Without libraries what have we?

Abstract

Since 2014, a growing body of critical research has pointed out flaws in smart city development. It has been described as too technology-led and business-oriented, diminishing citizens' agency and causing digital divides. As the agenda keeps spreading, there is an urgent need to develop more participatory, inclusive and bottom-up approaches to balance interests of those currently in strong power positions, such as large corporations. Participatory design (PD) and participatory approaches in general have been suggested as a remedy, but they often tend to be local, small-scale and short-term. Therefore, their impacts are often modest as well. We suggest that we need to start thinking about ways to create scalable approaches that would grow the temporal and spatial impact of actions and practices that intend to increase citizens' understanding and control over new technologies, i.e. their technological agency. Without making sure that more people have adequate knowledge and sufficient control and mastery of technologies, societal discussion and ultimately, political decisions, are left to few experts. We explore the potential of public libraries to act as an ally and cooperation partner in participatory design and technology education in general, with a significant potential to broaden micro-level actions' impact.

Fostering Smart Citizens: The Role of Public Libraries in Smart City Development

“…Third, libraries play an important role in promoting innovation and developing citizens to become co-creators. Consistent with prior studies, libraries offer experimental spaces such as makerspaces and labs, which serve as incubators for creative ideas and practical learning for citizens, allowing individuals to develop ideas and prototype projects [83,[98][99][100][101]. These spaces have advanced technologies and tools, such as 3D printers, multimedia recording equipment, and e-commerce stations, in addition to the assistance of experts or peers [83].…”

“…Second, public libraries expand opportunities for diverse citizens to actively and democratically participate in smart city development, ensuring that smart city goals and objectives are aligned with actual community interests and priorities [83][84][85][86]96,97]. Third, public libraries support innovation through resources, experimental spaces, and interactions that enable citizens and other community stakeholders to co-create technology-and data-based solutions that meet various needs [83,[98][99][100][101]. However, further research is still needed to better understand the details of these three roles.…”

ChatGPT in medical libraries, possibilities and future directions: An integrative review

“…9. Ylipulli and Luusua (2019) The study emphasises the significant potential of public libraries to serve as allies and collaborative partners in participatory design and technology education initiatives in the era of AI and big data.…”

Empowering communities: The role of wearable devices in environmental justice

“…Even though teaching digital technologies will become obsolete after some years, it is imperative to use teaching approaches that equips students for 21st century communications and for their future employment (135). Digital literacy can be enhanced through a collaboration with community libraries to provide programs and workshops on technological skills such us using emails, surfing on the internet (136). Libraries can engage people by providing training to new technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and 3D modeling (136).…”

“…Digital literacy can be enhanced through a collaboration with community libraries to provide programs and workshops on technological skills such us using emails, surfing on the internet (136). Libraries can engage people by providing training to new technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and 3D modeling (136).…”