My Innovation Strategy & Roadmap explores how Citizen Science can transform libraries and empower library users to actively engage in scientific research, collaborate with professional scientists, and contribute to real-world issues. Using an influential organization like SciStarter as my guide, I learned how science is made accessible to all through citizen science projects, events, and resources like pre-made project kits. My goal with this assignment is to demonstrate how libraries can adopt these impactful projects to spark curiosity and creativity in library patrons — especially children — by providing them with tools that anyone can use to actively and meaningfully contribute to real-world research and scientific discovery.
It is not only necessary but vital for libraries to explore and embrace new service models that adapt to the evolving needs of their communities, shifting away from the outdated, conventional practices. One such model is the open library model, where library staff hours are combined with self-service to offer patrons greater access to the library by simply unlocking the doors with a keycard and pin code as video surveillance and RFID technology tracks their movements. This model has been highly successful in Denmark, attracting many happy loyal fans and even inspiring some to visit the library for the first time (Holmquist, 2016).
Open+ Access Puts Library Staff Front & Center. Sourced from Bibliotheca (n.d.).
Swipe, type and enter. Sourced from Scandinavian Public Library Quarterly (n.d.).
Despite this technology allowing more libraries to increase their opening hours and stay open among widespread budget cuts, some locations across London have received backlash over safety concerns, such as disabled patrons being left alone and unable to access disabled toilets during unstaffed hours. Most of the contention, however, lies within north London’s Barnet borough, where 10 out of 14 libraries have part-time staffing while the rest are volunteer-run. As a result, Barnet’s council opted to use security guards for the entrances rather than raising staff hours, despite there being 33% less full-time working librarians since 2010 (Murray, 2019).
Campaigners in Barnet, London, protest against cuts to libraries. Photo by Erini Rodis. Sourced from The Guardian (2019).
Furthermore, this video made by the Edgware Library in Barnet presents a few crucial risks inherent within the open library model.
Although I don’t want to discredit the many benefits this model has created for patrons around the globe, it’s important to not allow it to be used against information professionals under the guise of budget cuts or unavailable funding.
Because encouraging and inspiring staff members to view themselves as part wizards, geniuses, and explorers rather than mere part-time employees is how leading institutions, like the Anythink libraries, actually builds community through human connection, information, and engagement (Anythink Libraries, n.d.).
Anythink Backyard Concert Series. Sourced from Anythink Libraries Events (n.d.).
The rapid technological advancement of the last decade has significantly transformed museums worldwide, reshaping how they engage with their visitors. Some believe that it has connected more visitors to museum exhibits and artifacts than ever before, while others disagree.
As culturally hyperlinked environments, museums are some of the world’s leading institutions in utilizing incredibly innovative and emerging digital tools for enhancing user experiences.
For example, Tokyo’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation features the 6-meter OLED globe, Geo-Cosmos, to visualize near real-time changes occurring on Earth through geodata.
Geo-Cosmos. Sourced from Miraikan (n.d.).
In 2019, the Prado Museum in Madrid introduced its first 360-degree immersive experience using virtual reality.
Virtual Tours. Sourced from Museo Del Prado (n.d.).
The Prado Museum | Madrid | Spain. Sourced from 360 Cities (2021).
In 2016, the National Museum of Singapore launched its Story of the Forest exhibition as an immersive, larger-than-life digital installation that would, along with a smartphone app, provide detailed information about the animated animals among the illuminated trees.
Story of the Forest. Sourced from teamLab (2016).
Interview: teamLab. Sourced from TimeOut (2016).
In 2017, visitors to London’s Science Museum were able to immerse themselves in UK space travel history through a VR mission that reenacted British astronaut Tim Peake’s 400 km journey back to Earth, featuring a 12-minute video narrated by him while offering a unique view inside the Soyuz space capsule – an experience difficult to replicate without the use of technology (Charr, 2020).
Moreover, researchers at the Melbourne Museum discovered that Bluetooth technology can enhance visitors’ experiences by (consensually) tracking highly engaged visitors’ movement to provide them with personalized guides based on their visitation patterns (Oliveira & Barba, 2018).
However, opponents argue that althoughsocial media has sparked renewed interest into museums and garnered greater attention, attendance and revenue, it’s uncertain whether visitors are there to genuinely appreciate the art or make their next instagram reel (Daily Bruin Staff, 2016).
Photo by Maria Mena. Sourced from CanadianArt (2017).
Consequently, Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum created the #Startdrawing campaign to strongly discourage the use of cameras / mobile phones, encouraging guests to sketch the artworks rather than solely snapping pictures of them (Wanshel, 2015).
