Embedded Files
What Is It?
Robotics is employed in a variety of ways across library operations to enhance outcomes, improve efficiency, and assume laborious tasks so staff members can dedicate on most-valuable work. Robotics support library logistics behind the scenes and increase operational efficiency and accuracy. Using autonomous mobile robots, automated guided vehicles, and robotic arms, they process, transport, and deliver library materials, perform inventory and shelf-reading, and search for and locate materials.
Use Case - National Library of Australia
At the National Library of Australia, a fleet of automated guided robots, nicknamed Isaac, work in tandem with library staff in delivering books from library’s sprawling underground bookstacks to reading rooms for requestors. The robots can carry up to 60 kilograms and travels about five kilometers per day. With laser and sonar sensors, Isaac can traverse narrow aisles and avoid obstacles as well as warn people of their approach (Black, 2018).
Left: Isaac in action
Use Case - Helsinki City Library
Helsinki City Library in Finland employs three mobile robots for perform menial tasks related to inventory management. Two of the robots, Patu and Tatu, are programmed to serve as book couriers that transport books from the automated sorter machine to staging areas for staff to shelve (411ninja, 2021). The library also uses two robot arms to sort and shelve returned books. The library also has plan to deploy robots for shelf-reading during the night when the library is closed (Scott 2019). A third robot, Veera, is designed as a social robot that guides patrons to find books (Axelsson, 2019).
Left Top: Automated book sorter, shelf and book courier robots in action at Helsinki City Library
Left Bottom: Oodi, the new Helsinki Library, has robots to help reshelve books
Use Case - Tsukuba City Central Library
At the Tsukuba City Central Library in Japan, Thouzer, a transport robot cart, can carry up to 120 kg of books (Harada, 2019). Using a laser sensor, Thouzer follows a library staff to collect books left in the re-shelving area.
Use Case - Google BookBot
Mountain View Public Library partnered with Google to test BookBot, an experimental delivery robot that allows patrons to return return library checkout items.
And potential issues!
References
411ninja (January 10, 2021). Robots can put away books, but they can’t do a reference interview: The future of robotics in the library. INF506 Online Journal. https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/triciainf506/2021/01/10/olj-18-robots-can-put-away-books-but-they-cant-do-a-reference-interview/
Axelsson, M. (July 25, 2019). The little robot that lived at the library: How we built an emotive social robot to guide library customers to books. Medium. https://towardsdatascience.com/the-little-robot-that-lived-at-the-library-90431f34ae2c
Baldassari, E. (March 9, 2019). Meet BookBot: Mountain View library's newest robot helper. https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/03/09/meet-bookbot-mountain-view-librarys-newest-robot-helper/
Black, M. (August 16, 2018). High-tech robot couriers set efficiency in motion at the National Library of Australia. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-17/robot-couriers-set-efficiency-in-motion-at-national-library/10118356
Blakemore, E. (2016). SINGAPORE’S LIBRARY ROBOT. Library journal (1976). 2016;141(15):13-13.
Ehrenberg, I, Floerkemeier C, Sarma S. (2007). Inventory management with an RFID-equipped mobile robot. In: 2007 IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering. IEEE; 2007:1020-1026. doi:10.1109/COASE.2007.4341838
Fan, H., & Shao, B. (2018). Reflection and innovative practice of book inventory with intelligent robot: A case study of Nanjing University Library. Library, 2018(9), 96-100. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1002-1558.2018.09.017
Harada, T. (2019). Robotics and artificial intelligence technology in Japanese libraries. IFLA WLIC, 2019. http://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/2695/1/s08-2019-harada-en.pdf
Helsingin Kulttuuri ja vapaa-aika. (2019 February 6). Helsingin kaupunginkirjaston logistiikka. https://youtu.be/kXUkNyqXjYw
Kim, B. K., Ohara, K., Kitagaki, K., Ohba, K., & Sugawara, T. (2008). Design of ubiquitous space for the robotic library system and its application. In: IFAC Proceedings Volumes (IFAC-PapersOnline). Vol 17.; 2008. doi:10.3182/20080706-5-KR-1001.3212. https://na03.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01USC_INST/273cgt/cdi_scopus_primary_355322422
Kim, B. K., Sugawara, T., Ohara, K., Kitagaki, K., & Ohba, K. (2008). Design and control of the librarian robot system in the ubiquitous robot technology space. RO-MAN 2008 - The 17th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, 616–621. https://doi.org/10.1109/ROMAN.2008.4600735
Li, G. S., Pang, Y. X., Luo, W., & Zhang, L. (2012). Design of RFID Based Robot System for Automatic Search of Books in Libraries. In Advanced Materials Research (Vols. 433–440, pp. 6856–6860). Trans Tech Publications, Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.433-440.6856
Li, R., Huang, Z., Kurniawan E, & Ho, C. K. (2015). AuRoSS: An Autonomous robotic shelf scanning system. In: 2015 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS). Vol 2015-. IEEE; 2015:6100-6105. doi:10.1109/IROS.2015.7354246
Liau, Y. C. (2019). Transforming library operation with robotics. 2019 IFLA WLIC. http://library.ifla.org/id/eprint/2701/1/s08-2019-liau-en.pdf
Nolan, S. (January 27, 2022). Immersion and robots: The next chapter for Singapore’s libraries. GovInsider. https://govinsider.asia/smart-gov/immersion-and-robots-the-next-chapter-for-singapores-libraries/
Reitz, J. (2013). Online dictionary for library and information science. ABC-CLIO. http://products.abc-clio.com/ODLIS/odlis_about.
Scott, T. (October 14, 2019). Why Helsinki's Library robots aren't important. https://youtu.be/dPb9o3uDF_Q
Seow, J. (2019 August 13). Not enough service staff? Why not ‘hire’ a robot. The Strait Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/business/not-enough-service-staff-why-not-hire-a-robot
Shen, K., Shao, B., Chen, L., & Shan, G. (2016). The Design and implementation of book inventory robot based on ultra high frequency RFID. Library Research, 2016(7), 24-28. Doi:10.15941/j.cnki.issn1001-0424.2016.07.005
South China Morning Post. (2022 May 31). Singapore employs robots to fill labour gaps. https://youtu.be/Lu--njUBOFA
Tang L, Li L, Su H. Fixed-Point Target Control of Library Management Robot: A Linear Decomposition Approach. IOP conference series Materials Science and Engineering. 2018;466(1):12092-. doi:10.1088/1757-899X/466/1/012092
Thirumurugan, J, Kartheeswaran G, Vinoth M, Vishwanathan M. (2010). Line following robot for library inventory management system. In: INTERACT-2010. IEEE; 2010:1-3. doi:10.1109/INTERACT.2010.5706151
Xia, Z., Li, Q., Duan, W., & Fu, P. (2019) A Post-implementation review analysis for an autonomous RFID inventory project: A qualitative study. 2019 IFLA.
Yu, Fan, Z., Wan, H., He, Y., Du, J., Li, N., Yuan, Z., & Xiao, G. (2019). Positioning, navigation, and book accessing/returning in an autonomous library robot using integrated binocular vision and QR code identification systems. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 19(4), 783–. https://doi.org/10.3390/s19040783
Zhang, Ling, B., Luo, W., Liu, X., & Pang, Y. (2012). Obstacle avoidance scheme for RFID based mobile robot in libraries. Advanced Materials Research, 433-440, 6802–6806. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.433-440.6802
Page updated
Report abuse