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Haptic technology – potential Haptic

technology
for library services
Magdalena Wójcik
Faculty of Management and Social Communication,
Institute of Information Studies,
883
Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
Received 1 November 2018
Revised 19 March 2019
9 May 2019
Abstract Accepted 21 May 2019
Purpose – The subject of the paper is haptic technology considered as a tool for improving the performance
of libraries. The purpose of this paper is to determine the potential of this technology in the design of
innovative library services. Specific goals include description of the ideas and features of haptic technology,
identification of the main areas of application of haptic technology and outlining the possible uses of haptic
technology in library services.
Design/methodology/approach – The method of analysis and criticism of literature was used. The state of
research from the period 2008–2018 on the use of haptic technology in libraries was established based on a
systematic search of selected sources, such as resources indexed by Google Scholar, the Worldcat catalogue
and the LISTA database.
Findings – Haptic technology is a topic that should be covered more often in library and information science
because it has a great potential to improve library services and make them more attractive. The two most
important areas in which haptic technology could be applied in libraries are education and services, especially
for disabled users that have special educational and service needs. Although it could be very helpful for
disabled users, haptic technology can also be used in various contexts to provide more responsive and
intuitive user interfaces for electronic library services.
Research limitations/implications – The purpose of this paper is not to exhaust the topic but to continue
and complement the problems pointed out by P. Fernandez and to initiate further discussion on this topic.
Practical implications – The results can be widely used in practice as a framework for the implementation
of haptic technology in libraries.
Social implications – The paper can help to facilitate the debate on the role of implementing new
technologies in libraries.
Originality/value – The problem of haptic technology is very rarely addressed in the subject literature in
the field of library and information science.
Keywords Emerging technologies, Haptic technology, Information technologies, Modern librarianship,
Library services, Library trends
Paper type Viewpoint

Background
The latest information and communication technologies undoubtedly have a major impact
on the way that libraries operate, both in designing internal processes and in terms of user
services. On a large scale, libraries have adapted the capabilities of computers, mobile
devices, the internet and social media, to name but a few examples (Husain and Nazim, 2015;
Wójcik, 2015; Margam and Dar, 2017). Technology is, however, constantly evolving, as are
the needs and habits of users; therefore, in order to remain relevant to users, libraries must
constantly monitor the changing social and technological trends. One such trend is haptic
technology defined as a group of solutions that aim at giving users tactile feedback often,
but not always, in the context of their interaction with technology. It is a broad subject that
is well developed in many disciplines – computer science, management science or cultural
studies – however is still virtually absent from library and information science. This is
surprising because haptic technology can presumably have an impact on the way libraries Library Hi Tech
design new services for users. Today’s haptic technologies are most often aimed at Vol. 37 No. 4, 2019
pp. 883-893
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0737-8831
The author would like to thank Mike Timberlake for proof-reading. DOI 10.1108/LHT-11-2018-0155
LHT recreating tactile sensations in users interaction with electronic resources to make using
37,4 technology more intuitive and friendly, although it is worth noting that relying on the sense
of touch is deeply rooted in the tradition of librarianship. In this context, a traditional book
that can give strong haptic sensations – the structure of paper, the weight of the book, the
touch of pages being turned over – can be treated as a precursor of user-information
resources interactions based on tactile sensations. It is in such a broader context that the
884 considerations in this paper will be carried out, however, mainly with an emphasis on
haptics related to the development of electronic sphere.
A direct inspiration for this paper was a list of key social, economic and technological
trends published by American Library Association – Center for the Future of Libraries (2018),
in which haptic technology was indicated as one of 36 issues that may heavily influence the
future of libraries. Also inspiring was a short paper by Peter Fernandez, published in Library
Hi Tech News, in which the author outlined the idea and scope of using haptic technology
(Fernandez, 2017). The author pointed out crucial directions of the future development of
haptic technology and described its role in various aspects of communication that may help to
provide a richer experience for users. Fernandez’s paper provides a solid basis for discussion
about the potential of haptic technology in libraries; however, additional reflection on the
possibilities of using haptic technology directly in library services is necessary. Therefore, the
purpose of this paper is to continue and complement the problems pointed out by Fernandez,
mostly in the aspect of using haptic technologies in library practice, and – hopefully – to
initiate further discussion on this topic.

Objectives and method

The subject of the paper is haptic technology considered as a tool for improving the
performance of libraries. The goal is to determine the potential of this technology in the
design of library services. Specific goals include:
• description of the idea and features of haptic technology;
• identification of the main areas of application of haptic technology; and
• outlining the possible uses of haptic technology in library services.
The method of analysis and criticism of literature was used. The state of research from the
period 2008–2018 on the use of haptic technology in libraries was established based on a
systematic search of selected sources, such as resources indexed by Google Scholar, the
Worldcat catalogue and the LISTA database.
The search performed according to the chosen criteria of the LISTA abstract database
gave 34 relevant results. After analysis of the abstracts, however, it can be concluded that
only very few works actually concern library and information science and may contain
valuable information from the point of view of using haptic technologies in library services.
As already mentioned, one of the few texts about this problem is the paper by Fernandez,
which was a direct inspiration for this paper. This author outlined the main features of
haptic technology and described its potential as a communication tool, paying special
attention to the aspect of the emotional impact on the user of the sense of touch and the
possibility of creating more impactful messages with the use of haptic technology
(Fernandez, 2017). It is worth noting that Fernandez’s articles and the aforementioned post
on the ALA website drew on literature from outside the research area of library and
information science; this suggests the insufficiency of publications on haptic technologies
written from the perspective of librarianship.
The multidomain search carried out using Google Scholar and the Worldcat directory
showed that, generally speaking, haptic technology is a popular research topic in many
disciplines, including computer science, medicine, architecture and education; however, it is
rarely addressed from a perspective that would be useful for improving the performance of Haptic
libraries. Papers that may be useful to some extent relate to the educational advantages of technology
haptic technology (Hamza-Lup and Stanescu, 2010) and its use in working with people with
disabilities (Holbert and Huber, 2011; Kim et al., 2014). However, there is a lack of works
regarding the use of haptic technology in library services. This gap should be filled.

Haptic technology – idea and features 885

Reflection on haptic technology must begin with a statement that this is a broad and
complicated concept that is not easy to define, because it can refer to a wide range of areas.
Some authors accept wider, and some narrower understanding of the term which makes it
difficult to study this idea. According to Fernandez (2017), “Haptic technology is a term that
encompasses a set of rapidly evolving technologies centring on recreating the sense of
touch, with a wide range of applications […]” (p. 12). Fernandez pointed out that this is
broad “umbrella term” for different solutions that aimed to create a rich experience for users.
In a narrower sense, according to Tiwari (2016), “Haptic technology is built into a device to
create tactile feedback […]” (p. 83), so it is often considered a part of user interface design
that is responsible for tactile reactions of the computer hardware or applications on user’s
actions. An example of this can be the vibration or resistance that the user receives after
touching a specific element of the application or electronic equipment, although at the
mechanical-level user did not touch it in a way that would trigger such a reaction. In other
words, the haptic technology enables the sensing of tactile sensations in the computer
software or hardware as if it were using mechanical elements which is satisfactory for the
user and gives clear information that the user has done some action. In a similar sense,
haptic technology is also defined by the American Library Association – Center for the
Future of Libraries (2018) as “[…] technology that incorporates tactile experience or
feedback as part of its user interface, creating a sense of touch through vibrations, motion,
or other forces.” This shows that for library applications, haptic technology is referred to in
a narrower sense related to the electronic environment; however, it seems that the use of
tactile reinforcements in the library does not have to be limited only to this.
Haptic technology, in the most general sense, can therefore be defined as communication
via the sense of touch. The idea assumes that the user can perceive the properties of
materials (porosity, texture, etc.) and the vibrations produced in contact with these
materials, and on this basis be informed about something (Visell et al., 2011). Interestingly
and importantly, users do not need to interact with physical objects as a haptic relation can
occur with virtual objects. In other words, a person may have the impression of touching
and feeling a completely virtual object. This impression is usually created by ultrasonic
vibrations that allow the shapes of objects to be felt, but other technical solutions are also
used. The use of haptic technology is based on the assumption that people respond better to
tangible stimuli, and they like to feel that they have actually completed some action
successfully. Therefore, for example, many smartphones or other electronic devices emit
vibrations or give the impression of pressure when using interface elements that normally
do not have such properties. The purpose of such actions is to increase the immersion of
users during interaction with these devices and to make their overall experience deeper and
richer ( Jyothi and Krishnaiah, 2013). Haptic technology is also used in the development of
virtual reality environments to make them more immersive and believable for users by
allowing users to feel force feedback, for instance pressure or vibration, from the virtual
environment as it would be in the real world (Gonzalez-Badillo et al., 2013).
In this context, a question about the scope of haptic technology often arises: can all
solutions and devices, even if they are not electronic, be called haptic technology or is this term
reserved for the solutions connected with electronic environment? Opinions on this subject are
divided. This paper is focuses mostly on the description of electronic solutions that may be
LHT useful for libraries, however also a broad understanding of this term will be adopted to show
37,4 relations between traditional book that is a physical, sensual object and new technologies
based on the sense of touch (Figure 1).

Haptic technology – areas of use

One of the most popular areas of haptic technology use is road and air traffic control. Special
886 textured surfaces placed on airstrips and roads send vibrations and sometimes sound effects
that inform users that they have left the designated lane, crossed a particular zone, or are in a
specific area of traffic. It is predicted that this type of haptic technology and further
developments in this area will be especially useful in making driving autonomous cars safer
(Ploch et al., 2016). This type of information is useful not only for drivers of vehicles or
passengers of self-driving cars, but also for pedestrians, especially those with visual
disabilities. For example, differences in pavement structure – sometimes combined with sound
effects – are often used to designate pedestrian crossings and provide visually impaired or
blind people with the ability to move safely (Lahav and Mioduser, 2008).
Haptic technology is also used as a simulation tool in various contexts. For instance, in
medicine it is applied as a training tool for students and doctors, especially when complicated
procedures need to be tested or there is a lack of expensive, specialist equipment for practice
purposes (Escobar-Castillejos et al., 2016). Using haptic technology in this context is especially
valuable because it allows the feeling of touch and pressure to be recreated, so doctors or
surgeons can realistically feel how a procedure would work. Haptic technology is also used in
medicine in modern prosthetics that allow patients to “feel” different surfaces and shapes in a
similar way to using a real limb; this naturally increases the usability of the prosthesis for the
patient and allows precise activities that require a sense of pressure, surface or texture to be
performed (Fortin et al., 2014). Haptic technology is also used as a simulation tool in military
scenarios, particularly to increase the safety of soldiers in simulations of different activities
that are difficult to perform in natural conditions (Meshram and Sahu, 2014).

Based on
sense of
touch

Based on
Widely used
interaction
in electronic
with physical
devices and
and virtual
virtual reality
objects
Features

Performed
Aim to create via different
rich user tools and
experience technologies
Figure 1.
Haptic technology
main features
Source: Own research, 2018
Haptic technology, often in the context of 3D printing, is also used as a new medium of Haptic
expression in art, for example in the form of haptic painting that can be not only seen but also technology
felt by the audience. Touching specially created surfaces and feeling the texture of the image
becomes here a means of communication and artistic expansion (Vi et al., 2017). It is also
widely used in the entertainment sector to enrich the user experience, for instance in virtual
reality games. As Fernandez pointed out, via haptic technology, particularly different sensors,
users can “feel” the surfaces they touch, which increases the impression of immersion in the 887
artificially generated world. It can also enrich the experience of playing video game by
including haptic signals, for instance in the form of vibrations send by remote control to the
user in response to what is happening on the screen (Fernandez, 2017). Webb et al. (2017)
highlighted the fact that haptic technology is also very useful in education. Haptic
reinforcements can complement the process of acquiring knowledge with the help of other
senses – sight or hearing – and stimulate the processes of memorizing content. It is especially
important and useful for people who struggle with cognitive and verbal problems, for example
people on the autism spectrum. In this context touching objects (e.g. pictures or icons
symbolizing concepts) can – to some degree – replace or facilitate verbal communication
which is often difficult for people with emotional, verbal and cognitive problems. The ability to
physically learn objects through touch, in general, helps with understanding of concepts such
as distance, depth, temperature or shape (Im et al., 2017), which is useful in many areas of
education, for instance mathematics, physics, geography and others. Research by Im et al.
(2017) also showed that according to teachers working with developmental disorder, children
haptic feedback can help with increasing the attractiveness of education for children, as well
as their motivation and commitment (Figure 2).
The provided list of the main usage areas of haptic technology does not, of course, cover the
whole range of applications, but only gives an outline of the main directions of its development.

Road and air

traffic control

Navigation for
Business the blind
people

Areas
of use
Art, culture,
Military
entertainment

Medicine Education

Figure 2.
Main areas of use of
haptic technology
Source: Own research, 2018
LHT In summary, it can be concluded that haptic technology can be used wherever there is a
37,4 need for providing a rich multisensory experience for users. Using tactile stimuli can
facilitate interaction with electronic devices, help in better understanding and assimilation of
information, facilitate testing and simulation of different procedures and be a new means of
artistic expression and a source of entertainment. It seems that the scope of use of this
technology is very broad, but it remains to be established to what extent haptic technology can
888 be used in library services.

Haptic technology – potential for libraries

It seems that the two most important areas in which haptic technology could be applied in
libraries are education and services, especially, but not only, for the needs of disabled users
(Fernandez, 2017). Vibration emitted by an electronic device, as well as other haptic
reinforcements, such as texture or convexity of a particular element, may help to make
library services more interactive and responsive, as well as may support educational
processes. However, by expanding Fernandez’s work, it can be assumed that educational
services using haptic technologies may be interesting also for users without disabilities and
may also be useful in other types of services, for instance, information services. It needs to
be pointed out that communication based on the sense of touch is not a new concept, as
shown by existing solutions such as touch elements in library buildings or the provision of
resources and messages in braille in many public institutions, including libraries.
Furthermore, the book itself is also a concept that is very much rooted in the sense of touch.
The confirmation of this thesis may be the studies by Anne Mangen, who emphasizes that
tactile qualities are inherent in print, as well as in handwriting and that this tactile elements
can facilitate learning processes possibly better than purely electronic sources (Mangen
et al., 2013, 2015). For instance, the research carried out by the Mangeen, Walgermo and
Brønnick using the experiment method clearly showed that children who read the text in
printed form assimilated it better than those who read the text from the computer screen.
According to authors, one of the explanations for this situation may be that in case of
reading traditional version of the book: “the reader can see as well as tactilely feel the spatial
extension and physical dimensions of the text” (Mangen et al., 2013, p. 66). Touch
enhancements are therefore very important for understanding the text and well present in
traditional librarianship.
It can be easily stated that haptic reinforcements are particularly important for users
whose other senses are not fully functional, for example blind or deaf people. However, it
would be worthwhile to explore this issue and use more advanced haptic technology not
only to provide richer and more accessible services for disabled users, but also to open new
opportunities by modifying services for all users. The starting point could be equipping
electronic library services with haptic elements for a richer user experience. Information
boards and signs, tablets, computers and other library equipment could be enhanced by
adding haptic feedback in the form of vibration, texture or specific porosity that would
allow visually impaired users to really benefit from these information resources and make
these devices more enjoyable for all users. It would also be good to also supply libraries with
more traditional printed books that have additional haptic reinforcements, such as the
Braille’s version of the text or convex illustrations, especially in science and education books
to strengthen the process of memorization by including the sense of touch next to the sense
of sight. These types of solutions are often used in books for blind people or in children’s
books, but rarely in regular books for adult and healthy readers. Designing essential
solutions for people with disabilities which also other users can and should use would
integrate the library community and show that actions taken for the benefit of disabled
people can serve the entire community, which could then increase different stakeholders’
willingness to finance such projects.
 Haptic technology can be used in library education activities, for example in information, Haptic
reading and media literacy education, especially for the purpose of teaching children, technology
visually impaired users and those dealing with intellectual, emotional, or cognitive
problems, e.g. people with developmental disorder (Im et al., 2017). For all these groups of
users, using the sense of touch can become a chance for a full educational experience. The
possibility of touching something and feeling stimuli, shapes or surfaces could help
reinforce the processes of absorbing and memorizing material. It is interesting that haptic 889
technology may also help to improve higher education processes. According to the ALA,
“For more advanced learners, haptic technology could revolutionize online or distance
education, allowing students to participate in hands-on tactile activities or exercises or even
simulate physical environments” (American Library Association – Center for the Future of
Libraries, 2018); this shows that this technology can be used not only with children in the
early stages of education or special education, but also in adult learning. Once again, this
approach is based on creating services for groups that need special support, but with the
option of other users also using the same services, thus helping to create a sense of
community of library users. Moreover, from the perspective of the economic value of library
services, it better justifies the need to implement such solutions as they can be useful for
broad groups of people. Nowadays the topic of calculating the economic value of
non-commercial institutions, including libraries, is increasingly being raised in the subject
literature (Baptista Melo and Pires Pacheco, 2011) (Stejskal and Hájek, 2015). Libraries must
be able to prove that they provide a valuable offer to the local community by estimating the
value of the services provided as if they were offered on the commercial market. Thanks to
this, entities financing libraries can know how much money the community saves by using
library services. The introduction of innovative services – on one hand satisfying the
specific needs of narrow groups, and on the other hand useful for broad groups – allows
economic justification of the usefulness and profitability of library services. In this context,
the introduction of haptic technologies in libraries could be a smart choice (Figure 3).

• Haptic interfaces in • Education of visually

electronic educational disabled users
tools • Services for users with
• Haptic based educational intellectual, emotional
tools and cognitive problems

Special
Education needs
education

Special
services for
Services
disabled
users
• Services for visually
• Haptic interfaces in the
disabled
information services
• Services for users with
intellectual, emotional and Figure 3.
cognitive problems
Main areas and ways
of using haptic
technology in libraries
Source: Own research, 2018
LHT Based on the literature on the subject published so far, it is difficult to predict other areas of
37,4 library services in which haptic technology could be useful. It is possible that this
technology could be used not only in services for users, but also in internal library
processes, for example in cataloguing, analyzing, or describing resources. According to the
American Library Association – Center for the Future of Libraries (2018), “The integration
of haptics into media may add a new descriptive feature to information objects, requiring
890 libraries to rethink their systems for describing, classifying, or even retrieving resources.” It
is currently difficult, however, to find examples of such implementations, as well as to
predict how exactly this solutions may be useful. The assessment of the potential of haptic
technology for libraries requires a broader discussion both in the scientific community and
among practitioners.

Discussion
There are many advantages of introducing new technologies in libraries: they can help,
among others, to build a positive image of the library as a modern institution and offer
new opportunities to design services and deliver popular existing services in an
innovative way; however, it is worth considering the difficulties that may be associated
with this process.
First of all, due to the fact that there are not many examples of implementations of haptic
technology in cultural institutions such as libraries, all activities must be performed by the
trial and error method. There are currently not many examples of good practices that would
allow this know-how to be developed. As Tiwari (2016) pointed out, “Haptic technology is
still not very common and faces challenges in terms of cost, complexity, portability and
debugging issues” (p. 82). There are still a lot of technical issues that need to be solved, as
well as organizational aspects that need to be thought through to allow successful
implementation of haptic technology in public institutions. This can be seen as a negative
aspect and an argument against the introduction of haptic technologies in libraries.
However, without attempting to put this technology into practice in library services, it will
never be refined for the needs of non-commercial institutions. Libraries, like all institutions
operating in a competitive market, must take risks and meet new challenges – only in this
way will they remain current and relevant to users’ needs. As Fernandez (2017) pointed out:
“[…] haptic technology is poised to influence areas that we are already familiar with,” (p. 14)
so libraries must keep up with the changes that take place in the habits of their users.
During this process, however, it must be remembered that although library users are
increasingly so-called “digital natives” – people who were brought up on new technologies
and who appreciate modern solutions – libraries should not forget the older generations of
users for whom such solutions are surprising and can cause discomfort. All new
technologies should be introduced gradually, and using them should be an option, not a
necessity. It is also important to remember that apart from haptics connected with the
electronic environment; there are also other methods of offering tactile reinforcements also
through a traditional book. An example of this can be the use of a convex font that facilitates
reading to the visually impaired and the use of 3D illustrations and diagrams specifically in
scientific and educational books which may help in better understanding and remembering
of information, especially those that require understanding the depth, distance or
relationship between objects. This can be a solution for users who – for various reasons –
are not ready for innovation.
Another factor that often discourages the introduction of new technologies is the fact
that implementation of haptic technology, like any other technology, involves financial
expenditure in the purchase and operation stage, which can be difficult especially for
smaller libraries. In addition to these direct costs, organizational issues also arise: designing
services in terms of the implementation of new technology requires a new approach that
usually requires training of employees and employment of IT specialists and other experts. Haptic
In this context, however, a good argument for justifying the expenditure is the social utility technology
of haptic solutions for a wide group of users – the elderly, the disabled, but also children
starting school and all other users for whom touch is an important sense to facilitate the
acquisition of information. All in all, these expenditures may turn out to be profitable in the
context of the economic value of library services. Calculating the economic value of non-
commercial services, including libraries, based on their measurable impact on the local 891
community is slowly becoming a standard. In this context, offering services based on haptic
reinforcement, which may be useful for groups at risk of social exclusion, and also for all
other users, seems very profitable. Local authorities and other stakeholders want to invest in
services that will bring tangible benefits to a wide audience. In this context, offering services
based on haptic reinforcement, which may be useful for groups at risk of social exclusion,
and also for all other users, seems very profitable. Investing in new technologies can
increase the value of library services for the local community, bringing new opportunities to
obtain financing.

Conclusions
Haptic technology should be more often employed in library and information science
because it has the potential to make library services more accessible and attractive to
different groups of users. It seems that the two most important areas in which haptic
technology could be applied in libraries are education and services, especially for disabled
users that have special educational and service needs. Although it could be very helpful for
disabled users, haptic technology can also be used in various contexts to provide more
responsive and intuitive user interfaces for electronic library services. All in all, it can be
concluded that haptic technology may be used in a variety of ways to improve the quality of
library services. Importantly, services based on haptic technologies can more easily justify
their economic value as they can be tailored to the needs of specific groups of recipients,
while remaining useful for a wide range of library users. In this context, it is surprising that
this topic is so rarely undertaken in the librarianship subject literature. This is a gap in
research that needs to be filled. It is necessary to simultaneously conduct scientific research
in this field and try to implement these solutions in practice. Only close cooperation between
scientists and librarians can result in full exploitation of the potential of this new and
interesting technology.

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About the author Haptic
Magdalena Wójcik is PhD and Lecturer at the Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland. Wójcik is technology
interested in new technologies, particularly Web 2.0, augmented reality, wearable computing and
Internet of Things and their impact on libraries’ services. Wójcik’s newest publications are: the use of
Web 2.0 services by Urban Public Libraries in Poland: changes over the years 2011–2013. Libri,
Vol. 65 No. 2, pp. 91-103, Potential use of augmented reality in LIS education. Education and
Information Technologies, Vol. 21 No. 6, pp. 1555-1569, Internet of Things – potential for libraries,
Library Hi Tech, Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 404-420 and Holograms in libraries – the potential for education, 893
promotion and services. Library Hi Tech Vol. 36 No.1, pp. 18-28. Magdalena Wójcik can be contacted at:
magda.wojcik@uj.edu.pl

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