“Through the looking glass: envisioning new library technologies” pandemic response technologies: tracking technologies and artificial intelligence

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on tracking technologies and artificial intelligence, two technologies many of us carry as part of our smartphones every day in the context of the 2020 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This column is part of a series using examples and headlines generated by this unique pandemic to explore larger technological trends and to provide a glimpse into the future of these underlying technologies.

Findings

Looking ahead, it is clear that the current pandemic has heightened the value and importance of these technologies, accelerating existing trends and heightening the importance for information professionals to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Originality/value

This column will help information professionals have the context they need to understand these technologies as they evolve and enable them to prepare their organizations and communities to effectively use, promote and develop policies to deal with them. Once a technology has been integrated into our lives, its impact can feel invisible, regardless of its impact. Over time, as the technology continues to improve and change, those evolutions may remain unseen. Yet, extraordinary circumstances, such as a global pandemic, can provide a new lens for understanding these underlying technologically evolutionary trends. This is particularly true if the technology interacts with our lives in novel ways.

Citation

Fernandez, P. (2020), "“Through the looking glass: envisioning new library technologies” pandemic response technologies: tracking technologies and artificial intelligence", Library Hi Tech News, Vol. 37 No. 10, pp. 17-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHTN-08-2020-0072