Abstract
The Library and Information Science (LIS) community has started discussing some possible uses of Blockchain (BC) technologies in solving library-related problems and increasing the overall efficiency of libraries. This study aimed to systematically collect and review the relevant literature to comprehend the scope of BC for libraries, its benefits, as well as the challenges, and implications related to its use. The authors explored six reputed databases (Web of Science, Scopus, LISTA (Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts), LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), and Google Scholar) to conduct this review. This study was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. After the final data extraction, 21 documents were considered eligible for the systematic review. A systematic review of the selected works indicated that the usage of BC in libraries ranged from record-keeping to processing payments and ensuring security and transparency. Some of the opportunities that can be hunted from BC were the elimination of corruption, enhanced security, improved efficiency of services, and better time management. Literature also indicated that a lack of awareness of technology, unskilled staff, and financial constraints could impede the adoption of BC by libraries. It is hoped that this study would provide a holistic overview of BC technologies for libraries, thus improving the effectiveness of the decision-makers. This study is first that collected (systematically) and reviewed the literature on BC usage in libraries. The review will help educational institutions and library professionals understand the usage, challenges, and benefits of BC for libraries.
Keywords
Introduction
Technology has undoubtedly impacted every sphere of life (Al Qalhati et al., 2020; Murphy and Newport, 2021; Tabatabaei and Gui, 2011), and libraries are no exception (Bayani et al., 2017; Merkulova, 2021; Qutab et al., 2014; Ramzan et al., 2021). Libraries of today are more technology-oriented than ever before regarding their resources, operations, services, and physical spaces. The technology savvy library users hold high expectations from the libraries comparing with other information and technology provider competitors. Consequently, libraries must continually explore new technologies to cater to the emerging needs of their users and to ensure continuation of efficient operations and services (Goswami and Pandya, 2019; Onuoha et al., 2019; Qutab et al., 2014; Seal, 2015). However, libraries are challenged by limitation of financial share and access to resources that eventually may impact the library operations and services. Therefore, libraries must consider and seek alternative reliable solutions that can help improve their efficiency and save resources (Ariana et al., 2020; Mashriqi, 2011; Nowlan, 2015; Pryor, 2014; Singh and Mahajan, 2014; Vijayakumar and Vijayan, 2011; Yuan, 2020). We proposed that Blockchain (BC) technology is one such technology that can be harnessed by libraries to solve various operational and services related problems as well as to minimize the library finance challenges.
More than a decade ago, a white paper published anonymously under the pseudonym “Nakamoto” (2008) introduced Bitcoin, a BC digital currency application, to the world. The paper described how BC technology, a distributed, decentralized peer-to-peer linked structure, validated, and time-stamped ledger that chronologically registers all valid transactions in a self-sovereign network. It could solve the problem of maintaining the order of transactions and avoiding the problem of double-spending (Casino et al., 2019). BC consist of chain of blocks that are time-stamped and linked using cryptographic hashes. These blocks are sealed in a secure and immutable manner that increases their security (Hölbl et al., 2018). As it uses community validation to keep synchronized ledgers’ content across multiple users (Aste et al., 2017) it offers promising solutions to data transparency, privacy, and security problems.
Researchers have suggested that BC technology can be considered to be a solution to various tech problems (Cole et al., 2019; Nguyen, 2016), especially those related to successful and secure management and retrieval of records (Andoni et al., 2019; Chen et al., 2018; San et al., 2019; Zheng et al., 2018). BC technology is being used to solve problems and increase efficiency, trust, and transparency by various stakeholders, including government agencies, the private sector, policymakers, organizations, and individuals (Fanning and Centers, 2016; Kumar et al., 2018; San et al., 2019; Singh and Kim, 2018). The practitioners, researchers, and academicians from a myriad of fields, such as agriculture (Bermeo-Almeida et al., 2018), health (Hölbl et al., 2018), energy, supply chain and manufacturing (Lo et al., 2019), financial management (de Reuver et al., 2018), e-governance (Sullivan and Burger, 2018), resource management, security, and social networks, etc. (Abou Jaoude and George Saade, 2019), have started realizing the potential usages of BC. However, there is a not much research on the use of BC technologies for the libraries. This is an effort to review the existing LIS literature to conceptualize the BC technologies for the libraries.
As information depositories, libraries hold a growing amount of in-house or outsourced informational resources in various formats like documents, images, data, audio, video, microforms, software, and digital content and user-created content. Increased variety of resources and emerging users’ needs challenges the libraries to explore new and sustainable technology solutions. One of the challenges is the record-keeping of printed resources, and new digitally born scholars contents are becoming more organized and synchronized; the inventory of growing digital content is a challenge. This complexity affects information retrieval and usage. These digital and digitalized resources are growing and causing information storage, privacy, security, and retrieval challenges for libraries and users. The application and research on BC technology in the library domain is still in its infancy and open to further investigation and debate. Therefore, it is important that library professionals have at least a basic understanding of what BC technology is, as well as understand some of its capabilities and limitations before adopting it.
After an initial literature search in the LIS domain, it was found that few studies had discussed the possible implementation of BC technologies for different library operations and services. The understanding of BC technology is still in its early stages, and the technology is not widely understood among library professionals. Therefore, there was a need for a systematic review of the literature to gain an understanding of BC technology in the context of libraries. This systematic literature review intends to answer the following research questions:
What are the potential usages of BC technology in libraries?
What are the challenges in implementing BC technology?
What are the benefits of BC’s implementation in libraries?
This study is novel in its scope and would generate interest and awareness among LIS professionals regarding BC technology. It also aims to assess the state of the research on BC for libraries and the general understanding among library professionals regarding its potential usage, benefits, and challenges. The results of the review would guide LIS professionals with practical implications for the adoption of BC technologies in libraries. They would also provide valuable insights into the scope of the research on BC, identify gaps in the current research and highlight possible future directions of research on the topic.
Methodology
Researchers consulted the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (Figure 1) to conduct this study. This is a well-accepted methodology for systematic reviews (Moher et al., 2015) as the PRISMA checklist guides the authors to critically select appropriate studies to produce a quality systematic review (Moher et al., 2009). This use of the systematic review as a research methodology in the social sciences has been on the increase and has created a suitable exploration avenue for social science librarians (Chapman, 2021).
Four phase flow diagram of studies’ selection procedure.
Search strategy
The authors explored six reputed databases, that is, the Web of Science, Scopus, LISTA (Library, Information Science and Technology Abstracts), LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), and Google Scholar between January 2021 and June 2021 and used the following keywords to search and collect the studies on the topic under investigation:
Blockchain and library OR libraries, ((“All Metadata”:library OR libraries) AND “All Metadata”:blockchain), All Text blockchain AND (library OR libraries), Anywhere (blockchain AND (library OR libraries), WoS TS=(blockchain AND (library or Libraries)), TITLE-ABS-KEY ( blockchain AND ( library OR libraries )).
Criteria used to include and exclude studies
Researchers included only those studies in this review that discussed BC and its usage in libraries. Research studies discussing the opportunities regarding BC or challenges in its implementation in libraries’ context were also included. Even though no time limit was set, a language limit was applied, and only the studies conducted in the English language were considered eligible for this study. All types of publications other than books were also considered eligible for this study. The length difference between the books and other documents was the only reason for not including books in this systematic review.
Selection of study and extraction of data
Figure 1 explains the selection criteria of the records included in this review. Initially, 535 records were identified and downloaded from the databases. They were then scanned by the researchers who checked each study’s title and abstract to decide its eligibility. Duplicate titles, studies not relevant to the review or not conducted in the English language were then excluded. Similarly, studies without full-text documents were also excluded. Finally, 21 studies were considered relevant and eligible to be included in the review. All relevant data (study’s country, BC’s usage in libraries, its benefits as well as challenges) was then extracted from the selected studies into an excel sheet.
Limitations of the study
This study is limited by the data sources used for the data extraction. While six well known databases were searched comprehensively for all relevant literature, records from other sources could have been missed.
Results
Table 1 presents the bibliographic information and place of publication of the selected articles. It can be seen that five studies on BC in libraries had been conducted in the USA, and three each in China and India. Furthermore, Canada, Taiwan, and Nigeria had conducted two studies each.
Characteristics of Studies.
Usages of Blockchain in libraries
The first block of literature analysis dealt with the usage of BC in libraries. Most of the studies reviewed in this systemic literature review either presented points of view or ideas on how BC is or could prove to be helpful for libraries. The authors discussed the results of the literature review and divided BC usage for library operations and services into five categories: record keeping, financial management, security and transparency, education and instructions, and resource sharing (Figure 2).
Usage of Blockchain for library operations and services.
The first category, “Record-keeping,” had been discussed the most. Literature suggests that libraries could harness BC technologies for their resource management and collection organization. BC technologies have the potential to be used to keep the records of cataloging of library collection, metadata, and resource description frameworks; patron services, such as records of membership, circulation (issuance, return, renewal, and reserve) of library material, and interlibrary loans; and records of e-resources and repositories. The use of BC technologies to manage records of e-resources and repositories could be of great value, as open access publishing and decentralized digital repositories are emerging trends in the education and research sector. Digital resource management (DRM) is a multilayered process that becomes more complex as the resources and users grow in number.
The second category identified was “financial management.” It included the management of financial processes in libraries. BC technologies, which were initially introduced as bitcoin, offer promising, and secure solutions for financial management in libraries. Libraries have to process various payments to acquire resources such as e-resource subscriptions, printed material purchases; and maintain activities such as memberships, fines, resources’ access fees, etc. BC technology could offer innovative solutions in this regard which, as a result, might be helpful for library professionals in managing their library-related financial transaction more effectively. Exploring further potential usage of BC in libraries might also be beneficial in understanding the maximum usage of this technology in libraries.
The third category was “security and transparency” in libraries. Literature has suggested that libraries were using BC technologies for auditing of its resources and securing access to services as well as resource, tamper-proofing of libraries’ records, useability rights management, digital rights management (DRM), secure intellectual property authentication, and intellectual property protection, that is, copyright management. However, this review also sheds light on the limited number of studies on the topic under this research. Therefore, further exploration of BC technology’s usage in libraries might be helpful in getting more clearer picture of BC in terms of libraries and possible future usage of this technology for libraries. Libraries do invest in ensuring the security of their data but, at the same time, it is also common that they implement open source softwares for handling of their network and storage of their data which is not much secured. BC is equipped with measures to ensure the security of network and data. Therefore, implementation of BC in libraries might play a vital role in securing the libraries’ network and data.
The fourth major category identified during the literature review was user “education and instruction.” It included the management of distributed records of information and research resources to support and sustain the information and digital literacies of library users. BC can facilitate the provision of open/free and easy access to instructional content related to orientation and training, digital badges, and online credentialing of successful completion of training.
The fifth category was “resource sharing.” In the current era where libraries are facing budget cuts, libraries have to form resource sharing partnerships to provide their users access to growing library resources. BC technologies can assist libraries in this process during recording transactions, third-party authentication, data exchange in institutional silos, digital peer-to-peer sharing, and maintain digital provenance of resources and usage. It can be implied that due to the unique security, transparency, decentralization, efficiency, and efficacy features of BC technologies, the library records can be securely stored, retrieved, and shared through smart contracts.
Benefits of Blockchain for libraries
The selected studies reported several benefits of BC usage by libraries. It was found that BC might reduce corruption due to distributed records that increase transparency, efficacy, and reliability. The information about patrons, records, and access rights could be stored using BC technologies. Furthermore, BC could help avoid the tempering of records and ensure safety, security, authenticity, and reliability of resources. The use of BC reduces personal dealing. It means that the human interaction would be secured with digital identities and would be beneficial to increase individual transactions. Therefore, it could be a defining factor in time and cost management with a layer of trust, privacy, and security from data tampering. BC also provides immutability of the records created through BC technologies, as a BC ledger remains permanent, indelible, and provide an unalterable history of transactions. Collectively, BC technologies increase the resilience and transparency of various processes by eliminating third-party dependency.
Challenges in implementing Blockchain in libraries
Despite the many potential uses of BC and perceived opportunities regarding this technology, many challenges have hindered its implementation in libraries. These challenges have been highlighted in the various publications that were reviewed and are summarized in Figure 4. The challenge identified, has been the lack of awareness among library professionals regarding BC and their limited knowledge about BC and its implementation. BC is still in the experimental stage in many areas, such as healthcare, agriculture, and governance. Therefore, there is a lack of complete understanding about it among library professionals. The literature review also showed that even though libraries have been debating the potential uses of BC, actual real-world examples of its implementation were scarce. Similarly, most library professionals lacked the knowledge and skillsets required to successfully adopt BC technologies. Resistance to change might also hinder the implementation of BC. Finally, issues related to the retention of skilled and trained staff in the highly competitive LIS job market may also present a challenge to the adoption of BC in libraries.
Many libraries lack favorable technological support, for example, robust hardware, stable internet connection and power supply, authentic software, etc. This could impede the implementation of BC in the library. The cost of technology could also present a challenge to BC adoption. Libraries often face budgetary constraints and investing money and efforts in an emerging, somewhat uncertain, technology could be challenging for managers. Lastly, governance and policy could also challenge BC technology implementation in libraries. Libraries possess various kinds of in-house and access-based resources that are in most cases under intellectual property rights.
Similarly, libraries co-exist with other stakeholders in an extensive information and knowledge cycle. It can be challenging to establish acceptable policies and rules for all participating entities. Due to decentralization, consensus on BC technology vendors, open sharing, rights to accept or reject nodes, and governance of BC technologies could prove to be challenging for libraries.
Discussion
The literature review yielded a limited number of studies discussing the use of BC technologies in libraries. This highlights the general scarcity of research on BC in libraries, with most research emerging from the USA and China, followed by India. Notably, all of these studies have discussed the potential usage of BC technologies in libraries rather than real-world examples. This implies that the LIS community is still exploring this technology. Therefore, there is scope for both further investigation and actual implementation. The results of this study have confirmed that BC technologies have the potential to be of use in libraries. They can facilitate various library-related operations and services such as collection organization, record keeping, resource sharing, financial management, user education, and instruction. They can also make these processes more secure, transparent, and efficient. These findings are aligned with those of other studies conducted in the past (Aydar et al., 2019; Cabello et al., 2017; Li et al., 2018; Ma et al., 2018; Neyer and Geva, 2017; Novotny et al., 2018; Oktian et al., 2019; Vu et al., 2019). The identified usage of BC technology sheds light on the opportunities regarding this technology in the current era. Authors, therefore, recommend further exploration and implementation of this technology in libraries.
The findings of the reviewed literature also highlight several challenges that could hinder BC implementation in libraries. These challenges include lack of awareness, complexity of technology, budgetary constraints, lack of trained staff, retention of trained staff, resistance to change among staff, inconsistent power supply, vendors’ selection, and data security (hacking of data). These results are in line with the findings of previous studies that have highlighted similar challenges in the implementation and success of BC (Bai et al., 2021; Golosova and Romanovs, 2018; Hakak et al., 2020; Kramer, 2019; Salah et al., 2020; Shi, 2020; Varshney et al., 2019). Challenges such as lack of awareness and trained workforce, retention of trained staff, limited budgets, staff’s resistance to change have been reported as being prevalent in libraries by other researchers (Ashiq et al., 2018; Oyedokun et al., 2018) as well. Therefore, libraries should not be discouraged by these challenges and should attempt to embrace new technologies like BC to reap their many benefits. These opportunities include eliminating corrupt practices, ensuring transparency in transactions, safety and security of resources, reduced human interactions, time and cost-saving, resilience, and immutability. Furthermore, it can be argued that the benefits of BC technology out weight the challenges in its implementation in libraries because of the very nature of the challenges and the benefits identified in the literature reviewed in this systematic review.
Conclusion and future research directions
This study aimed to identify the potential usage of BC technology, its benefits, and challenges related to it in the context of libraries. A systemic literature review was conducted so that researchers could evaluate emerging themes related to BC in the LIS community. It was found that BC appears to offer numerous advantages for libraries and can enable them to improve their libraries operations such as record-keeping, financial management, resource sharing, security, transparency, and user education. With the help of BC technologies, libraries can improve their services to users making them more efficient, secure, and transparent. They can also form partnerships for ensuring secure data exchange and digital content management. The results of this study also identified some challenges that libraries face in the adoption of BC technologies. These include issues related to limited technological awareness, staff skills, inadequate technology, governance, and policies that could hinder the adoption of BC in libraries. This study has multiple practical implications for the LIS community as presented and discussed in detail in Figures 2–4. It is hoped that LIS professionals will gain an understanding of this emerging technology, its usage, and its challenges from this study. It would also help them to ideate the possible implications and to make conscious decisions. Therefore, role of library professionals is very much important regarding marketing of BC among stakeholders and highlighting the requirements from vendors and implementing this technology.
Benefits of Blockchain technologies for libraries.
Challenges in implementing Blockchain in libraries.
BC technologies can solve many of the problems faced by libraries and open outlets for new resources, operations, and services. There is a need for a rigorous discussion on the nature, scope, and implementation of BC technologies in libraries. LIS researchers, practitioners, and academicians should investigate BC technologies fully and understand their philosophy, concepts, characteristics, processes, and technological prerequisites. There is a need to involve all stakeholders and to create awareness about it. There is also a need of developing guidelines for librarians. They could serve as a checklist to evaluate library operations and services with respect to BC implementation and conduct pre- and post-implementation comparisons of library operations and services. Furthermore, there is also a need to educate and train library staff regarding this emerging technology through webinars as well as on-site sessions. Library professionals themselves also need to read literature on the topic and, after having knowledge on the technology, engage their administration through sharing the usage of the technology. These activities will not only be helpful, for library professionals, in getting acquaintance with the technology but will also facilitate them in preparing themselves as well as administration in hunting the opportunities arising from BC.
Footnotes
Acknowledgements
Not applicable.
Author’s note
Muhammad Safdar is now affiliated to Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.
Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
