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Introduction
Mobile applications are nearing a maturation stage as a technology that undergraduates use and rely on for everyday tasks. This near-maturation is underscored compellingly in the sheer number of mobile applications available; consider the datum that total installs of mobile applications (or apps) now number in the billions[1]. Total apps that are available for quick and often free access to information are nearly a million strong[2]. These numbers are indicative of a profound shift since the development of application phones.
This paper reports findings from formative user testing results of a library mobile application and its related functionalities for supporting first-year students as they make the transition to research at the university level. The Text-shot module reported here is designed for integration as a component within the Minrva mobile app (Hahn and Ryckman, 2012a). Text-shot is one of the first Minrva modules to be developed using optical character recognition (OCR). One of the advantages of designing modularly is that component functionalities can be developed independently and dependencies in the program are isolated. This contributes to a more stable and functional mobile application.
Minrva [ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.illinois.ugl.minrva (accessed 13 December 2013)] is designed modularly to protect the app from future obsolescence. By choosing to design modularly the following advantages are gained:
The Minrva app grows in usefulness over time as additional modules are developed and integrated.
Modular design is the best design approach when using student programmer talent; programmers can work on components of the app independently and complete tasks in short time frames.
Modules are portable to other library systems; the Minrva 2.0 release available on the Android Play store offers consortia location select on first load, which then displays the available modules for that campus location.
A catalog of modules developed thus far and those planned for future release is available at the Minrva Project Web site: [ http://minrvaproject.org/catalog.php (accessed 13 December 2013)].
Text-shot is a prototype that will become a Minrva module. The prototype uses OCR software and a backend search system for subject and title recommendations. The subject recommendations are from a near-semantic subject suggestion index (Hahn and Diaz, 2013), which include data derived from Library of Congress Subject Headings. The title suggestions are from the same index. The choice to recommend...