Through the Looking Glass: Envisioning New Library Technologies” Augmented reality in the (real) library world " part two

Citation

Fernandez, P. (2014), "Through the Looking Glass: Envisioning New Library Technologies” Augmented reality in the (real) library world " part two", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 31 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-03-2014-0016

"Through the Looking Glass: Envisioning New Library Technologies” Augmented reality in the (real) library world " part two

Article Type: Column From: Library Hi Tech News, Volume 31, Issue 3

In part I (Issue 1, 2014) of this two-part series on “Augmented reality in the (real) library world”, this column defined augmented reality (AR) and gave an overview of how it has been applied in a variety of settings. This column, part two, will focus on how AR can be used in libraries to better serve patrons and explore some of the challenges to the effective implementation of AR.

Recap: what is AR?

AR began in the early 1990s as part of an effort to improve the training process for workers assembling the Boeing 777 airliner. The goal was to develop wearable computers with visual displays that would superimpose virtual information about where wires should be placed on top of the physical parts of the Boeing 777 airliner as it was being built. These computers would use the existing digital model of the plane to give assembly workers real-time information about the placement of physical wires and improve the assembly process for this complicated new aircraft.

The two scientists who worked on this project were ultimately unable to develop a practical apparatus, but the underlying concept of utilizing computer-generated information to alter the physical environment set the template for AR and has relevance for libraries considering AR today. Because the Boeing 777 was designed digitally, the scientists already had all of the information they needed to power the device, but they were ultimately stymied by the difficulty of making computers that were both mobile and powerful enough to run the software. We now live in a time when sophisticated mobile computing is commonplace in the form of smartphones and tablet devices. Yet the most prevalent challenge to implementing AR in libraries remains the lack of standardized, intuitive interfaces for the end-user. Because major companies such as Google develop ever-more sophisticated wearable technologies, such as Google Glass, even this obstacle may soon become a thing of the past.

AR technologies in libraries

Part one of this series gave an overview of quick response (QR) codes, augmented objects, near-field communications, geotagging and geolocation. Each of these technologies has the potential to be used in a library setting.

QR codes

QR codes are among the most common AR applications. They consist of simple computer-readable barcodes that can be scanned by a QR reader and connect the user to a website with more information about the item. The technology is relatively standardized and easy to implement. This makes it appealing to libraries that lack access to the programmers needed to develop new technologies. Because of their simplicity, QR codes, which appear as white squares with black geometric shapes, are now popular in many libraries and in marketing efforts of all kinds.

A QR code can easily be added to any library handout, brochure or even digital signage. Patrons who have a QR code reader on their phones or other devices can scan the code and usually be connected to a website, but QR codes can potentially do much more. While QR codes cannot run complex code, they can take users to a link that runs Javascript, download library contact information or other applications. They can also link to streaming audio files that can be implemented into library tours or scavenger hunts. If placed near physical objects, such as a reservable study room, they can be used to start a checkout process that uses a web interface.

Augmented objects

While increasing number of people have devices that can theoretically scan QR codes, the technology has never been seamless in practice. Producing QR codes is relatively easy but many patrons balk at the effort required to use them. Free QR readers are plentiful, but they are highly variable in terms of their reliability and ease of use. Most mobile devices do not have native QR applications, and many users do not perceive the reward for using QR codes as worth the effort.

After a few bad experiences, patrons are unlikely to open a QR code on their own initiative.

Augmented objects are a broader formation of AR that offer the possibility to apply the ideas behind QR codes to a wider range of objects and interactions. This technology could allow libraries to connect patrons with library resources that are relevant to a particular object. For example, patrons at an academic or school library could scan an actual syllabus or assignment. Initially, libraries would likely need to create a database of such documents so that they could then associate them directly with library resources designed to help the patron complete the assignment. In other settings, patrons could take a picture of their favorite novel, have it identified, and then receive book recommendations that are available from their local library. Unlike QR codes, new identifiable objects could be added to a database after their creation, allowing for more flexibility.

QR codes also only permit unidirectional communication, from the code to the device. However, AR can also enable patrons to interact with objects in real-time using a virtual interface. Consider one of the most ubiquitous objects in libraries: the book. Patrons could point their device at a print book in the library, and, once the book was recognized by their mobile device, it would bring up a searchable interface of the entire digital edition of the same text. Then patrons could truly experience the searchability and enhanced annotation features of an electronic book alongside the benefits of a print edition. Even reference books could be enhanced with additional AR functionality, displaying additional photographs or related virtual resources.

Near-field communication, geo-tagging and geolocation

When this type of technology is combined with geographic information about the location of the patron or the ability to have controlled near-field interactions between objects, then it becomes possible to imagine some truly extraordinary applications. Ambitious organizations are already beginning to add new information layers onto the real-world based on their collections. For example, the Tap and TourML toolkit (http://www.tapintomuseums.org) is specifically designed to enhance museum tours, while the “WolfWalk” (http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/dli/projects/wolfwalk) is being used in self-guided campus tours to provide historical information and photographs about North Carolina State University.

Libraries with historic image collections could also follow the model used by the city of Philadelphia (http://www.phillyhistory.org), which has integrated images from its historic photo archive that can recognize a user’s location based on his/her phone’s global positioning system. Users can then view historic photographs of from the archive that correspond to their current location. As projects like these develop, they will begin to allow for increasingly sophisticated interactions between geographically based historical data and the users surrounding physical space. Images from the real world could be seamlessly interposed with images of the same area from different eras. Already, projects such as Wikitude (http://www.wikitude.com) and Historypin (http://www.historypin.com) draw from existing data sources like Wikipedia, Twitter, YouTube and Google Maps to provide contextual information about buildings and locations.

AR can visually represent information about the space and collections in libraries and augment and reconfigure those visual representations in a myriad of ways. Virtual versions of special collection materials could be paired with their physical counterparts to allow for additional handling and manipulation. By connecting collections to secondary materials and metadata, the materials could become more interactive and allow patrons to interrogate the collection in more depth. This could also allow for new kinds of inquiry-based learning where the library could be a partner.

Routine tasks such as leading a patron to a book or conducting a library tour have the potential to be reimagined once it is possible to easily display virtual information alongside the physical world. Rather than attempting to master the local library’s organizational system, patrons could simply follow the red arrow on their phone until it brings them to the item they are looking for. This new location could then become a starting point for searching for additional cross-referenced materials in the collection. Self-directed tours or virtual scavenger hunts in the library could eventually contain almost limitless point-of-need information, represented in a range of formats.

None are these technologies are mutually exclusive; rather, they are all potentially complimentary. Near-field communication could allow patrons to use a mobile device as their library card, but it can also be layered onto augmented objects to allow for more robust communication with radio-frequency identification-equipped books.

Social possibilities

Of course, with enough programmers, at least some aspects of these ideas are already possible in more limited forms. What AR offers is the possibility of making these interactions more intuitive by relating them directly to the physical world. One of the remaining challenges then lies in locating sources of information about the physical objects that can be woven into this emerging virtual interface. AR applications such as the now defunct Stiktu (http://www.blog.stiktu.com) have attempted to solve that problem by crowdsourcing information, allowing users to contribute to the AR world around them. Libraries can participate in such efforts by adding information to physical objects in their spaces. Popularizing this type of technology, however, could also encourage patrons to add their own commentary. Patrons could leave book reviews embedded in the actual book or review various library services. This could have both benefits and drawbacks, particularly if the library is using third-party applications that they cannot moderate. Wear Ur World (http://www.pranavmistry.com/projects/sixthsense) takes a different route in creating content for AR. It draws on existing information, in this case online social networks, and attempts to use facial recognition technology to match people in the real world with their existing online social network information and display them side-by-side.

Library solutions

One of the biggest challenges to AR remains the lack of standardized technology and easy –to-use applications. Many of the previous examples require dedicated programmers to create the unique program. Few libraries can afford programming teams, and once the application has been developed, the end-user must be persuaded to download and use a new interface before they can access the resources provided by the AR. One solution to this problem is to start with applications that target library employees, who are often willing to engage with technology that is too clunky for popular usage. ShelvAR (http://www.shelvar.com) is experimenting with using AR to provide a visual overlay for inventory control and shelf-reading in libraries. It is much easier to notice when something is out place if you have a visual overlay that makes evident how the shelf should look.

Another method for overcoming the challenges inherent to AR technology is to mitigate the number of variables by having patrons checkout standardized equipment with AR software already installed. For instance, many current-generation mobile devices lack the geographic precision to allow for detailed wayfinding inside of a building. However, libraries could check out devices with the proper capabilities and allow them to be used for enhanced AR library tours. It could be self-guided or led by a library employee. When a patron takes an interest in a service of feature highlighted by their guide, they could access point of need information about it in real-time. As AR develops, libraries have an opportunity to be some of the first places patrons encounter new devices, and libraries could help them come to appreciate these new ways of interacting with information in the world.

Final thoughts

AR stands at a nexus point between many other technologies, each with its own challenges. Just as it offers patrons new ways to interact with information, it creates a new arena for that information to be controlled. Similar to how Google maps censors different information based on local laws and societal norms, the information displayed through AR applications could vary based on who provides it and the entities that can moderate that information. Libraries have a long history of helping their communities establish norms about sharing information.

It is difficult to fully anticipate all of the potential consequences of AR’s widespread use. Many of its features have not yet been standardized and a lot hinges on the details of its implementation. However, many of its common features indicate the types of privacy concerns that will need to be grappled with. AR technology frequently uses object and facial recognition, location-based services and draws from existing social networks and other large data sources. All of this is done on mobile devices that often contain information about the unique identity of their owner. Moreover, these devices could easily be used to gather information about the people and the world around them, with or without their explicit consent. Privacy violations could occur, accomplished either through hacking or simply due to the devices’ ability to consolidate virtual information with their physical counterparts in unexpected ways.

Google and many other companies are already investing heavily in the potential of AR to change how people think about and interact with information in the world around them. Libraries have an opportunity to help shape how this technology is used and find ways to use it to benefit our patrons.

Peter Fernandez
(pfernand@utk.edu) is based at Pendergrass Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Library, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA