As the deadline for proposals to the 2010 National Diversity in Libraries Conference is fast approaching, I thought it would be appropriate to post examples of intersections between culture and mobile technology.
- A cellular company, Zain Uganda, which allows clients to pay for fuel purchases via their mobile handsets through the ZAP service
- The predictive text programme which predicts Welsh words as you type, launched by the Welsh Language Board at the National Eisteddfod in Swansea
- LG Electronics two mobile handsets that include features specifically created for Muslims, including a Qiblah indicator, Adhan and Salah prayer time alarm functions, Quran software, Hijiri calendar and a Zakat calculator
I believe that in the near future we will begin to see examples such as these been created for libraries and targeted to the specific cultural groups that make up their users. If you are interested in learning more about the intersection between technology and culture I would suggest “Human-Built World: How to Think about Technology and Culture” by Thomas P. Hughes and “Of Bicycles, Bakelites, and Bulbs: Toward a Theory of Sociotechnical Change” by Wiebe E. Bijker.
