Inclusive design for children navigating and seeking books in National Library of Public Information (NLPI), Taiwan

Abstract

The National Library of Public Information (NLPI) is responsible for providing fair use information to the public regardless of social class. NLPI need innovative service models and quality information content to meet the information needs of children in this digital era. For children, still in the process of cognitive development, the information needed to look for books, like call numbers and stack numbers, is abstract and difficult to understand. This project aims to objectify abstract book themes to create avatars and combine indoor positioning technology, smartphones, augmented reality technology, and big data to create a library navigator for children. The focus of this mobile navigator is to create associative memories using the relationship between avatars and book themes and present stack information in a more concrete manner. In conjunction with the memory palace technique, this navigator will help children understand the meaning of the themes of books and connect the avatar with real space in their mind. Gamification and the guidance of the avatars will stimulate child interest in learning and reading, thereby developing an augmented library with an inclusive design and an Internet of Things library using space to interpret metadata.