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2022, Vol. 0(0) 1–6
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DOI: 10.1177/02663821221110042
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Smart libraries: Changing the paradigms of
library services
Kingsley N Igwe
King David University of Medical Sciences, Nigeria
Abdulakeem S Sulyman
Kwara State University, Nigeria
Abstract
Libraries as social spaces are bound to evolve based on a society’s level of civilisation and information media. This paper
argues that the emergence of smart libraries have changed the paradigms of library by acknowledging the potential benefits
and transformation smart library brings to library operations and services. It notes that analytical and computational
thinking, data literacy, information literacy, social intelligence, programs and project management, cross-cultural com-
petency, transliteracy, transdisciplinary, design thinking and mindset, virtual collaboration and cognitive load management
are skills to be possessed by smart librarians. It highlights cloud computing, big data, 3D printing, IoT, Artificial Intelligence,
RFID, drones etc., as the emerging technologies used for smart libraries and further discusses smart services, smart people,
smart places and smart governance as the dimensions of smart library. Revelations are further made that smart libraries aid
space saving, expansion of library working hours and services and promotes access to information, while remarks are made
that lack of technological know-how, technophobia, data privacy and security, etc., are the challenges of smart library. It
concludes that the emergence of smart library have facilitated the redefinition of library services and operations and
recommends amongst others that librarians should continuously update their skills so that they can meet up with
competitions that may arise from the challenges of globalisation of the information landscape.
Keywords
Libraries, emerging technologies, smart governance, smart libraries, smart people, smart place, smart services
Introduction
Libraries have been defined by various scholars and intellec-
tuals at different stages of social changes and human evolutions,
using information media, services, users and civilisation as the
metrics for their conceptions of libraries. And since libraries are
collections of information resources gathered, processed, or-
ganised, stored, accessed, disseminated and used to meet the
research, reference, recreation and reading thirsts of users, it is
therefore imperative for libraries to be one of the institutions
that will always respond to changes in every society.
That need to respond to changes has made libraries to
have undergone series of transformation, most especially in
this era of technological advancements. Mattel as cited in
Sch¨
opfel (2018) who sees libraries maintaining their rele-
vance in the society, despite technological advancements
notes that libraries are social and technological-intellectual
infrastructures that are essential elements in a larger network
of public services and knowledge institutions.
The library is an organic environment situated within the
public sphere to act as a nexus point for growth and ex-
change of information (Irvin, as cited in Usman et al., 2021)
within a society and libraries achieved the mandates for
which they are established in the society by basing their
services and activities on the integration of emerging
technologies to provide quality and smart information
services to their users by creating both physical and virtual
hubs of knowledge consumption and production.
Orji and Anyira (2021) observed that libraries are one of
the rare places where technology and even productivity
meet communal and human values. And the obvious that
technological evolution always gain wider acceptance
among human beings makes it a preeminent tool that must
Corresponding author:
Abdulakeem S Sulyman.
Email: Sulymansodiq.a.1524@gmail.com
always be at forefront of providing information to users.
Emerging technologies don’t only make library services
fast, it makes it smart. Smart in the sense that adoption of
emerging technologies will lead to users-centered and users-
friendly services and also result in users gravitating towards
smart libraries when they experience quality service (Yusuf
et al., 2019).
Smart libraries are libraries that evolved as a result of
advanced latest technologies that make provision of library
services possible by relying on sophisticated machines that
are programmed with innate intelligence to respond to
users’requests without the intervention of librarians. Orji
and Anyira (2021) corroborated that smart libraries are
smart because they rely on the use of machines programmed
with human intelligence to perform library functions as if
they are trained librarians. In sum, a smart library is a
conglomeration of hardware and software installed to act as
librarians in smart patterns.
Purpose of this paper
The major purpose this paper will serve is to argue for the
potential benefits and transformations smart library will
bring to library operations and services. Since the core
functions of libraries are to gather, process, arrange and
disseminate information to target users, the emergence and
applications of the state-of-the-art technologies for infor-
mation services delivery in libraries become inevitable.
Meeting this inevitability gives libraries the edges to use
smart resources through smart automation and technologies
to render smart services for library users through smart
processes and methods.
Hence, this paper is designed to show how smart libraries
can change the paradigms of library services by revealing
some emerging technologies that can be used for smart
libraries, indicating the skills required for librarians to
maximise the services of smart libraries, identifying the
edges emerging technologies give to smart libraries and
discussing some challenges limiting libraries from transiting
to smart library.
Smart libraries: Conceptual analysis
The concept of smart library comes into being as a result of
aggregation of the words “smart”and “library.”Having
explain what a library is, repeating the meaning and defi-
nition of library will hereby be avoided by focusing on the
meaning of the word “smart.”The word “smart”refers
mainly to efficiency due to the use of technologies and to an
automatisation of processes to facilitate the working and
everyday environment (Freyberg, 2019). Adetayo et al.
(2021) further asserted that the word “smart”has several
connotations, such as efficient, sustainable, equitable,
habitable, instrumented and networked; having or showing
a quick-witted intelligence (Orji and Anyira, 2021). The
connotations of “smart”can simply be summarised to mean
that being smart amounts to intelligence, having a quick
cognitive capacity.
To minimise the misconceptions of “smart,”its relevance
to this context will hereby be justified within the purview of
the intelligent aspect of its meaning. Psychologists such as
Daniel Goleman, Howard Gardner has defined intelligence
in different ways, with all of them basing their definitions on
contexts. Sulyman (2022) therefore aptly sees intelligence
as the ability to be aware or sensitive to a particular con-
dition, identify the factors associated with it and use those
factors for decision making.
The above description of intelligence thus behooves that
every entity has potential to be smart if it is designed or
programmed for such. And this is what prompted Markus
Aittola, a Finnish library researcher, to coin the notion of a
“smart library”in 2003. Since then, various researchers and
scholars in the field of Library and Information Science
have define smart library as the networking and intercon-
nection of technological devices for library services and
operations.
Cao et al. (as cited in Adetayo et al., 2021)defined smart
library as a library fitted with technology, not physically
staffed and still available to the public. The technology the
library is fitted with allows for remote management of its
facilities, such as automated doors, lighting, self-service
kiosks, and public computers. Smart library involves the
adoption of “smart”ways to solve the challenges of un-
precedented data growth and technological changes, using
new technologies to improve library services (Gaohui et al.,
2018).
Smart library focuses on the application of smart com-
puting technologies to make a city’s essential infrastructure
processes and services more intelligent, interconnected and
efficient for the collection, organisation, storage, distribu-
tion, transfer, sharing, retrieval, accessing, dissemination
and utilisation of library operations and services. Smart
library involves the processes and ways of managing and
handling information in less linear, less structured but in a
more creative and innovative ways (Sch ¨
opfel, 2018).
Nahak and Padhi (2019) observed that the best practice
in library revolves around the optimum utilization of space,
service and service visibility and smart library facilitates
those by allowing anybody who has a computer and con-
nection to the library networks to access not only the re-
sources of that library but also a variety of information
available through national and international networks like
internet and intranet without being physically present in the
library.
Baryshev et al. (2018) submitted that smart libraries have
transformed the operations and services of traditional li-
braries through the integration of strategic design and im-
plementation of advanced technologies, such as cloud
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computing, data mining and AI. It makes use of smart
technologies like artificial intelligence, drones, 3D printing,
IoT, RFID and various internet connected devices in a smart
environment to perform library operations and deliver its
services (Nahak and Padhi, 2019;Orji and Anyira, 2021;
Sch¨
opfel, 2018).
Skills of smart librarians
Skills are methods of doing a job in the best possible way.
They involve making the best use of limited resources to
achieve the organizational goals. Skills are indispensable in
the information profession such as customer need skills,
retrieving and searching skills, managerial and leadership
skills, reference services skills (Ayinde and Kirkwood,
2020). It is obvious that skills are not static; they are an
evolving aspect of every profession because professionals
who are empowered and equipped with requisite skills
always have the edge to remain in practice above their
colleagues failed to develop themselves with emerging
trends and practice.
Ayinde and Kirkwood (2020) identified sense making,
social intelligence, novel and adaptive thinking, cross-
cultural competency, computational thinking, trans-
literacy, transdisciplinary, design thinking and mindset,
virtual collaboration and cognitive load management as the
skills required for information professionals to survive in
the fourth Industrial Revolution. Further, smart librarians
must have information literacy, analytical thinking skills,
emotional intelligence, data literacy, system analysis and
design, program and project management skills, etc.
Some emerging technologies used for smart
library services
Technology is advancing at an alarming rate that becomes a
challenge for library and information professionals to meet
up with. Emerging technologies come with various features,
guidelines and functions that make them to be thoroughly
considered for quality, efficient and effective library ser-
vices. Based on the empirical evidences (Pal and Sharma,
2017;Ramasany and Kadry, 2021), the following advanced
technologies can be deployed for smart libraries services:
1. Cloud Computing: Cloud computing is an evolving
technology that offers opportunities to libraries that
need to provide limitless or timeless services to
users. It is a very flexible model that allows libraries
to build or prepare their own application which can
be used by other libraries through internet and also
provides a common computing platform (Dastagiri
and Kumar, 2017). Alizahed and Hassan (2013)
described cloud computing as virtual platform that
is user friendly, permits on demand access to shared
computing resources like storage, servers, networks,
applications and services that are fast to launch and
implement with minimum interference from man-
agement or services providers.
2. Internet of Things (IoT): IoT refers to the evolu-
tionary stage of the internet that makes a global
communication infrastructure between humans and
machines. IoT constructs the global infrastructure to
change the fundamental aspects of humans’lives,
which library and information services are part of. It
appeared as a powerful technique with technological
appliances in numerous domains. Its devices are
linked mutually to develop specific purpose schemes
and uses nodes (sensor) to broadcast information to
users or any other devices over the internet. IoT
nodes embed into industrial equipment, mobile and
medical instruments, wireless sensors. The accessi-
bility of low cost and smart devices make the IoT
network refers to as smart system (Ramasany and
Kadry, 2021) and make it qualify for the delivery of
smart library services.
3. Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is also known as
machine intelligence. It is an intelligence demon-
strated by machines, in contrast to the natural in-
telligence displayed by humans and other animals.
Some of the activities that AI is designed to do are
speech recognition, learning, planning, perception,
logical reasoning and problem solving. The algo-
rithms embedded in AI make it capable of predicting
and adapting, makes decisions on its own, contin-
uously learn, forward-looking, motion and percep-
tion (Saleh, 2019). These qualities of AI make it a
veritable tool for smart library services. For instance,
AI can be programmed to be delivering information
to users at stipulated time without the librarian’s
interventions.
4. 3D Printing: 3D printing technology has developed
from the layer-by-layer fabrication technology of
three-dimensional (3D) structures directly from
computer-aided design (CAD) drawing. 3D printing
technology is a truly innovative that emerged as a
versatile technology stage. It opens new opportu-
nities and gives hope to many possibilities for li-
braries looking to improve printing and publishing
efficiency. 3D printing technology has revolutionise
the information industries and change their pro-
duction line. 3D printing technology is increasingly
used for the mass customisation, production of any
types of open source designs in the fields of
knowledge (Shahrubudin et al., 2019).
5. Big Data: Big data refers to the evolution and use of
technologies that provide the right user at the right
time with the right information from a mass of data
Igwe and Sulyman 3
that has been growing exponentially for a long time
in the society. Big Data is invented by the giants of
the web and presents itself as a solution designed to
provide users a real-time access to giant databases.
Big Data defines a category of techniques and
technologies used in the analysis of complex data-
sets. Big Data has velocity, veracity, volume, variety
and values as its attributes (Riahi and Riahi, 2018).
6. Drones: A drone is an unmanned aircraft or ship
guided by remote control or onboard computers. It is
aflying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly
autonomously through software-controlled flight
plans in their embedded systems, working in con-
junction with onboard sensors and GPS. It can also
be seen as an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or
aircrafts with no on-board crew or passengers that
can be automated drones or remotely piloted vehicles
(RPVs) (Uddin, 2020). Drones can be used for se-
curity and book delivery in the library.
7. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): RFID is a
wireless technology mainly used for automatic
identification using radio-waves to detect, track,
identify, and thus manage various objects and people
(Pal and Sharma, 2017). RFID is the latest tech-
nology to be used in libraries to ensure security and
facilitate innovative services. It is an automatic radio
communications technology that functions through
wireless radio communication to identify docu-
ments. Its basic components include a reader or
interrogator, and radio frequency (RF) transponder
that transfers data by radiating electro-magnetic
channels. RFID system can also be used to store
data suitable by use of tags (transponders) on which
information can be written and updated. This implies
that information stored in RFID chips can be read
and updated from remote distances. Data stored on
RFID can be retrieved, transferred by use of
machine-readable equipment for various application
systems (Pal and Sharma, 2017).
Dimensions of smart library
Smart library is a product of library and information
practitioners’response to the trend of smart city initiatives
with components such as smart economy, smart mobility,
smart environment, smart people, smart living and smart
governance. But Sch¨
opfel (2018) argues that since smart
library allows the consistent description of some particular
developments and realisations of public and academic li-
braries in urban settings and on scientific campuses, con-
tributes to a new and dynamic vision of the libraries of
tomorrow, helps to define objectives and strategies for li-
brary marketing and advocacy, its description and devel-
opment can be useful to distinguish in four dimensions:
1. Smart services: These are end products of smart
actions or works produced and traded by the library
which are expected to be consumed by the users in
smart ways. Smart services can be provided to the
users through RFID, mobile and wireless access,
remote assistance, semantic web, and AI, IoT, ma-
chine translation, voice and image recognition,
sensor, CCTV, natural language processing, aug-
mented reality for delivering new experiences in
(Nahak and Padhi, 2019) harnessing the contents of
information resources.
2. Smart people: These are the individuals who are
carrying out library services or making use of library
resources in smart ways. Sch ¨
opfel (2018) submitted
that smart libraries are made for and with smart
people. Not only are smart library services user-
friendly and user-centered, they are also grounded
in the vision or assumption of the smart library user
as an active (co)-producer of knowledge and not as a
passive consumer of information.
3. Smart place: This is a location, position or open
space where information are acquired, processed,
disseminated and used in smart patterns. Sch ¨
opfel
(2018) asserts that smart library comprises “smart
environment”and environmental monitoring. He
further posited that in fact, we can distinguish two
different aspects - green library and environment -
that combine innovative qualities from the green
library and describes the transformation of the tra-
ditional library building and functioning into a smart
place that contributes as much to the sustainable
development as to the smartness of the city.
4. Smart governance: These are the processes, pro-
cedures or systems being deployed in delivering
library services in smart ways. Smart governance
involves collaboration, cooperation, partnership,
users’engagement and participation. Through smart
library, the users become stakeholder of the library
and takes part in the library management and ad-
ministration (Nahak and Padhi, 2019).
Edges of smart libraries
Smart libraries hold enormous potential libraries can ex-
plore and exploits. Generally, smart libraries facilitate
systematic development of collections, store, and organise
information and knowledge in digital formats and provide
easy and affordable access to information and knowledge in
various locations with the aid of emerging technologies
(Nahak and Padhi, 2019). Smart library is giving edges to
library operations and services in the following ways:
1. Smart library aids the expansion of libraries
working hours and services: The smart library is a
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collection of technologies across different areas that
are networked and connected to share data and in-
formation resources. This therefore aids the expan-
sion library services hours, allowing more users to
utilise the library when convenient for them.
2. Smart library facilitates access to information:
The smart library contains in its holdings, infor-
mation materials from different sources in different
electronic formats which have been packaged, coded
and arranged in ways they can be easily tracked and
retrieved by users.
3. Smart library eliminates geographic/location
barriers: The collections of smart libraries are
stored across different geographical locations, re-
gardless of their distances and users can access those
collections without hindrances as long as there is no
breach of regulatory policy or guidelines.
4. Smart library encourages space saving: The smart
library doesn’t require excessive space for it to be set
up and has the capacity to hold with ease, collections
from millions to billions.
5. Smart library is cost-effective: The smart library is
cost-effective in the sense that the qualities of its
services justify its cost. Though, the amount spent on
purchasing the technologies to get it on track are
capital intensive, but the ease, quality and master-
class services it offers make the cost worth being
paid.
6. Smart library increases visibility of library ser-
vices: The smart library brings new experiences to
the library users. The new experiences users have
will trigger to be promoting the library name among
themselves, praising the library services and rec-
ommending the library to potential users.
Challenges of smart library
Since the smart library is developed in response to tech-
nological improvement and changes, its effective deploy-
ment is bound to be hampered by series of factors such as
inadequate training of the library personnel, varied ICT
policies and infrastructure in different countries, incessant
changes in technologies when the existing ones have not
being exploited and network failure. Other factors that pose
challenges to smart libraries are:
1. Technology-oriented: The smooth and efficient
running of smart libraries require application of
emerging technologies. Therefore, the dependency
on advanced technologies such as 3D printers, AI,
drones, cloud computing, etc., to make smart li-
braries possible becomes a challenge for libraries.
2. Lack of technological know-how of librarians:
The exploitation of advanced technologies for the
services of smart library required trending ICT skills,
expertise and competencies which most librarians
who will manage and operate smart libraries may not
have.
3. Technophobia: Many librarians are not friendly
with ICT gadgets because of their impression that it
would take over their jobs. This belief makes it
difficult for emerging ICT related services in libraries
to survive.
4. Data privacy and security: The uploading of in-
formation on the internet and clouds makes it dif-
ficult for libraries to protect and secure their data and
that of their users.
5. Poor power supply: The smart library required
reliable and stable power supply, since it efficient
operations depend on technologies. Hence, failure to
provide reliable power supply poses a challenge to
the operation of smart library.
6. ICT infrastructure: Smart library doesn’t just come
into being; it is an evolutionary process influenced
by the integration of emerging technologies for in-
formation services. Hence, its availability and usage
are determined by the level of the existing basic ICT
structures like nodes, internet or intranet, ICT policy
and procedures, computers, etc., that a library has in
place.
Conclusion and recommendations
The emergence of smart library have facilitated the redef-
inition of library services and operations by driving the
creation, organisation, preservation, conservation, distri-
bution, accessibility and use of information resources of
libraries through the emerging technologies. The emerging
technologies have helped in changing the paradigms of
libraries from just-in-case to just-in time. Creating this new
experience has therefore enable libraries to provide services
to their users in a fast, efficient and intelligent ways, which
have resulted in extending the library working hours, in-
crease the library visibility and eliminates time and geo-
graphical barriers.
However, the smart library is facing some challenging
affecting libraries from using it to edge beyond the services
of traditional libraries. Based on the observations of this
paper, the following recommendations are hereby made:
1. Libraries should be adequately funded so that they
would be financially capable to purchase the
emerging technologies needed to initiate and operate
smart libraries.
2. Librarians should see ICT gadgets as enablers of
efficient and effective information services delivery,
rather than perceiving it as their competitor that will
lay them off their jobs.
Igwe and Sulyman 5
3. Librarians should work on their ICT efficacy so that
it will strengthen their confidence to make friend
with ICT facilities, navigates it and use it optimally
to render information services.
4. Librarians should partner and collaborate with other
information practitioners and stakeholders to put in
place the ICT infrastructures required for advanced
library services.
5. Librarians should continuously update their skills so
that they can meet up with competitions that may
arise from the challenges of globalisation of the
information landscape.
Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with re-
spect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, au-
thorship, and/or publication of this article.
ORCID iD
Abdulakeem S Sulyman https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9139-
3273
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Dr. Igwe, K.N. is a lecturer distinguished scholar and lec-
turer of Library and Information Science. He has written
articles in both local and international journals. He has also
authored books, contributed chapters in books and present
papers in seminars, workshops and conferences.
Abdulakeem Sodeeq SULYMAN is an enthusiast of self-
education and personal development who currently studies
Library and Information Science at the Institute of Pro-
fessional and Continuous Education, Kwara State Univer-
sity, Malete, Kwara State, Nigeria. He is the co-author of
“Responsible Living: Live to Fulfill Your Potential and The
Path to Greatness”and an active contributor of academic
articles in journals in Library and Information Science, both
locally and internationally.
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