Use of Two Screens at Library Reference Desk for Improved Information Services

Kubat, Gulcin

doi:10.31229/osf.io/rmpes

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Numerous and varied uses of such maker technologies have been documented across different aspects of library work, in formal and informal publications. Terlaga (2013), Iglesias and Schlegel (2013), Kubat (2021) and Tincknell (2020) hosted information kiosks and signs with Raspberry Pis, while Cooper and Knight (2014), Enis (2013) and Phillips (2015) used Raspberry Pis as low-cost online public access catalog (OPAC) terminals. Ribaric (2018) described using maker technologies to increase automation of reference statistics collection, while Pham et al (2018) and Di Veroli et al (2019) used Raspberry Pis along with cameras and robotics to automate the finding and monitoring of book locations in their library systems.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Tinkering is underrated”: librarians' use of single-board computers and microcontrollers outside of makerspaces

Maceli

2022

LHT

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeThis research seeks to better understand the potential uses of maker technologies, such as single-board computers and microcontrollers, more broadly within libraries and not simply confined to the makerspace. Through interviews with librarians creating such projects, this study illustrates their successes, challenges, means of acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge, as well as their perceptions of the broader benefits and challenges to other library and information science practitioners.Design/methodology/approachThis research study employed semistructured interviews with 12 librarians who have created projects with maker technologies for broader library use. Inductive qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts was conducted to identify themes of interest to the stated research questions.FindingsLibrarians' projects included: displaying digital signage, hosting online public access catalog stations, tallying reference desk interactions, counting patrons at the gate and monitoring 3-D printing statistics, among others. Participants appreciated the low-cost, flexible and creative nature of such technologies, and though they also encountered technical and organizational challenges in their use, relayed a potential series of benefits to librarians and library staff were these technologies to be more widely used.Originality/valueAlthough significant research efforts have focused on aspects of makerspaces across all types of libraries, little work has formally collected and assessed library practitioners' work with maker technologies outside of the makerspace. Participants help detail the potential benefits of having a deeper understanding of this work, and the successes it could bring to librarians' work.

show abstract

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Tinkering is underrated”: librarians' use of single-board computers and microcontrollers outside of makerspaces

Maceli

2022

LHT

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…9 And during reference interviews, Kubat IMPLEMENTING LIBRARY MAKER PROJECTS OUTSIDE OF THE MAKERSPACE 3 MACELI employed dual screens driven by a Raspberry Pi to allow patrons to more easily view and engage with the information presented during the reference interaction. 10 To provide library digital resources in areas without internet, the LibraryBox project originally used a Raspberry Pi as the basis for a portable, anonymous file sharing device which allows users to wirelessly connect. 11 Similarly, LaRochelle and Dobbins-Bucklad deployed offline Wi-Fi educational servers, which consisted of Raspberry Pi devices preloaded with educational websites' content, in geographic areas lacking internet access.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementing Library Maker Projects Outside of the Makerspace

Maceli

2024

ITAL

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The popularity and relevance of the library makerspace has been well-established and documented in the previous decade of researcher and practitioner work, including numerous hands-on guides from a variety of dimensions relevant to starting and operating a makerspace. Less studied, however, and the focus of this work are the applications of maker technologies within wider library work. Prior qualitative research conducted by the author included interviews with librarians to understand and document their use of maker technologies, such as the Raspberry Pi single-board computer, to support broader library work outside of the makerspace. The findings indicated that common use cases included running library display screens and collecting patron traffic numbers and environmental data. The objective of this subsequent case study is to examine the potential for wider use of such projects by librarians in an academic library setting, by introducing these projects into a new library setting and assessing the related code and educational materials developed by the researcher. This work reports on the findings of the case study, in which the projects were successfully operated in several usage contexts, as well as the challenges and broader implications for adoption within libraries of all types.

show abstract

Use of Two Screens at Library Reference Desk for Improved Information Services

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

“Tinkering is underrated”: librarians' use of single-board computers and microcontrollers outside of makerspaces

“Tinkering is underrated”: librarians' use of single-board computers and microcontrollers outside of makerspaces

Implementing Library Maker Projects Outside of the Makerspace

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About