What is the potential for the future of an organisation you are familiar with?
What impact might the future have on us as information professionals?
The article by Minja Axelsson (2019) is a great view of how robotics and assistive machines could be placed into the context of information organisations, in a way that doesn’t need to interfere with the work of information professionals, instead freeing them up to conduct more important work. These technologies can be used to enhance our abilities and improve our organisations.
Martinez-Martin et al. (2019) shows the implementation of robotics into libraries has a large scope. Their robot can collect books from shelves using RFID scanning. The National Library of Australia implemented their own robot, Isaac, which helps with sorting and transporting books. These are both examples of work that professional librarians don’t need to be conducting on a daily basis, saving time to prioritise tasks that use their skills to improve the library, rather then constantly maintaining it (Black, 2018). Organisations need to learn to focus on how technology can help them improve their services and how they deliver them, and how they can use them as a multiplier to their own abilities (Vijayakumar & Vijayan, 2011).
Even local libraries should be looking at the success of integrated electronics, and understand what it could mean for their organisations. What makes Oodi’s robot so useful is that it has a personality assigned to it. The innocent, approachable nature of the robot, it’s ability to express emotion, can all help create a sense of ease and friendliness in a library, which can often feel like stuffy, outdated institutions. Information organisations can use integrated technology to make their environments more approachable (Axelsson, 2019; Peterson, 2023).
Library anxiety, feeling “intimidated, embarrassed, and overwhelmed by libraries and librarians”, can effect people’s ability to access library resources. If you walk into a new library, that you don’t know, and you’re not used to using library services, you can feel ill-equipped and may even leave before accessing the resources you need (Morton, 2016). A robot, by comparison, might feel more approachable. The same principles used at Oodi can be applied to any technology implemented at the library. Adding recognisable traits to a machine can encourage interaction with it, if only out of curiosity (Axelsson, 2019).
This can relate to social media and networking by applying these same principles to library websites, forums and social pages. Consider the use of a mascot at your library, a friendly face users can associate with, encouraging them to relax, build trust and create a relatable point of reference (Bennett & Thompson, 2016).
These automating technologies extend to social media. Automated responses to let users know their virtual reference question has been received, post scheduling, and monitoring for user queries and mentions by other organisations can all be automated, allowing the adoption of social media by information organisations without requiring a large budget or time commitment by information professionals (Newberry, 2022). Professionals are going to have to become familiar and comfortable with these tools to be prepared for the future (Burton, 2019).
References
Axelsson, M. (2019). The little robot that lived at the library. https://towardsdatascience.com/the-little-robot-that-lived-at-the-library-90431f34ae2c
Bennnett, D. E., & Thompson, P. (2016). Use of anthropomorphic brand mascots for student motivation and engagement: A promotional case study with Pablo the penguin at the University of Portsmouth library. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 22(2-3), 225-237. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2016.1162179
Black, M. (2018). High-tech robot couriers set efficiency in motion at the National Library of Australia. ABC Radio Canberra. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-17/robot-couriers-set-efficiency-in-motion-at-national-library/10118356
Burton, S. (2019). Future skills for the LIS profession. Online Searcher. https://web-p-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=016c2649-a634-4f96-a79a-219456b055bf%40redis
Martinez-Martin, E., Recatala, G., & Pobil, A. P. d. (2019). Transforming library operation with robotics IFLA World Library and Information Congress, Athens. https://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/2696/1/s08-2019-martinez-martin-en.pdf
Morton, E. (2016). The strange affliction of ‘library anxiety’ and what librarians do to help. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-strange-affliction-of-library-anxiety-and-what-librarians-do-to-help
Newberry, C. (2022). What is social media automation? [FAQs & Time-Saving Tools]. Hootsuite. https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-automation/
Peterson, M. (2023). Libraries as felt spaces: Atmospheres, public space and feelings of dis/comfort. Emotion, Space and Society, 49. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2023.100986
Vijayakumar, A., & Vijayan, S. S. (2011). Application of information technology in libraries: an overview. International journal of digital library services, 1(2). http://www.ijodls.in/uploads/3/6/0/3/3603729/vijaya12_144-152.pdf