By JOAN CLARK
MARVIN K. PETERSON LIBRARY
As ownership of smartphones and tablet computers continues to grow, the UNH Library resources are keeping pace by offering apps and mobile sites to make research even easier and faster, at anytime, and from anyplace. Need to search for an article to use in a research assignment? Some of the databases which the Library subscribes to offer apps which can be downloaded for free to Apple mobile devices, like the iPhone and iPad, as well as to Android-based devices. Other databases offer mobile versions of their sites. These mobile sites are designed, or optimized, to display content on the smaller screen size of mobile devices, like smartphones and tablets. These sites are typically versions of the main website which have been streamlined to increase the usability and download speed on a mobile platform. Mobile sites can be accessed by any device that has a Web browser available to it, including Blackberry and Windows Mobile platforms. Databases from EBSCO, JSTOR, Gale and Emerald all offer apps, mobile sites, or in some cases both, to make it easy and convenient for you to search for articles using your smartphone or tablet.
A tablet computer can be a great device for reading the content of some of the UNH Library e-book collections. Download the AccessMyLibrary College Edition App from the App store or Android market and view an impressive iBooks-like display of the covers of thousands of electronic reference books from the Gale Virtual Reference Library. These specialized reference books can provide excellent background information for your research topic. The CRCnetBASE Mobile App is a great way to access the UNH Library’s collection of Criminal Justice e-books from the FORENSICnetBASE/ Law ENFORCEMENTnetBASE collection and Engineering e-books from the ENGnetBASE collection. Download this free app by pairing your device. This can be done automatically by accessing the UNH wireless network with you mobile device or it can be done manually by obtaining a passcode while you are on the CRCnetBASE site from one of the UNH Library computers.
Many useful Internet websites such as USA.gov, Nature, ChemSpider and WorldCat offer mobile versions of their websites. Like database mobile sites, these versions have a simplified display which makes them easier to navigate and quicker to download on the smaller screen of a smartphone or tablet. More and more websites are offering mobile versions or apps every day. For a detailed description of the many research apps and mobile sites available, visit the Guides page of the UNH Library website and search for the guide called “Mobile Device Resources” or go to http://libguides.newhaven.edu/mobile. If you need more information visit the Information Desk at the Library or call us at 203-932-7189.
