Wearable computing in libraries – applications that meet the needs of users and librarians

Pages735-751
Date18 November 2019
Published date18 November 2019
DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-04-2019-0081
AuthorMagdalena Wójcik
Subject MatterLibrary & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology,Information behaviour & retrieval,Information user studies,Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet
Wearable computing in
libraries applications that meet
the needs of users and librarians
Magdalena Wójcik
Institute of Information Studies,
Faculty of Management and Social Communication,
Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
Abstract
Purpose The subject of this paper is wearable computing technology. The purpose of this paper is to
determine its potential in libraries to meet the needs of both users and librarians. The specific goals include:
description of the main features of wearable computing from the perspective of its potential usefulness in
libraries; analysis of areas of wearable computing use in public institutions; discussion of the potential of
wearable computing for library users; and discussion of the potential of wearable computing for librarians to
determine its potential in libraries to meet the needs of users and librarians.
Design/methodology/approach The method of subject literature overview was used. The state of
research from the period 2008 to 2018 on the use of wearable computing in libraries was established based on
a search of selected sources Web of Science, Scopus, Elsevier and Emerald databases and LISTA database.
Findings Wearable computing can be used in many areas of library activities to serve the needs of users
and librarians. In the context of services for users, wearable computing can be used, among others, to help
users navigate the library, to provide resources in new and interesting forms, and in education and
entertainment. For the needs of librarians, additional data provided via wearable devices can accelerate the
process of cataloguing resources and increase motivation to work via gamification options and features that
make it possible to measure personal work efficiency. Librarians can also use the data obtained wearable
computing devices to more quickly track, identify, select andorganize resources. As with users, librarians can
also use wearable computing in their education.
Research limitations/implications The paper is a viewpoint based on subject literature. It presents only
a sketch of potential wearable computing applications in libraries. The aim of the paper is to initiate further
discussion on the possibilities of using wearable devices to improve both services for users and internal
library processes. The authors hope is that the concepts presented here will be tested in practice by
librarians, which will allow further development of research on this subject.
Practical implications The results can be widely used in practice as a framework for the implementation
of wearable computing solutions in libraries.
Social implications The paper can help to facilitate the debate on the role of the implementation of new
technologies in libraries.
Originality/value The issue of the use of wearable computing has not yet been widely discussed in library
and information science journals. In the very few publications on similar topics, only the perspective on the
application of new solutions in services for users is presented. This paper also shows the potential for
improving librariesinternal processes with the use of wearable computing.
Keywords Library services, Librarians, Information technologies, Mobile technologies, Quantified self,
Wearable computing
Paper type Viewpoint
Introduction
The development of new information and communication technologies affects many aspects
of human activity such as education, entertainment and business; it also affects the way
public institutions such as libraries operate. Libraries, despite often limited financial
resources, are developing, improving and constantly trying to implement new solutions to
better serve their users; evidence of this is the increasingly frequent use of computers, the
internet, social media and mobile applications. Technology, however, is constantly evolving
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 37 No. 4, 2019
pp. 735-751
© Emerald PublishingLimited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/LHT-04-2019-0081
Received 10 September 2018
Revised 25 June 2019
Accepted 25 June 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
Proofreading by Mike Timberlake.
735
Wearable
computing
in libraries
and new tools appear which have to be considered by libraries. One emerging technology
mentioned at conferences, on librariansblogs (Wearable technology and Libraries, 2015) or
in the reports and studies of professional associations (such as the American Library
Association) is wearable computing, often considered part of the Internet of Things (IoT)
concept (ALA, 2018). IoT can be defined as an idea that everyday objects, such as furniture,
household appliances or electronic devices, quipped with special sensors can communicate
with each other to perform specific tasks and optimize processes (Wójcik, 2016). Wearable
computing in this context is considered mostly as source of data for IoT solutions.
Miniaturized hardware components worn directly on the body or in the form of watches,
bracelets or goggles can record data around the clock and provide valuable material for IoT
solutions. Despite the fact that this issue is discussed on the basis of many disciplines and
has a wide range of practical applications there are few scientific studies that show the
potential of such solutions for libraries. This gap should be quickly filled to provide a
framework for developing valuable solutions for libraries that allow them to fully take
advantage of this new technology and stay current and relevant for their users.
The subject of this paper is wearable computing technology discussed as a tool that may
be used in libraries. The purpose is to determine its potential for application in libraries to
meet the needs of users and librarians. Specific goals include:
description of the main features of wearable computing from the perspective of its
potential usefulness in libraries;
analysis of the areas of wearable computing use in public institutions;
discussion of the potential of wearable computing for library users; and
discussion of the potential of wearable computing for librarians.
Method
The basis of the research was subject literature overview. The current state of research on
the use of wearable computing in libraries was established based on a search of selected
sources: Web of Science and Scopus a globally recognized multi-domain databases that
includes, among others, papers from key magazines with Impact Factor, Elsevier and
Emerald databases as an example of resources provided by one of the worlds largest
publishers of scientific publications and LISTA Library and Information Science
Abstracts well-known abstract database in the field of library and information science.
The information search process was complex and multi-stage different search strategies
were tested to compare results and not to skip important publications. For each search,
publications from 2008 to 2018 published in English were taken into account. The reason for
narrowing down the search to the period of 20082018 was, on the one hand, the need to see
a longer, ten-year research perspective, but on the other the desire to show the current, not
the archival state of research. The detailed search process is shown in Table I.
At every stage of the search, based on the abstracts of the papers, the initial set of results was
gradually narrowed down to the most relevant ones. The criteria for judging relevancy were
compliance with the theme of the search, which was the use of wearable technology in libraries.
Because the results were not entirely satisfactory in terms of their relevance, the search
was completed using the Google Scholar scientific resource search engine. Google Scholar is
a free, specialist internet search tool that has been in operation since 2004, used for
integrated search of databases containing various scientific publications from many fields
of knowledge. Google Scholar indexes both resources provided by large publishing houses
such as: Elsevier, Wiley or Springer and large databases such as Web of Science, as well as
indexes papers published in conference materials and smaller magazines. Because Google
Scholar does not provide a complete list of searched resources, it can be used only as an
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