Mobile Application Development Lab and University of Toronto Libraries: Advancing Innovation through Synergistic Collaboration

Abstract

This column provides a case study of the University of Toronto’s (UOT) Gerstein Science Information Center’s Mobile Application Development Lab (MADLab). It examines the strategic positioning and services provided by MADLab within one of Canada’s major academic libraries for science and health sciences, and shares author’s own experiences in this research domain. The facility’s emphasis on developing mobile apps, its partnership with UOT libraries to support their operations, and its potential commitment to establishing an experimental culture to drive technology adoptions, such as AI, are highlighted in the column. It also examines the cooperative partnership between MADLab and UOT libraries, illustrative of a mutually beneficial partnership that fosters entrepreneurship and creativity within the UOT community. As AI and technology continually evolve, the MADLab case study offers valuable insights into the transformative power of strategic positioning, experiential learning, and collaborative partnerships in the pursuit of knowledge dissemination and cutting-edge technological advancements in the time to come.