Content area
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/approachThe 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.
FindingsWearable 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 and organize resources. As with users, librarians can also use wearable computing in their education.
Research limitations/implicationsThe 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 author’s 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 implicationsThe results can be widely used in practice as a framework for the implementation of wearable computing solutions in libraries.
Social implicationsThe paper can help to facilitate the debate on the role of the implementation of new technologies in libraries.
Originality/valueThe 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 libraries’ internal processes with the use of wearable computing.
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 and new tools appear which have to be considered by libraries. One emerging technology mentioned at conferences, on librarians’ blogs (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 world’s 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 2008–2018 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 auxiliary tool in determining the state of research, however, simple search interface and a good mechanism for ranking results according to the number of their quotations makes it a good tool for finding scientific resources despite some limitations. In Google Scholar, searched was done using similar queries as in the case of Web of Science and LISTA databases (Table II). Interestingly, searching in Google Scholar gave some relevant results.
Based on relevant sources found using all three information search tools, a list of publications best reflecting the search topic, i.e. the possibility of using wearable computing in libraries, was made. The analysis took into account only original articles, without reviews and discussions. Publications that were repeated in many databases were considered only once (Table AI). The most relevant publications for the discussed topic – the possibility of using wearable computing in libraries – have been characterized more closely when discussing the state of research.
In this paper, selected publications from disciplines other than librarianship were use as additional sources. In the description of the wearable computing technology features, papers in the field of computer science were used, while in the description of wearable computing applications in cultural institutions other than libraries, publications were used from the field of education, promotion, museology or archiving. The goal here was not to determine the state of research or to conduct a systematic analysis of the literature, but only to support the main line of consideration in this paper.
The state of research
The conducted analysis of the state of research showed that the issue of wearable computing in the field of library and information studies has been addressed in the subject literature relatively rarely. The key papers on this subject include: Wearable technology: beyond augmented reality (Fernandez, 2014), Wearable Technology: A Booster to Build Smart Library (Liu and Wang, 2015), Wearable technology smart watches to Google Glass for libraries (Bruno, 2015) and A University and Public Library Cooperation Project in Taiwan: Mixed-reality Children’s Library Using Wearable Smartwatch Navigation and Visualized Interfaces (Liu et al., 2017). The paper by Fernandez (2014) briefly describes the history of wearable technology and its main features, paying particular attention to the concept of the “quantified self,” which is defined as a social movement that involves people learning about their behavior by registering and analyzing data and in which wearable computing can play an important part. In relation to libraries, the author only briefly states that if libraries want to remain important to users, they must incorporate new technologies such as wearable computing into their offer (Fernandez, 2014). In the paper by Liu and Wang (2015), the authors discuss the possibilities of using wearable computing as a platform to build a so-called smart library that offers personalized and complex services for all users. Unfortunately, the full text of the paper is not available through widely used databases in English, but only through local databases, which thus limits access to this potentially useful paper. In the book by Bruno (2015), the author gives an overview of wearable devices – from smart watches to Google Glass and Go Pro cameras – and presents some suggestions for using this technology in libraries. The paper by Liu et al. (2017) covers the problems of using smartwatches to enhance children’s experience in libraries, especially to create an inviting learning environment; this was part of a program supervised by the Taiwan Ministry of Education. All the presented papers are interesting and concern selected aspects of using wearable computing in libraries, but there is still a lack of widely available scientific studies that review the potential of this technology for libraries.
It is worth noting that the issue of wearable computing sometimes appears briefly in publications that discuss other technologies, especially the IoT (Wójcik, 2016, 2017) or the future of libraries (Joiner, 2018; Lili, 2014). The reason is that wearable computing can be a stand-alone technology, a platform for other concepts, or a component in a range of technological projects, especially in the field of virtual and augmented reality and/or the IoT. Even including publications in which wearable computing occurs as a side issue, still not much work on the subject has been written from the perspective of library and information science.
Summing up, it can be concluded that there is definitely insufficient number of publications on the use of wearable computing in libraries, and this gap should be filled, especially in wide-ranging scientific journals which can reach a large group of readers.
Wearable computing – idea and features
Wearable computing is a result of the process of miniaturization of computer hardware and the dynamic development of sensors; it assumes the possibility of wearing functional elements of electronic equipment directly on one’s body or clothing (Starner, 2015). Wearable computing often takes the form of special goggles such as Google Glass, smart watches, bracelets and bands such as the popular Fitbit, shoes equipped with sensors, such as Nike+, and many others. Many wearable devices can collect data, among others, about the location of users in space, the activities they perform, and even their health condition, daily schedule or current mood; this creates a wide field for service providers to personalize their offers. Many opportunities offered by wearable computing equipment can also be delivered using popular external mobile devices such as a smartphones or tablets, but the use of wearable computing has to make the process of collecting data and providing services as natural and convenient as possible for users. From the users’ point of view, it is convenient to use electronic equipment in a natural and unconstrained manner, and this fits in with recently popular concepts of electronic system design such as the “world as an interface” and “no-interface” theories (Krishna, 2015). In the design of electronic devices, systems and applications, it is increasingly stressed that access to information and services should be done in a way that is almost invisible to the user; therefore, it is necessary to focus not on designing increasingly perfect interfaces, but on the design of solutions that will allow users to seamlessly connect the electronic and physical worlds. Wearable computing technology, which assumes that the user does not have to intentionally take electronic equipment with him as an extra element but just has it on himself all the time, fits in well with these trends.
The development of wearable computing is heavily influenced – apart from factors related to the development of technology – by the changing needs and habits of users. One strong social trend is users’ need for the accurate but transparent registration of various types of data in everyday life to enable monitoring of activity and self-improvement in areas such as sport, intellectual development or professional life. With wearable computing people are able to collect data over time about, among other things, their health status, sports performance, places visited, or the efficiency of activities performed (Fernandez, 2014; Lupton, 2016). This trend, which is often described under the slogan “the quantified self,” undoubtedly drives the development of technologies such as wearable computing, which enables constant registration of data in an easy and often fun way. Collecting data through wearable devices is often related to mechanisms of so-called gamification, which is defined as the use of principles and elements that are characteristic of games in activities that are not games in order to increase the motivation of users to perform specific tasks by making them more pleasant (Sailer et al., 2013). In this way, the use of wearable devices not only helps record users’ activity, but also increases their motivation and the likelihood of actually doing certain things (Figure 1).
The described examples of the use of wearable computing suggest that it is an extremely useful data logging tool that can be used to design new products and services that are personalized, fun and in accordance with users’ needs and habits. Of course, wearable computing has a wider application than just data registration. Devices worn on the body, such as goggles, can also help blend data from the user’s physical environment with digitally generated information, as happens in the case of solutions based on augmented reality. In this way, wearable computing becomes a platform for other concepts and technologies; moreover, to create innovative, qualitatively new solutions, it can be combined with other technologies such as the IoT or haptic technologies.
Wearable computing – areas of application in public institutions
There are not many publications regarding the use of wearable computing in the work of public institutions. There are some papers on the use of this technology in education (Matteucci, 2017); however, it is difficult to find papers that directly relate to libraries as many papers concern facilitating children’s physical activity or the healthcare sector (Redondi et al., 2010), mostly in the context of monitoring patients’ vital functions. The most relevant examples in this context are works that discuss the use of wearable computing in cultural institutions such as museums or theatres (Baraldi et al., 2015; Guerrera, 2015; Serubugo et al., 2017). The use of wearable computing in cultural institutions is most often described in the context of building the user experience, which fits in with the wider concept of the so-called experience economy. According to this theory – as is well described in the subject literature – after the successive domination of the agricultural, production and service economies, the era began in which the main source of gaining a competitive advantage (both by commercial companies and other institutions) is the ability to create a comprehensive, positive and unique user experience (Pine and Gilmore, 2011). Utilizing modern technology such as wearable computing and designing innovative services in this respect can undoubtedly contribute to building the user experience, and cultural institutions seem to have noticed this trend and started to use it. One example of this idea is museums that use gesture recognition mechanisms based on wearable computing to allow visitors to interact with art more intuitively. Visitors can use simple gestures to point to certain artifacts, express their opinion about artworks or take a picture (Baraldi et al., 2015). Museums have also tried to incorporate so-called Wearable-Enhanced Learning to improve visitors’ experiences. For example, the Art Wonder project allows museums to collect data about visitors, provide multimedia interactions with resources and to personalize the museum experience (Guerrera, 2015). Based on the described examples of the use of wearable devices in museums, it can be assumed that this technology could also be successfully used in libraries in a similar scope, mostly to make interaction with resources more intuitive and natural. It is still not determined how exactly this should take place and whether this technology is useful only for library users, or also for librarians (Figure 2).
Wearable computing in libraries – potential for users
Considering the use of wearable computing in public institutions whose activity profile is similar to libraries, as well as taking into account the specificity of library services, an attempt was made to predict areas in which wearable computing could be used in libraries to satisfy the needs of users and librarians. The conducted simulation is speculative in nature and its purpose is to create a framework and a starting point for further discussion and empirical research in this area. The results of the conducted simulation are presented in Table III.
It seems that wearable computing has broad potential application in many areas of services for users. First of all, it can be used in information services to help users navigate the library and find the desired resources. On the principle of augmented reality, special goggles can show the fastest way to the destination by blending an image of the actual library space with an additional, digitally generated information layer. A special bracelet or watch can show the estimated time of arrival, and sensors placed in shoes can collect information about the tracksuit covered by the user. All of this can of course be correlated with an application on the user’s phone, which over a longer period of time may collect data about his/hers interests, the most visited departments or routes covered and, on this basis, suggest personalized hints. Similar solutions based on mobile devices have already been implemented in some libraries, but the use of wearable devices could make the process even more intuitive. Wearable computing may also be useful in providing resources in new forms, e.g. in an augmented reality environment. Information can be displayed directly in front of the user via augmented reality goggles. Smaller portions of information can also be sent directly to wearable equipment, e.g. information on the availability of computer workstations or specific collections may be sent to users’ bracelets or watches. This functionality can of course also be recreated on mobile phones, but the use of telephones in libraries is often limited by regulations, while the use of wearables is more discreet. Users who do not have wearable devices could rent such equipment in the library, which could be another interesting element in libraries’ range of services. Wearable devices also have a wide range of potential uses in education. They could be used in information/media literacy training, for instance in learning about information sources in a new, attractive way. Wearable computing can also be used in entertainment, for instance in the form of library games, e.g. field games using augmented reality and data collected from wearable devices. Based on examples observed in museums, it can be assumed that wearable computing may also contribute to making library events such as book exhibitions and tours more interesting for users, especially younger ones.
At this stage, as there have been only a few attempts to apply wearable computing in libraries and the small number of publications on this subject, it is difficult to determine exactly how the use of this technology could occur. The definition of general areas of the potential use of wearable computing in libraries is, however, the first step in introducing this technology on a wider scale to services for library users.
Wearable computing in libraries – potential for librarians
Wearable computing can be useful not only for library users but also for librarians themselves, helping them to perform their professional duties in a more attractive and effective way. Examples of the use of wearable computing by librarians are presented in Table IV. Of course, this list is not complete and contains only some proposals that could be verified in practice and possibly supplemented with new elements.
First of all, additional data provided via wearable devices can speed up the process of cataloguing resources. Using wearable devices may increase librarians’ motivation to work through gamification and features that make it possible to measure personal work efficiency. This fits in well with the popular trend described under the slogan “the quantified self.” Observations conducted on the basis of social sciences show that some sectors of society, especially young, professionally active people, tend to measure all their activities, therefore any device and application that allows to precisely register selected parameters is valuable to them. Examples are pedometers, applications that count daily calories or the level of hydration, programs that record working time, etc. Wearable equipment allows easy registration and analysis of daily activities, which can also be used in the work of librarians, the more so that the structure of employment in libraries is gradually changing and generational change is taking place: young people employed in libraries are used to gamification and measurement of their lives and professional activity. Cataloguing resources is a time-consuming, tedious activity that requires scrupulous checking of data and can be tiring for librarians, especially the younger generation of “digital natives,” so wearable computing can increase the attractiveness of this activity and improve efficiency. Librarians can also use the data obtained by wearable computing in the selection and organization of resources, e.g. goggles for faster tracking and identification of resources in library space, which is particularly useful in big libraries and cultural centers. As with users, librarians can also use wearable computing in education and self-improvement. Wearable devices may help in the measuring of learning progress, which motivates students to stay on track, and gamification options may increase the motivation to learn.
All in all, it seems that wearable devices can be used not only in services for users, but also to make librarians’ work more efficient and attractive. Many institutions make the mistake of investing their financial and organizational resources only in meeting the needs of end users, thinking that in this way they contribute best to building a positive image of the institution. It turns out, however, that employees are often the best way to promote institutes (Gombeski et al., 2004): a satisfied employee is a reliable source of information for clients and a “tool” for promotional and image-related activities. In this context, investing in employee services seems to be a beneficial move which should also be implemented in libraries.
Discussion
Wearable technology is a rapidly developing technology that carries a lot of potential for libraries and has many advantages. It can help in optimizing the internal processes of libraries and contribute to the provision of services to users in a new, attractive way. However, as with implementation of any technology, there are some concerns that should be considered. First, still not many users use wearable computing devices such as bands, smartwatches or goggles on a daily basis. Designing services in terms of their availability for a wearable device may exclude a large number of users from the ability to use them and create the unfavorable impression that libraries offer services only for selected affluent and/or young and technologically advanced users. Libraries could of course provide wearable equipment, but this incurs high costs: wearable devices are not cheap and multiplying this cost by the number of devices that libraries would have to offer leads to a high cost that is unattainable for many libraries. For this reason, it is important that the services offered with wearable devices complement libraries’ standard offer and that the use of them is an option, not a necessity.
Another issue worth considering is the fact that in the case of wearable computing – as with any new technologies – an adverse phenomenon is the rapid aging of technology and the necessity of cyclical replacement and maintenance, which generates further costs. Libraries must therefore not only have money to buy equipment, but also find more money for maintenance, upgrades, etc. Furthermore, designing services for wearable devices also requires new design solutions and a new way of thinking about providing services; it may generate the need to employ specialists in this field and/or train library staff. Due to this fact, many libraries that try to implement new technologies are merging into consortia; this allows costs to be spread among project partners and grants, EU programs, state donations and other sources. In this context, fundraising is extremely important for libraries and the ability to raise funds is often a decisive factor that allows the implementation of new technologies. On the other hand, however, investing in new technologies may increase so called economic value of libraries, which is recently often discussed in the literature on the subject (Noh, 2017; Melo et al., 2019). Stakeholders are trying to estimate the value of library services for the community, as it would in the commercial services market. Better equipped libraries that offer interesting services may be seen as better in such calculations than those that do not invest in new technologies.
Another factor that should be taken into consideration is users data privacy. The effective use of wearable computing requires the processing of user data, which may compromise their privacy. It is extremely important that users are fully aware of who, why and how process their data in the library and so they can decide about it freely. It is not only desirable from the ethical point of view, but it is also legally regulated. Introduction RODO – EU regulation, containing provisions on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data, imposes very restrictive regulations on all institutions administering personal data. Their non-compliance threatens not only with dissatisfaction on the part of users but also with legal sanctions. Libraries must develop a management strategy for data collected from wearable computing devices, and develop information campaigns for users so they can fully understand these processes and be able to make informed decisions.
Undoubtedly, the issue of using wearable computing as a source of data for the quantified self-movement also needs to be considered. On the one hand, the use of wearable computing in such a context may be an attractive motivating tool for work, especially for representatives of younger library staff accustomed to such solutions. On the other hand, such measurement tools can be abused by employers and exert unnecessary pressure on librarians who may feel overwhelmed and frustrated. It must be ensured that the implementation of such solutions in the workplace is entirely voluntary and resulted from the needs of librarians and not from the obligation.
All these factors must be taken into account when introducing technological innovations in libraries. This process, however difficult, seems inevitable: libraries must keep pace with technological developments and the changing habits of users, and even overtake them as pioneers of innovation in their environment. Only in this way will libraries have a chance to remain relevant to users.
Conclusions
The observations formulated on the basis of analyzing the subject literature – from the field of library and information science and other, related disciplines – may suggest that wearable computing can be used in many areas of library services to serve the needs of both users and librarians. In the context of services for users, wearable computing can be used, among others, to help them navigate the library and find the necessary collections, provide resources in new, interesting forms and in education and entertainment. For librarians’ needs, additional data provided via wearable devices can speed up the process of cataloguing resources and increase motivation to work with gamification options and features that allow measurement of personal work efficiency. Librarians can also use wearable computing in the selection and organization of resources by using the data obtained from these devices for faster tracking and identification of resources. As with users, librarians can also use wearable computing in their education. Of course, to confirm this, libraries must begin to experimentally implement such solutions, which can then be evaluated by scientists, librarians and users.
Limitations
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 author’s hope is that the concepts presented here will be tested in practice by librarians, which will allow further development of research on this subject.
Proofreading by Mike Timberlake.
The main factors affecting the development of wearable computing
Areas of wearable computing application in public institutions
Information search process
| Stage | Database | Query | Results | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Web of Science | “Wearable+library” (searching for a given word in any of publication description field) | Total number of results: 78 |
Of the 6 papers that should apply to the use of wearable technology in libraries, not all of them were relevant, it means that not all of them concerned this topic. Examples: |
| 2 | Web of Science | Allintitle: “wearable+library” | Total number of results: 2 |
The aim of this stage was to find publications that are potentially the most on the subject of wearable computing and libraries. It turned out that such papers, which in the title would refer to both wearables and libraries, were very few |
| 3 | Web of Science | Allintitle: wearable | Total number of results: 8,883 |
The goal of this stage was to test a different approach to searching. First, the focus was on all the papers that had the word wearable in the title, then they were narrowed down to the work in the field of library and information science. This strategy gave more results related to libraries but still not all were relevant to the topic being sought |
| 4 | LISTA | Wearable (searching for a given word in any of publication description field) | Total number of results: 246 | Because this database is entirely devoted to work with the library and information science, there was no need to narrow the results to discipline |
| 5 | LISTA | Allintitle: wearable | Total number of results: 88 |
The aim of this stage was to find publications that are potentially the most on the subject of wearable computing because in the title occurs the word wearable. The aim was also to check how many publications are scientific (and not, for example, popularizations), therefore the search for papers has been narrowed down to the papers published in academic journals only |
| 6 | LISTA | “Wearbale+library” (searching for a given word in any of publication description field) | Total number of results: 55 |
The aim of this stage was to compare the search results with the previous stages and see if looking for publications that have both the word wearable and library will help find more relevant results |
| 7 | LISTA | Allintitle: “wearbale+library” | Total number of results: 2 |
The aim of this stage was to find publications that are potentially the most on the subject of using wearable computing in library context because in the title occur the word wearable as well as the word library. The result was two reviews of the same article on the subject |
| 8 | Scopus | “TITLE-ABS-KEY (*wearbale AND library)” | Total number of results: 144 |
The aim of this stage was to find publications that in the key parts – title, abstract or key words – had the word wearable and library at the same time. After carefully analyzing the abstracts of the works, it turned out that only a few were relevant, mainly due to the ambiguity of the word library |
| 9 | Science Direct | “Wearbale+library” (in title, abstract or keywords) | Total number of results: 36 |
The aim of this stage was to find publications that in the key parts – title, abstract or key words – had the word wearable and library at the same time. After carefully analyzing the abstracts of the works, it turned out that only a few were relevant and they were mainly of general and review nature – the issue of wearable computing appeared as one of the discussed topics, e.g. in the context of discussing new trends in libraries |
| 10 | Emerald Insight | “Wearbale + library (in abstract) | Total number of results: 6 |
The aim of this stage was to find publications that had the word wearable and library at the same time in the abstract. After analyzing the abstracts of the publications, it turned out that only a few were relevant to the field of librarianship |
Google scholar auxiliary search
| Database | Query | Results | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Scholar | “wearbale+library” (searching for a given word in any of publication description field) | Total number of results: 41,000 | A lot of results, but not so precise – need to narrow the search criteria |
| Google Scholar | allintitle:“wearbale+library” | Total number of results: 6 | Not all relevant results due to the ambiguity of the term library – library as institution and library as collection of something |
| Google Scholar | allintitle:“wearbale+libraries” | Total number of results: 4 | All results relevant – 3 original publications and one review |
Wearable computing in libraries – potential for meeting users’ needs
| Type of service for user | Examples of using wearable computing |
|---|---|
| Information services | Library navigation, collection finding, contextual and personalized resource recommendations based on data collected about the user |
| Providing resources | Providing resources in new forms, e.g. in augmented reality; providing information directly to wearable equipment, e.g. information on the availability of computer workstations or specific collections |
| Providing space and equipment | Providing wearable equipment which can be used by many users, e.g. goggles |
| Education | Learning about information sources in a new way using wearable devices |
| Entertainment | Library games, e.g. field games using augmented reality and data collected from wearable devices, multimedia books exhibitions and tours |
Source: Own research, 2018
Wearable computing in libraries – potential for meeting librarians’ needs
| Type of professional activity | Example of using wearable computing |
|---|---|
| Cataloguing resources | Using additional data (e.g. biographical data, bibliographic data, classifications and other data) collected by wearable devices to speed up the process, measuring work efficiency and increasing motivation to work through gamification options |
| Selection and organization of resources | Using data obtained by wearable devices, e.g. goggles, for faster tracking and identification of resources in the library space |
| Professional training | Using wearable devices to measure the effectiveness of learning progress and gamification options to increase motivation to learn |
Source: Own research, 2018
List of analyzed publications
| Web of science | Scopus | Science direct | Emerald insight | LISTA | Google scholar | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial number of publication | 8,883 | 144 | 36 | 5 | 246 | 41,000 |
| Final number of publication after refine the search criteria and selection | 2 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Analyzed publications | 1. Everhart, N., Escobar, K.L. (2018), “Conceptualizing the information seeking of college students on the autism spectrum through participant viewpoint ethnography”, Library & Information Science Research Vol. 40 Nos 3–4, pp. 269-276 |
1. Dend, Y. et al. (2018), “Readertrack: reader-book interaction reasoning using RFID and smartwatch”, ICCCN 2018, IEEE, Piscataway, pp. 1-9 |
1. Everhart, N., Escobar, K.L. (2018), “Conceptualizing the information seeking of college students on the autism spectrum through participant viewpoint ethnography”, Library & Information Science Research, Vol. 40 Nos 3–4, pp. 269-276 |
1. Fernandez, P. (2017), “Through the looking glass: envisioning new library technologies”, Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 34(9), pp. 1-5 |
1. Asgarian, R. (2014), “Arapahoe library invests in Google glass”, Library Journal, Vol. 139 No. 1, p. 1 |
1. Ajmi, A., Robak, M. (2017), “Wearable technologies in academic libraries: fact, fiction and the future”, Mobile Technology and Academic Libraries: Innovative Services for Research and Learning, Association of College & Research Libraries, Chicago, pp. 249-263 |
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