Staff and volunteers at Central Connecticut State University's Burritt Library responded to the surging demand for a Library website readable on many mobile devices. An intern and a core group of individuals with common understanding of the goals and needs undertook the development process, starting with the recognition that a library's mobile site should and could not replicate the full content of the existing website. They focused on basic library information, library catalog search, and an instant messaging link to the reference desk. Developers adopted packaged mobile frameworks to first create a simple static mobile site and subsequently took the further step to develop a dynamic library app, distributable through an app market. The app design supported expanded features and functionality, including an interactive library map and QR code scanner. The Burritt Library experience illustrates important lessons about the process and that, with determination and a modicum of skills, developing a mobile website and app is achievable and timely.

Abstract-In order to stay relevant to the needs of the modern users, libraries need to make their catalogs and other services easily accessible on mobile devices. Libraries face a number of unique challenges in this process related to 'mobilizing' catalog access, integration third-party information systems, and operating with very limited resources. This paper describes an effort to create a mobile application for an academic library, which includes identifying library services relevant to mobile users, minimizing development costs by utilizing a number of open-source components, and evaluating the usability of the resulting application.