The move to mobile is empowering for all types of users, from toddlers to the elderly. It’s also great for people with various types of disabilities — which could be anyone at different times in their lives.
Photos by “cogdog” and “flickingerbrad” on Flickr.
This is why I believe that it’s a great time for librarians to build “app-literacy.” We can become app experts for our communities by doing the following:
- creating guides (online and print) to the best apps
- recommending specific apps to our communities
- holding workshops about app use and how to create apps
- writing informed reviews of mobile apps (in the app stores, blogs, journals, and on our own websites).
There are many apps for content creation and curation, as well as for information consumption. As libraries begin to prioritize services that facilitate creation for our users, this is a great time to offer workshops and recommend apps to help with that!
Recommended reading
- All Technology is Assistive Technology
- Digital Outcasts: Moving Technology Forward Without Leaving People Behind
- iOS Access for All
p.s. If you liked this post, you might enjoy my newsletter: Mobile Apps News. It’s an easy way to stay current with the world of mobile apps for education.