David Lee King

social media | emerging trends | libraries

Emerging Trends and Libraries

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As you might have noticed, I’ve been writing about different emerging trends lately.

I plan on continuing that for awhile, and thought I’d make a handy list of the whole series of articles. As I add articles to the series, I’ll update this blog post.

Here’s that list – Emerging Trends and Libraries:

Hope you enjoy them, and hope you find this list useful!

Image from Elizabeth Hahn

Big Data and Libraries

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This is my continuing series on emerging technology trends and libraries. This week’s trend focuses on Big Data.

You’ve probably read about “Big Data” in the news. But do you know what it is? Hopefully this article will point you in the right direction!

First, for a definition of Big Data (from wherever Google gets their definitions): “extremely large data sets that may be analyzed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and associations, especially relating to human behavior and interactions.”

That’s a good start. Wikipedia expands on this: “Current usage of the term “big data” tends to refer to the use of predictive analytics, user behavior analytics, or certain other advanced data analytics methods that extract value from data, and seldom to a particular size of data set.”

I like Wikipedia’s additional info, because they’re pointing out something really important about big data as a useful tool: the amount of data is important, but more important is what you do with those data sets.

What can you do with Big Data?

Big Data is intertwined with other emerging trends, like Smart Cities, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things. They all interact to do cool stuff. For example:

  • Healthcare issues. This article shares how a doctor was able to cure his wife of cancer by using the power of big data.
  • Weather tracking. There are a lot of weather sensors deployed around the world that collect and share weather pattern data. This helps meteorologists have more accurate weather reports, and also helps give us early signs of larger natural disasters.
  • Tracking customers. Coca-Cola is using big data to track customer retention.
  • Uber’s surge pricing. Surge pricing is dynamic pricing that adjusts based on demand, mostly seen in busy urban areas (i.e., never in Topeka, KS).

Potential Negatives of Big Data

So Big Data does some pretty cool stuff! Any negatives associated with using big data? Sure there are. Here are some:

  • Privacy concerns. Somewhere in all that big data is something about me. Stuff maybe I want to keep private. That is not guaranteed in today’s online world.
  • Security concerns. All that data out there … it can be hacked.
  • Probably a host of other issues, too!

Big Data and Libraries

How can libraries use big data to make better decisions, create better services, etc? Here are some examples:

  • GIS mapping. My library has used our patron database combines with GIS mapping to find out more about our customers, where our non-customers live, etc. We used that to increase library card holders.
  • Buying better stuff. Or at least stuff that people want to check out. There are tools out there to help with that, including Collection HQ or Gale’s Analytics on Demand can help with that.
  • Tracking other library-related analytics. Check out OrangeBoy, CIVICTechnologies, and Patron Point for starters.
  • Washburn University example. Here’s an example from Topeka’s local university. The library used data to help improve student retention (and getting more students into the library).

More reading on Big Data:

My Boss is a Robot

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This is my continuing series on emerging technology trends and libraries. This week’s trend focuses on shifts in the job world.

Ok – my boss isn’t really a robot. But as smart machines, artificial intelligence, and big data continue to grow and mature, it’s very possible that some performance-based jobs will be measured by a machine instead of a human. Hence – a robo-boss.

I know – that sounds sorta weird! But guess what? Some people already have robot bosses! Some examples:

  • Uber drivers. They interact with their mobile app, which gives them pickup requests, provides performance feedback, etc.
  • Starbucks – uses a software program to schedule baristas, based on sales and other data.
  • Hitachi has experimented with warehouse robot bosses (more here)

While you might not have a robot as a boss, there are a lot of jobs that are being replaced by smart machines. Some examples include:

  • Writers: Business-focused content like shareholder reports (who the heck actually reads those?), legal documents, short sports articles, etc. can be automated.
  • Paralegal research: Hunting for specific words or phrases in a bunch of legal documents can be automated.
  • Call centers: That first-tier, “let me help direct you to the right person” part of the call is already automated.
  • Drivers: Taxi drivers and truck drivers. Companies are experimenting with driverless taxis, and the trucking industry has been saying that there will be automated truck deliveries within 5-10 years.
  • Warehouse workers: Amazon has already replaced some warehouse workers with their Kiva robots.

Any library examples? Besides the paralegal research example seen above (that one strikes pretty close to home), there are some examples. Not completely replacing jobs, but replacing human work with automated work:

  • Automated Materials Handling (AMH) systems – they presort returned items so people don’t have to.
  • Online desk scheduling systems: Not quite AI yet, but some of these systems are smart enough to automatically schedule another person to work a desk when someone calls in sick, and it certainly keeps the schedule so you don’t have to.

There are probably other examples – do you have any? Please share!

More more information:

Emerging Trends at NLA2018

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Last week, I gave a couple of talks at the Nebraska Library Association 2018 conference. Nicely-done conference! I gave a 3-hour preconference on Emerging Technology Trends for libraries (slides included in this post) and was on a panel focused on neutrality in libraries. No notes from that, but it seemed to go well, and there was a lot of great discussion, different viewpoints, etc.

Anyway – I promised I’d post my slides … so here they are!

Chatbots and Libraries

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This is my continuing series on emerging technology trends and libraries. This week’s trend explores the world of Chatbots.

What’s a Chatbot? Chatbots are called many things besides just “chatbot.” You might also know them as conversational agents, intelligent chatbots, interactive agents, or talkbots.

Chatbots are pretty much apps that talk back to you (my definition). Here’s a better definition from Wordstream: “… software applications that mimic written or spoken human speech for the purposes of simulating a conversation or interaction with a real person.”

This interaction is mostly done via chat boxes on websites. But they can also be found in call centers. In a call center environment, chatbots take care of very low-level transactions, like changing a password, requesting an account balance, or scheduling an appointment without having to talk to a real person.

The same basic transactions can be handled with a text-based chatbot on a website.

Chatbots use Natural Language Processing, much like virtual assistants such as Google Assistant, or Apple Siri. They attempt to sound (or read) very “real,” so the transaction has a more human feel to it. Very different from a phone tree in a call center or typing answers to questions on a web-based form.

Examples of Chatbots include:

  • Health-based. Some chatbots are used in medical diagnoses, dementia patient monitoring, and basic information gathering.
  • Facebook Messenger and Twitter DMs – these are both good places to see chatbots in action.
  • Chatbots within mobile apps. My bank app has one (Erica in the Bank of America app). The Starbucks app has a chatbot that helps you order coffee. Lyft has one that works with Facebook Messenger and Amazon Echo. Fandango also has a app that works with Facebook Messenger.
  • eBay’s chatbot works with Google Assistant.

Chatbots in the library?

How about having a chatbot for the library? Chatbots answer basic, always-asked questions. A library chatbot could answer a variety of questions, like:

  • Questions about hours, locations, and upcoming events. Maybe it could even capture event registrations.
  • With a good API connection, a chatbot could tell a customer when their books are due, or take fine payment information.
  • Facebook Messenger chatbots. You could build your chatbots to operate within Facebook Messenger. If you get a lot of questions there, it’s definitely something to think about.
  • Chat-based reference. Have a chat-based reference service? It’s very possible your chatbot could answer basic questions, freeing up your staff’s time to answer harder questions or focus on other tasks.

Articles for more information about Chatbots:

Build your own chatbot! Here are a couple of chatbot builder tools to check out (all mostly built on the Facebook Messenger platform):

Does your library use chatbots? Please share!