oa Engaging the skill set of the Millennials: Librarians, content and technology in the mobile age

The Millennial Generation student consumes and interacts with information in a multiplicity of ways, at any time, in any location. Where Generation X took computer skills from study to employment, Millennials have grown up with an array of devices - from games consoles to computers to smartphones to e-readers to tablets. They read, message, watch video, chat, blog, photograph and tweet, interrogating and assimilating data across diverse formats. The speed and flow of information alters expectations and provides opportunities to research, share and learn faster and more effectively. This paper reviews library science and educational literature on the Millennials in the last ten years. It outlines how Millennials have been characterized and how academic libraries have responded to their needs, with special reference to mobile services. It provides examples of the functionality and services that currently typify university library apps and mobile-optimized sites in the UK and USA. The generational lens, it concludes, provides a useful perspective on key developments in academic libraries in recent times.