Internet of Things – potential for libraries
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-10-2015-0100 |
| Published date | 20 June 2016 |
| Pages | 404-420 |
| Date | 20 June 2016 |
| Author | Magdalena Wójcik |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology |
Internet of Things –potential
for libraries
Magdalena Wójcik
Institute of Library and Information Science,
Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to subject the potential of Internet of Things (IoT) technology
for libraries in terms of the possible scope and usage forms of this technology in public and academic
library services.
Design/methodology/approach –Based on analysis of the subject literature, the main areas of IoT
applications in commercial institutions were identified, then an analysis of Library and Information
Science English-language literature from the years 2010 to 2015 was conducted in order to create a
profile of modern library services. The range of activities of commercial and non-commercial
institutions were compared to ascertain if areas in which commercial entities using or planning to use
IoT could also be an inspiration for libraries. In this way, a theoretical model of IoT use in library
activities was developed.
Findings –The research showed that IoT technology might have the potential to be used in library
services and other activities, similar to how it is implemented in the commercial sector.
Research limitations/implications –The aim of the paper is to determine the possible, not the
actual, scope and forms of using this technology in public and academic libraries’services.
Practical implications –The results can be widely used in libraries as an inspiration for the use of
IoT technology in modern library services.
Social implications –The use of new technologies in libraries can help to improve the image of
these institutions in the eyes of users, especially the younger generation.
Originality/value –The use of IoT in libraries is a new issue that has not been studied much yet.
The issue of using the potential of this technology for the needs of libraries has, in recent years, been
raised at international conferences, become a subject of interest to librarian associations, and been
widely discussed in the blogosphere, thus proving that this topic is important to practitioners. It is
difficult, however, to find any scientific, comprehensive studies of this topic.
Keywords Academic libraries, Library services, Public libraries, Internet of Things,
Information technologies, Services
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
The development of information and communication technologies is currently rapid,
and the consequences of this phenomenon have an impact on libraries (Pellen and
Miller, 2012; Aharony, 2014; Boateng and Liu, 2014). After a period of intensive
computerization of libraries (Kilgour, 2013), the beginning of the twenty-first century
has been a time of great interest in social media issues (Anttiroiko and Savolainen,
2011; Buigues-García and Giménez-Chornet, 2012; Charnigo and Barnett-Ellis, 2013)
and mobile technologies (Nowlan, 2013; Ong et al., 2014), but new challenges are
constantly being faced by libraries. New technologies such as augmented reality,
wearable computing and 3D printing are slowly becoming relevant to library services,
forcing continuous development and the need to tailor libraries’offerings to changing
conditions and evolving customer habits (Prince, 2014; Wójcik, 2015). One of the most
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 34 No. 2, 2016
pp. 404-420
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/LHT-10-2015-0100
Received 15 October 2015
Revised 14 January 2016
15 February 2016
Accepted 4 March 2016
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
The author would like to thank Mike Timberlake for proof-reading.
404
LHT
34,2
interesting concepts of recent years, which could potentially be a big challenge for
libraries, is the Internet of Things (IoT).
The issue of using the potential of this technology for the needs of libraries has, in
recent years, been raised at international conferences (Obodovski, 2014), become a
subject of interest to librarian associations (ALA, 2015; OCLC, 2015), and been widely
discussed in the blogosphere (Mylee, 2011; Potter, 2014), thus proving that this topic is
important to practitioners. It is difficult, however, to find any scientific, comprehensive
studies of this topic, which is why author decided to address this issue in the hope that
this paper will contribute to wider discussion.
The subject of this paper is the potential of IoT technology for libraries. The aim is
to determine the possible scope and forms of the use this technology in public and
academic library services. The specific objectives include:
•define the form of modern library services;
•determine the potential of the IoT for the improvement of library services;
•describe examples of IoT applications in libraries; and
•formulate prospects for the use of the IoT in libraries.
Description of IoT
IoT is a concept that has been described extensively since the late 1990s. Many definitions
emphasize the different aspects of this issue. According to L. Atzori, A. Iera and
G. Morabito it can be described as a “novel paradigm that is rapidly gaining ground in the
scenario of modern wireless telecommunications”(Atzori et al., 2010). These authors
explained that “the basic idea of this concept is the pervasive presence around us of a
variety of things or objects such as Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, sensors,
actuators, mobile phones, etc. which, through unique addressing schemes, are able to
interact with each other and cooperate with their neighbors to reach common goals”(Atzori
et al., 2010). According to another similar definition: “IoT refers to the networked
interconnection of everyday objects, which are often equipped with ubiquitous intelligence”
(Xia et al., 2012). The IoT is also considered to be a part of the so-called Future Internet,
defined as a “dynamic global network infrastructure with self-configuring capabilities
based on standard and interoperable communication protocols where physical and virtual
‘things’have identities, physical attributes, virtual personalities, use intelligent interfaces,
and are seamlessly integrated into the information network”(Vermesan et al., 2011).
In summary, it appears that the main idea of the IoT is based on the assumption that
everyday objects equipped with appropriate sensors and network access can communicate
to fulfill certain tasks. This bold statement raises as much hope as controversy.
Enthusiasts of this technology point out the revolutionary nature of the concept and the
possibility of its use in almost all areas of life (Guerra, 2012; Suraki and Jahanshahi, 2013).
Opponents draw attention to the risks associated with the loss of data privacy, legal
problems, and finally the risk of devolving too much control to the devices (Yang et al.,
2011; Ziegeldorf et al., 2014). Most researchers and practitioners, regardless of their
professed views, are however agreed that IoT is the technology of the future; therefore, the
pros and cons of it must be thoroughly recognized, as it will become more and ubiquitous.
Literature review
To establish the state of research, scientific resources were sourced using Google
Scholar. For this author, it was important to comprehensively search for papers that
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Internet of
Things
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