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Mobile users increasingly employ location-based map searches in their daily lives. However, it is still relatively unknown about mobile users’ map related search behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to discover the interactions between the users and mobile map search systems, to reveal the shortcomings of existing mobile map search functions, and to propose improvement suggestions.

Based on a set of controlled user experiments performed on the Baidu mobile phone map, this paper empirically examines users’ location-based mobile search behaviors, such as timing, metering, judging and so on. This paper also conducts statistical correlation tests to generate relation tables and diagrams regarding each variable, for example, the relation between the retrieval time and the retrieval steps.

The results indicate that mobile map users have two important characteristics in their search behaviors: first, mobile map users always follow the single search path. Second, the mobile map search efficiency of users is always low.

The situation simulation testing method is mainly used for the construction of a mobile information search behavior environment, which may make the users be nervous and have some effect on the search efficiency.

Based on the identification of user behaviors, this paper provides suggestions to optimize and improve mobile map search systems.

This paper studies users’ mobile map search behavior based on location and explores the features of user behavior from the perspective of human-computer interaction.

Purpose — To provide a theoretical background to understand current local search engines as an aspect of specialized search, and understand the data sources and used technologies.

Design/methodology/approach — Selected local search engines are examined and compared toward their use of geographic information retrieval (GIR) technologies, data sources, available entity information, processing, and interfaces. An introduction to the field of GIR is given and its use in the selected systems is discussed.

Findings — All selected commercial local search engines utilize GIR technology in varying degrees for information preparation and presentation. It is also starting to be used in regular Web search. However, major differences can be found between the different search engines.

Research limitations/implications — This study is not exhaustive and only uses informal comparisons without definitive ranking. Due to the unavailability of hard data, informed guesses were made based on available public interfaces and literature.

Practical implications — A source of background information for understanding the results of local search engines, their provenance, and their potential.

Originality/value — An overview of GIR technology in the context of commercial search engines integrates research efforts and commercial systems and helps to understand both sides better.

To analyze the direct effect of perceived value dimensions (monetary, convenience, social, emotional, conditional and epistemic value) on attitudinal and behavioral components of loyalty: commitment and behavioral intentions to use location‐based mobile services.

An online survey for users of a mobile location‐based directory service “Where is the nearest?”

The behavioral intentions were most influenced by conditional value; the context, in which the service is used, followed closely by commitment and to some extent monetary value. Commitment can be enhanced through building emotional value and conditional value by focusing on offering fun service experiences in the right context. The influence of social and epistemic value was not significant.

Further research is encouraged on the relative importance of the value dimensions' influence on loyalty in global markets.

The minor influence of monetary value as well as the high influence of conditional value implies that the one‐dimensional value measures are not applicable in a mobile context where decisions are often made spontaneously and based on situational needs. Effective marketing strategies need to take into account the contextual use and emphasize either convenience or emotional value.

The paper introduces new context relevant concepts and develops a multidimensional perceived value and loyalty model. Results give practical implications on how to increase awareness of location‐based services (LBS) in a way that gives a realistic picture of how LBS create value for customers.

Search engines and web applications have evolved to be more tailored toward individual user’s needs, including the individual’s personal preferences and geographic location. By integrating the free Google Maps Application Program Interface with locally stored metadata, the author created an interactive map search for users to locate, and navigate to, destinations on the University of New Mexico (UNM) campus. The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics of UNM map search queries, the options and prioritization of the metadata augmentation, and the usefulness and possible improvement of the interface.

Queries, search date/time, and the number of results found were logged and examined. Queries’ search frequency and characteristics were analyzed and categorized.

From November 1, 2012 to September 15, 2013, the author had a total 14,097 visits to the SearchUNM Maps page (http://search.unm.edu/maps/). There were total 5,868 searches (41 percent of all the page visits), and out of all the search instances, 2,297 of them (39 percent) did not retrieve any results. By analyzing the failed queries, the author was able to develop a strategy to increase successful searches.

Many academic institutions have implemented interactive map searches for users to find locations and navigate on campus. However, to date there is no related research on how users conduct their searches in such a scope. Based on the query analysis, this paper identifies user’s search behavior and discusses the strategies of improving searches results of campus interactive maps.

In this paper, we develop and evaluate an approach to assessing the content quality in a location‐based service (LBS). The proposed approach, instead of assessing the quality in absolute terms such as completeness or accuracy, measures the effect that the imperfection of the content is having on the reliability of that specific LBS. We apply the basic ideas from Software Reliability Engineering (SRE), but develop a modification of SRE, 2‐Branch, in order to separate content quality from other factors, such as positioning imprecision, and to reduce the measurement error. In our experimental study, we first compare 2‐Branch to the standard SRE, after which we experimentally analyze some properties of SRE methodology as such in the context of an LBS. The experiments indicate that 2‐Branch has in most cases a lower measurement error than the standard SRE. A corollary to that is that 2‐Branch can achieve, therefore, as low an error level as the standard SRE, using a worse and thus cheaper oracle. Getting a good oracle is probably the main cost factor in evaluating the quality of an information service, thus being able to use a cheaper one may result in significant savings.

The paper aims to resolve three major issues in location-based applications (LBA) known as heterogeneity, user privacy, and context-awareness by proposing an elastic and open design platform named OpenLS privacy-aware middleware (OPM) for LBA.

The paper analyzes relevant approaches ranging from both academia and mobile industry community and insists the importance of heterogeneity, user privacy, and context-awareness towards the development of LBA.

The paper proposes the OPM by design. As a result, the OPM consists of two main component named application middleware and location middleware, which are cooperatively functioned to achieve the above goals. In addition, the paper has given the implementation of the OPM as well as its experiments. It is noted that two privacy-preserving techniques at two different levels are integrated into the OPM, including Memorizing algorithm at the application level and Bob-tree at the database level. Last but not least, the paper shows further discussion about other problems and improvements that might be needed for the OPM.

Each issue has its sub problems that cause more influences to the OPM. Besides, each of the issues requires more investigations in depth in order to have better solutions in detail. Therefore, more overall experiments should be conducted to assure the OPM's scalability and effectiveness.

The paper hopefully promotes and speeds up the development of LBA when providing the OPM with suitable application programming interfaces and conforming the OpenLS standard.

This paper shows its originality towards location-based service (LBS) providers to develop their applications and proposes the OPM as a unified solution dealing with heterogeneity, user privacy, and context-awareness in the world of LBS.

This paper describes an ongoing mobile library project for the National Library of Norway. The purpose is to develop a visual web service prototype providing mobile access to the library's growing repository of digital data.

The author has set up several test databases and developed a number of Android applications (apps) for testing purposes: image presentation; library's digital exhibition “in the pocket”; traditional free text search; location based search; barcode scan for ISBN search / QR encapsulation; and voice/spoken search.

These six approaches were found to be promising using mobile technology. Cloud technology has changed the mobile phone from a voice transmitter to a multi-purpose device connected to the network. Library resources may now be distributed in the cloud, with global mobile access, to really achieve a global library network.

The applications developed here are innovative and unique, and will add to the general body of use cases.

The motivation for this research is the emergence of mobile information systems where information is disseminated to mobile individuals via handheld devices. A key distinction between mobile and desktop computing is the significance of the relationship between the spatial location of an individual and the spatial location associated with information accessed by that individual. Given a set of spatially referenced documents retrieved from a mobile information system, this set can be presented using alternative interfaces of which two presently dominate: textual lists and graphical two‐dimensional maps. The purpose of this paper is to explore how mixed reality interfaces can be used for the presentation of information on mobile devices.

A review of relevant literature is followed by a proposed classification of four alternative interfaces. Each interface is the result of a rapid prototyping approach to software development. Some brief evaluation is described, based upon thinking aloud and cognitive walk‐through techniques with expert users.

The most suitable interface for mobile information systems is likely to be user‐ and task‐dependent; however, mixed reality interfaces offer promise in allowing mobile users to make associations between spatially referenced information and the physical world.

Evaluation of these interfaces is limited to a small number of expert evaluators, and does not include a full‐scale evaluation with a large number of end users.

The application of mixed reality interfaces to the task of displaying spatially referenced information for mobile individuals.

This article aims to review the technological and socio‐economic conditions which will influence the development of the mobile search market.

An expert workshop with academics, industry representatives and market analysts was organised to discuss and analyse the results of an online survey of techno‐economic and socio‐economic aspects concerning the evolution of mobile search.

Despite clear positive signs, forecasted great expectations around mobile search are not yet supported by economic market evidence. Substantial development work for creating new applications ripe for the mass market is still needed, although there seems to be no fundamental technological barrier to that. Location‐based services, augmented reality, real‐time information search, and social network search and recommendations, have been identified as some of the key trends that may shape the future of mobile search. User demand for innovative mobile search‐based applications is largely taken for granted, but experts lack a clear view on suitable business models that would allow for sustainable economic development.

Innovating is not only inventing. Understanding what drives customers' willingness to use – and to pay for – a product or service is essential in order to design appropriate services and introduce these innovations to the market. There is a growing literature on mobile search‐related technology, but the market context is largely unexplored.

This paper aims to present recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering all library types.

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2018.

The paper provides a brief description of all 422 sources, and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

The information may be used by librarians and anyone interested as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.