Introduction
For a technology that
is still in the development process, Google Glass tends to be fairly well
known, and in use in libraries around the country. For those not familiar with
the device, Google Glass is what is referred to as “wearable technology.” Wearable
technology has become more popular with well-known products such as fitness
watches, and Google Glass may soon be on the rise in popularity if it becomes
accessible to the public. For now, Google Glass is only available for purchase
to those invited to be “explorers,” for a $1,500 fee. The device itself
resembles a pair of normal glasses, but with an optical head mounted display
(OHMD). The head mounted display projects information to the wearer only, and
allows users to check email, newsfeeds, weather reports, take photo and video,
make calls, etc. Users can activate the head piece by swiping a finger across
the OHMD and saying “OK Glass.” Once the device has been properly activated,
users can control the technology with basic voice commands. Also, in order to
truly enjoy the technology’s features, it should be connected to Wi-Fi (with no
username or password restrictions) or connected to a user’s smart phone data
plan. Basically, this technology is meant to be a hands free device with
capabilities similar to your average smart phone. As cool as the technology
seems, there are still a wide range of issues that need to be worked out before
putting it on the public market.
Literature Review
In the last few
years, both academic and public libraries have made the leap of purchasing
Google Glass. While different libraries have different visions for the uses of
the technology, one thing is clear: many librarians see a need to make rare and
expensive technology available through library institutions. At this time,
since Google Glass is still in the beta phase of testing, and not available to
the public, there is only a limited amount of literature on its implementation
into libraries. Fortunately though, a number of academic libraries that have
purchased Google Glass are sharing their experiences with the library and
information sciences community. Additionally, the infiltration of Google Glass
into the libraries has made it into the news and press releases frequently
followed by the library community, showing the spread of the Glass’ influence.
For instance, Yale University Library News (Patrick, 2014) and Colorado’s
Arapahoe Library District (Asgarian, 2014, p. 1) have both released the news
that they own the new technology, and that it is available for use by the
patrons. Wayne State University has even released a statement on the
development of a WSU library app specifically for Google Glass (Free, 2014, p.
594). Hopefully in the future, more of these libraries experimenting with the
Glass will write about their successes, concerns, and future plans.
For
now, interested librarians can learn from Claremont Colleges Library (Booth
& Brecher, 2014), the Law Library of the University of Missouri (Robak
& Ajmi, 2015), and Nevada State College (Hernandez, 2014) for real world
experiences with Google Glass. At the time of the article publication, CCL was
the only library out of the three actively lending the Google Glass devices to
patrons in order to provide students, faculty, and staff with a relatively rare
technology (Booth & Brecher, 2014, p. 235). To get students and faculty
initially interested in the technology, CCL set forth a wide range of marketing
techniques, such as a webpage on the experimental program, information in a
monthly publication, social media, and blogs (Booth & Brecher, 2014, p.
236). All of which, attracted significant numbers to the college library’s
demonstrations a month later. These sessions provided attendees the opportunity
to hear an overview of Glass, get basic hands on use, and raised a discussion
on impressions, controversies, and possible applications for students (Booth
& Brecher, 2014, p. 238). The article shows a great deal of interest in
using the wearable technology at CCL, but does not share a great deal of
information on the actual use and results with the technology.
The
other libraries have taken the approach of more extensive testing and
discussion before releasing the product openly to the patron population. Robak
and Ajmi have done a great deal of testing among the librarians of the Law
Library of the University of Missouri and willing student participants. Their
experimentation with Google Glass revealed several flaws when using Google
Glass for practical applications, such as guided video tours and real-time
sharing of photos from events. Furthermore, as of April 2015 when Robak and
Ajmi’s article was published, Google Glass had dropped the video calling
feature, which was the primary allure for educators (2015, p. 14). Despite some
of the challenges faced, which will be discussed in greater detail later on,
Robak and Ajmi were still hopeful for the future of Google Glass in higher
education, granted that the limitations were addressed and corrected (2015, p.
14).
Finally,
Hernandez of Nevada State College had several ideas for the potential use of
Google Glass in higher education, such as hands free video recording like Robak
and Ajmi, but had not yet tested many of his potential ideas for flaws or
difficulties. As of March 2014, the glasses were available to students of NSC
for in-house use only.
●
Current and
Potential Use of Google Glass in Libraries
While
many people are developing new idea for Google Glass everyday, academic
libraries in particular are working to find ways to incorporate Google Glass
into higher education. Chanitra Bishop (2015) with Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship reports that Google
Glass is being incorporated in several ways in medical schools around the
country. Doctors can record live surgeries in first-person perspective, as well
as reverse the roles so students can experience the perspective of the patient.
Ball State University of Indiana is using the Glass to capture video of study
abroad travels. This idea of hands free video seems to be one of the primary
focuses for academic libraries purchasing Google Glass. Furthermore, Robak and
Ajmi used Glass to create video tours of the library and campus, and a student
was invited to record a mock interview (2015, p. 14). Hernandez has
incorporated Glass video into his “one-shot information literacy sessions”, as
well as live video tours for distance learning students. However, despite the
growing popularity for real-time video recording with Google Glass in library
and higher education settings, Google has done away with the video call feature
as of 2015 (Robak & Ajmi, 2015, p. 14), which would make it impossible to
stream live video without the help of third party apps.
Aside
from recorded and streaming video, Google Glass could potentially be used to
present, lecture and advise without removing attention from audience to refer
to notes (Hernandez, 2014). Also, students focusing on technology can use the
Glass to experiment with app development (Booth & Brecher, 2014, p. 237).
Also, Google Glass may be used to perform reference checks in real time,
translate language, access digital diagrams and tutorials, and send messages
and emails completely hands-free (Hernandez, 2014). These are only a portion of
the potential applications for Google Glass in educational libraries, and
librarians are continuing to work with students, staff, and faculty to
regularly develop new ideas for use.
●
Challenges and
Issues Surrounding Google Glass
Despite
the enormous potential, and many successful applications, there are still
issues that need to be addressed before the technology could go public. For
instance, even though professionals such as Robak and Ajmi believe the
hands-free technology can make the educational experience “richer and more
immersive” (2015, p. 14), most potential applications can be completed with
more affordable technology already on the market.
In
addition to the Glass not always being a necessity, professional users met challenges
with connectivity, third party apps, temperature of device in use, video and
audio quality, and privacy. The Glass must connect to Wi-Fi or a data plan. For
almost any academic library this is going to be an issue since the Glass cannot
connect to Wi-Fi that requires a username and password. Also, the head piece
becomes hot when in prolonged use, such as recording video, and it sits against
the skin. Video and audio are limited to specific lighting and recording audio
for anyone besides the wearer is difficult (Robak & Ajmi, 2015, p. 14).
Alas, some of these issues can be solved with third party apps, but this puts
the warranty on the product at risk (Robak & Ajmi, 2015, p. 14). Finally,
users can record and photograph people without their knowledge (Bishop, 2015),
and a linked Google+ account is required, which can make anonymity and privacy
practically impossible (Booth & Brecher, 2014, p. 236).
Conclusion
Even
though Google Glass has a long way to go in testing and improvements, it still
has the potential to improve student learning, and to bridge the technology gap
between the tech-elite and the public. Like any brand new technology, it is not
yet perfect. So, for many libraries, now may not be the right time to invest in
such a pricey product. A library may not be able to boast that it owned the
Glass before it became public, but those that wait may own a more sophisticated
and problem free model in the future. However, whether a library tries to snag
a pair from Google developers, or wait a few more years for the finished
product, there is no doubt that this piece of technology has potential.
References
Asgarian, R. (2014). Arapahoe Library
invests in Google Glass. Library Journal,
139(1), 1.
Bishop,
C. (2015). Wearable technology & Google Glass: The next big thing?. Issues In Science & Technology
Librarianship, (79), 1. Retrieved from DOI:10.5062/F4Q23X7R
or
http://www.istl.org/15-winter/app.html
Booth,
C., & Brecher, D. (2014). Ok, library. College
& Research Libraries News, 75(5),
234-239.
Free,
D. (2014). Wayne State University Libraries release custom app for Google
Glass. College & Research Libraries
News, 75(11), 594.
Hernandez,
E. (2014). Google glass in the academic library. Retrieved from
http://creativelibrarypractice.org/2014/03/25/google-glass-in-the-academic-library-the-exploration/
Patrick,
A. (2014). Google Glass available for faculty and student groups during spring
semester. Retrieved from
http://www.library.yale.edu/librarynews/2014/01/google_glass_available_for_fac.html
Robak,
M. J., & Ajmi, A. (2015). Google Glass for the educator: A postmortem
separating the reality from the hype and some thoughts for Google. Computers In Libraries, 35(3), 12-15.
