Contrary to popular opinion, the web is getting smaller every day. Really small. The future of the web is happening on small handheld mobile devices. Soon the majority of web accesses will occur via smartphones or netbooks that are “always on” and always with the user. Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry are the poster children for this kind of device, but there are many others available and many more to come.

Just as we have learned how to use the web browser as a window for library resources and services, so too will we have to learn how to use the smartphone as the primary device for interacting with our users and for presenting the information they want. Accessing the library through the mobile web isn’t simply a matter of shrinking the screen. Effective use of the mobile environment will require us to rethink how we connect with our users.