Augmented Reality Navigation App and Metadata Icon Design for Children’s Library

Innovative services, digital technology, and quality information are increasingly required in libraries to meet the needs of digital natives (i.e., children). The information-seeking behaviours of children in the process of book selection, searching, browsing, and using a library differ significantly from adults. In this study, we have developed an augmented reality (AR) navigation app to help children find books and bring children a novel library experience. Based upon the knowledge structure of children and how they perceive the thematic order of books, we designed visual interfaces for the AR navigation app, targeting children between the ages of 6 and 12. In order to align with their cognitive abilities and reduce their cognitive load, this study changed each subject category into a graphical icon. We also designed a corresponding monster icon for each user category, which will assist the children in navigating the positions of bookcases in the library. The interesting presentations not only evoke curiosity in children while allowing them to learn about the meanings of the subject categories, but our presentations also enable the children to explore the diverse range of physical books and abundant digital learning resources within the library. The ability to navigate was achieved by constructing an indoor positioning system that combined iBeacon with our AR navigation app system while utilizing important physical markers and virtual visual icons within the library. The above app can be used to accumulate electronic records from various information systems and interfaces and thus allow children to better locate materials or books that they seek in a smart library. Furthermore, we employed big data to determine the correlation between “children of different needs or preferences” and “their information-seeking behaviours” in order to better understand the future development of smart libraries.

为满足数字原住民（digital natives，即儿童）的使用需求，图书馆对创新服务、数字技术与优质信息资源的需求日益增长。儿童在选书、检索、浏览及使用图书馆的过程中，其信息搜寻行为（information-seeking behaviours）与成年人存在显著差异。本研究开发了一款增强现实（augmented reality，AR）导航应用，旨在帮助儿童查找图书，并为其带来全新的图书馆使用体验。基于儿童的知识结构及其对图书主题排序的认知方式，我们面向6至12岁的儿童群体设计了这款AR导航应用的可视化界面。为契合其认知能力并降低认知负荷，本研究将各学科类别转化为图形图标。此外，我们还为每一类用户设计了对应的怪兽图标，以帮助儿童定位图书馆内的书架位置。这种趣味化的呈现方式不仅能够激发儿童的好奇心，帮助他们理解各学科类别的含义，还能让儿童探索图书馆内丰富的实体图书与多样的数字学习资源。本研究通过结合iBeacon技术与AR导航应用系统，并利用图书馆内的实体标识与虚拟视觉图标构建室内定位系统（indoor positioning system），从而实现导航功能。上述应用可积累来自各类信息系统与界面的电子记录，进而帮助儿童在智能图书馆（smart library）中更精准地定位所需资料或图书。此外，本研究借助大数据（big data）分析不同需求或偏好的儿童与其信息搜寻行为之间的关联，以更深入地理解智能图书馆的未来发展方向。