 12/05/16 Conclusion • critical base line data • need for service monitoring to respond to service redesign and resources allocation as it becomes necessary • monitor trends to see if initial service impact and anticipated services converge • remains another tool for reaching mobile students 12/05/16 • Thank you for your attention! • Questions welcome • Contact: Buhle Mbambo-Thata » mbambtb@unisa.ac.za 12/05/16 [...]... hat did we want to find out? – What was the impact of implementation on services? – Was m- services having an impact on our service structures and formats? – Should we be changing any thing yet- resource allocation, operational models, etc? – Was it improving our efficiency? • 12/05/16 Research… • How did we want to find out? – Conducted web-based survey limited to staff – Analysis focused on qualitative... Emerging issues • ease of access to the library catalogue and databases • need for more marketing and training • develop other services for m- devices • develop tools for assessing impact • improve efficiency at request services 12/05/16 Conclusion • critical base line data • need for service monitoring to respond to service redesign and resources allocation as it becomes necessary • monitor trends to see... will become self sufficient thus freeing time for librarians to investigate/explore other emerging technologies (job content and enrichment) • Clients will download e-journal articles(, e-books etc on their mobile phones (resource allocation) 12/05/16 Anticipated impact on service… (continued) • have to offer training in the use of A irPA C and be able to answer questions regarding A irPA C (more work-resource... ended responses as numbers were not critical to the outcome 12/05/16 Research… • W hy did we want to find out? – Remain relevant to mandate – Management information for planning – Contribute to knowledge on m- learning devices as an emerging area of scholarship 12/05/16 Findings 12/05/16 Did AirPAC have an impact on your services? • have had to develop training materials (A video will also be made available... allocation) • help reduce simple queries from clients once used (efficiency) 12/05/16 AirPAC as a tool for information access in all ODL environment • access made easy• reducing transactional distance between learner and UNISA • usability –tool can perform many functions • affordability- can all students afford tools that are internet enabled or is it excluding others? 12/05/16 Emerging issues • ease of. .. to promote A irPA C) • have had to provide intensive marketing to inform students about product • although origin of request was not indicated, the number of requests increased significantly since training was provided to researchers • now able to send notifications like, recall a book etc • delighted to know that we are “accessible to 24/7”… … 12/05/16 What do you anticipate will be the impact of AirPAC... service redesign and resources allocation as it becomes necessary • monitor trends to see if initial service impact and anticipated services converge • remains another tool for reaching mobile students 12/05/16 • Thank you for your attention! • Questions welcome • Contact: Buhle Mbambo-Thata » mbambtb @unisa. ac.za 12/05/16 ... impact of AirPAC on your services? • clients to use A irPA C as an alternative to post and fax book requests(efficiency) • currently most requests are posted/faxed by clients which is not only time consuming for the client but also costly(efficiency) • Clients to request or renew books and to view their loan records without calling (efficiency) 12/05/16 Anticipated impact on service… (continued) • clients ... 12/05/16 Implementation Process… Marketing 12/05/16 Implementation process: Marketing 12/05/16 Research • W hat did we want to find out? – What was the impact of implementation on services? – Was m- services...Presentation outline • • • • • • Context of UNISA W hy A irpac? Implementation process Findings Emerging issues Conclusion 12/05/16 Context of UNISA • Single National ODL Institution • Social Mandate... service impact and anticipated services converge • remains another tool for reaching mobile students 12/05/16 • Thank you for your attention! • Questions welcome • Contact: Buhle Mbambo-Thata » mbambtb @unisa. ac.za