The document discusses emerging trends in library and information science, including the use of virtual reality, social media, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology. It highlights the implementation of multimedia labs, video streaming services, and cloud computing in libraries to enhance user experience and accessibility. Additionally, it examines innovative tools like translating earbuds and interactive digital interfaces for printed books, as well as the potential applications of the Internet of Things and drones in libraries.

1. Emerging Trends in Library and
Information Science
Dr. S. Srinivasaragavan
Professor & Head
Dept. of Library & Information Science
Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli-24

2. Virtual Reality
• Virtual reality (VR) technology provides the user with a headset.
• Users can look up, down, and around simply by moving their
heads
• Libraries may have the opportunity to offer users their first
interactions with virtual reality
• With this new technology, library can be viewed sitting in one
place. Nowadays, Many museums started using this technology.
• Ex: In California, Oculus launched an initiative that made 100
Oculus Rift headsets and VR-ready computers available in 90
libraries.

3. Virtual Reality
https://youtu.be/PVPeuW9DgcA

4. Social Media
• Establishing, maintaining, and growing a social
media presence is important for libraries
• Social media links make library events,
activities, and offerings easily sharable.
• By responding to social media tags,
comments, or mentions, libraries gain a
valuable opportunity to engage with their
audience and strengthen social connections

5. Bleeding-Edge Tech (Automatic Translation)
•Google Pixel Buds are wireless earbuds that translate in
near real time from 40 languages. The Google Pixel Buds
cost $159 and provide 5 hours of battery life.
•Mymanu CLIK out of the U.K. are wireless earbuds that
translate from 37 languages. They currently cost just under
$300.
•Pilot Translating Earpiece from Waverly Labs will launch
soon. This wireless earbud device will offer French, Italian,
Portuguese, and Spanish translations to start with and will
add more languages. It will cost $249 and will do group
translations.

6. Media Labs
• Multimedia labs are already a trend in many
libraries across the country
• They offer library users the chance to learn and use
design software and equipment for photo editing,
video production, website design, and page layout.
• They offer library users the chance to learn and use
design software and equipment for photo editing,
video production, website design, and page layout.

7. Media Labs
https://youtu.be/6BFDgH7n410

8. Video Streaming
• Some libraries started circulating GoChip Beams for patrons to take
home. They are essentially storage devices with their own hotspot
network.
• Each GoChip can hold five feature-length movies or an entire season of
a TV series.
• Patrons connect a mobile device, computer, or TV streaming device to
the GoChip's network and watch the movies or TV shows through the
GoChip app.
• Patrons find them really easy to use. These are great for patrons who
don't have home Internet, a TV, or a Netflix subscription.

9. Artificial
Intelligence
• Alexa available on everyone’s devices
nowadays, artificial intelligence is no
longer a futuristic technology as it is
gaining poulartiy in our everyday
activities.
• Some of them feel that Artificial
intelligence is a challenge to libraries.
• The intelligence is artificial, not
human. Libraries can connect people
to information and, more
importantly, to other people”,
whereas AI can’t.

10. Digital interfaces for printed books
• It is a combination of physical book with e-book features.
• FingerLink is a prototype developed by Fujitsu that
provides all the digital functionalities on a printed book
Example: https://youtu.be/I2l0qklSzks
• It detects the users’ fingers and what it is touching and
creates an interactive touchscreen where they can select
the part they want to and transpose it in a digital form,
where it can be processed.

11. Blockchain technology
• Blockchain technology is the most discussed technologies becsuee of
the poularity of the Bitcoin power.
• Blockchain technology represents a decentralized database that keeps
records of pseudonymized digital transactions that are visible to anyone
within the network. Therefore, it is a new way to collect and store data.
• Sue Alman, a teacher on emerging technologies highlights in an article
for EdSurge that blockchain technology “could be used to build an
enhanced metadata system for libraries, to keep track of digital-first sale
rights and ownership, to connect networks of libraries and universities,
or even to support community-based borrowing and skill sharing
programs.”

12. Internet of
Things
• IOT refers to the possibility of
connecting everyday devices and
transferring data between them and
the data is transfered over internet.
• There are many “opportunities for
library applications, from tracking
room usage and program attendance
to monitoring humidity levels for
special collections and more”.
• Therefore, the library can offer a
better user experience by enriching
its services and collections
https://youtu.be/v-NPTNHOWo0
Hillsboro Public Library in
Oregon who has introduced
the Book-O-Mat, a self-
service kiosk which is
monitored from the main
library to track usage and
identify usage trends and
make recommendations.

13. Drones
• The small flying devices remotely controlled are another
trendsetter in library.
• Drones can be used for creating content for the library, collecting
data.
• Users who don’t have the possibility to go to the library; be it
because of a disability, or because of the long distance to the library
• Ex: Book Rental Services Zookal uses this service (
https://vimeo.com/76606906 )

14. Cloud Computing
• Any server usage or software
application you can access outside of
your local server (Wolf, 2010)
Most used cloud applications

15. Cloud Computing - Types
• Three types of cloud computing
• Software as a Service (SaaS) or Applicaion as
service (AaaS)
• Platform as as Service ( PaaS) or Hardware as a
Service (HaaS)
• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
• Software as a servi

16. Use of Cloud Computing in Library
• With the help of cloud computing technology
libraries can host their website. The district of
Columbia Public Library is using Amazon’s EC2
(Elastic computing cloud) service to host their
website.
• Libraries can use cloud technology like Google docs
to collect response to web forms, Google Calendar
on and meeting rooms, and Google Analytics to
collect statistics about their website, catalogue and
blogs.

17. Use of Cloud Computing in Library
• Libraries can build digital library, content management
system, institutional repository. Inter Library Loan
system and Integrated Library System (ILS) from locally
managed to vendor-hosted environment, on their own
with the help of cloud service.
• Cloud computing can be applied for backing up of
media collections and storing and accessing of
bibliographic data. Libraries can also and maintain
much of the same data hundreds and thousands of
times