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

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.

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.

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 and organize resources. As with users, librarians can also use wearable computing in their education.

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.

The results can be widely used in practice as a framework for the implementation of wearable computing solutions in libraries.

The paper can help to facilitate the debate on the role of the implementation of new technologies in libraries.

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 libraries’ internal processes with the use of wearable computing.