Resum

The use of mobile technology in public libraries in Peru : how far down the road are we?

The new technologies are changing the structure of public libraries in Peru. First, libraries introduced computer terminals to help them automate their services, then they began to use the World Wide Web and now they have incorporated a series of mobile devices. Mobile technology has provided Peruvian society with a varied ecosystem of devices to share and disseminate information of all kinds. One of these devices is the smartphone, whose wide range of features has consolidated its presence in people’s lives. This article analyses the contribution that mobile technology is making to library services, identifying the types of application that could be used there and reporting on some of the projects undertaken to incorporate this technology into the Peruvian public library system. The results show that libraries could make greater use of mobile technology than they do, given the general public’s consumption of mobile devices. With this in mind, the article identifies the steps libraries need to take to initiate a technology plan.