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Introduction
The student with his or her head buried in a smart phone screen is ubiquitous on college and university campuses. Walking down the street, in elevators, even during classes iPhones, Androids, and other similar devices are the constant companion of this generation of undergraduates. The question of what is being read or otherwise accomplished on these devices, however, has not been adequately addressed. Is this just a reflection of a need for constant companionship, or are these devices being utilized otherwise? The difference in the use of technology for this generation from those that came before it has been well-documented ([22] Oblinger and Oblinger, 2005). Having grown up with the internet, computers, instant messaging, video games and cell phones, the "millenial" generation, as it has become known, has a very different view of information access than their parents and grandparents ([24] Prensky, 2001). Rather than "going to get" needed information, the 18-25 year olds who make up the majority of undergraduate students are accustomed to instant information access. Their expectation is to have their information needs and wants answered immediately, and speed usurps the accuracy of the information retrieved ([22] Oblinger and Oblinger, 2005).
Libraries would like to believe that their services and resources are more accurate and efficient than keyword searching on the internet. But do the searching habits of undergraduates reflect this? If academic libraries wish to remain relevant to their student body, then services must be available when and where students access information. Today that is hand-held, internet-enabled devices commonly referred to as "smart" phones. As opposed to other types of computers, including tablet computers which also use specialized apps, smart phones only require one hand to operate and therefore have an immediacy of use that other minicomputers have yet to attain. Because of this many academic libraries have, or plan to have, applications that will make some of their services available on these devices. But in order to create applications, or apps, that are useful to patrons, their use of the devices must be fully understood. This paper reports on a survey of undergraduate use of smart phone applications for both every day and academic use.
Literature review
There is much current research on the use of mobile devices and...