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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...

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