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In the vision of pervasive computing, numerous heterogeneous devices, various information services, and users performing daily activities are physically co‐located in a environment. How can we coordinate the services and devices to assist a particular user in receiving a particular service so as to maximize the user’s satisfaction? To solve this human‐centered coordination issue, we propose an agent‐based service coordination framework for pervasive computing. It is called location‐aware middle agent framework. The middle agent takes account of the user location in cognitive way (based on location‐ontology), and determines best‐matched services for the user. Based on this coordination framework, we have developed a multi‐agent architecture for pervasive computing, called CONSORTS (Coordination System of Real‐world Transaction Services). In this paper, we first outline some requirements of the human‐centered service coordination in pervasive computing. Secondly, we describe location‐aware middle agent framework to fill the requirements. Lastly, we outline CONSORTS, an prototype of location‐aware middle agent framework, and two applications of CONSORTS, location‐aware information assistance services in a museum and wireless‐LAN based location systems on FIPA agent Networks.

This study aims to compare similarities and differences in library and information science (LIS) and non-LIS undergraduates’ conceptions and perceptions of smart libraries via drawing analysis.

In this study, a total of 156 undergraduate students described their perceptions of smart libraries as drawings and textual descriptions. A modified coding scheme with 8 categories and 51 subcategories was used to analyse the undergraduate students’ drawings.

Most of the undergraduate students’ conceptions of smart libraries still involve self-checkout and learning/reading, focusing on information appliances, technical services, activities and objects. The differences are that the LIS undergraduates’ drawings showed smart libraries with robots, interactive book borrowing with technology tools, intelligent services, location-aware services or mobile applications, whereas non-LIS undergraduates presented smart libraries as readers (learners), other activities and no smart technology services. LIS undergraduates focused on providing patron services with technologies. Non-LIS undergraduates were more likely to draw a complex space with immediate access to books or digital resources, quiet reading and the freedom to engage in library activities.

The results provide a baseline for future research on the topic and provide preliminary evidence of using the methods to discern LIS and non-LIS undergraduates’ conceptions of smart libraries.

This article is based on a report to the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament by IPTS, addressing increasing concerns about the impact of emerging information and communication technologies and services on security and personal privacy. This paper presents the findings on location‐based services from the above report. It explores in more depth the effect that the processing of location data (for use in services supported by mobility and integrated within the ambient intelligence context), will have on the future balance between security and privacy.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a mobile service, based on anonymous location-based data, to help students find available reading rooms on a university campus. To evaluate this mobile service, both a usability test and a technology acceptance test were carried out.

The research followed a design science approach, including developing a prototype and evaluating the developed prototype.

The results from the usability test indicated good usability of the developed mobile service. The results from the technology acceptance test demonstrated students’ intention to use this mobile service. Most respondents indicated that they would like to use this mobile service to find available reading rooms when they are on campus.

The results imply that there are other contexts where anonymous location-based data are also useful. A similar mobile service can be developed for other contexts, such as, hospital complexes, shopping malls, and airports.

To the authors best knowledge, the authors have not found any mobile services aiming at counting the density of people residing in a room by using anonymous user location-based data on a university campus. This research fills this gap by developing the mobile service, called finding reading rooms.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of privacy concern on user adoption of location‐based services (LBS).

Based on the data collected from a survey, structural equation modeling was employed to examine the research model.

The results indicate that among four dimensions of privacy concern, collection and secondary use are the main factors affecting perceived risk, whereas errors are the main factor affecting trust. Trust affects perceived risk, and both factors determine usage intention.

Mobile service providers need to alleviate users' privacy concern and perceived risk in order to encourage their adoption and usage of LBS.

Extant research has mainly examined LBS user behavior from the perspectives of technology acceptance model, task technology fit and unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology. The results provided in this paper indicate that privacy concern also has a significant effect on user adoption of LBS. This advances our understanding of LBS user behavior.

Modern handheld devices provided with localization capabilities can create a diary of the user whereabouts, and provide a description of the user habits and a complement of the user profile in several applications. The places we go, in fact, reveal something about us; for example, two persons can be matched as compatible given the fact that they visit the same places. The purpose of this paper is to describe the Whereabouts diary in this context.

This paper presents the Whereabouts diary, an application/service to log the places visited by the user and to label them, in an automatic way, with descriptive semantic information. Web‐retrieved information, and the temporal patterns with which different places are visited, can be used to automatically define meaningful semantic labels to the visited places.

The paper verified that such diary application can be created and can effectively classify the places visited by the user. In particular, geocoding and white‐pages web services were used to extract information about a place, and Bayesian networks to classify places on the basis of the time at which they have been visited.

The paper discusses this implementation, and presents experimental results. Experiments show that the identification of places and the accuracy of the place classification mechanism are effective, while the accuracy of geocoding and white‐pages retrieval should be improved.

This paper shows the novel Whereabouts diary application. Several mechanisms presented are original to this approach. In addition, several applications that can exploit the diary are illustrated.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the extent to which the use of social media can support customer knowledge management (CKM) in organizations relying on a traditional bricks‐and‐mortar business model.

The paper uses a combination of qualitative case study and netnography on Starbucks, an international coffee house chain. Data retrieved from varied sources such as newspapers, newswires, magazines, scholarly publications, books, and social media services were textually analyzed.

Three major findings could be culled from the paper. First, Starbucks deploys a wide range of social media tools for CKM that serve as effective branding and marketing instruments for the organization. Second, Starbucks redefines the roles of its customers through the use of social media by transforming them from passive recipients of beverages to active contributors of innovation. Third, Starbucks uses effective strategies to alleviate customers' reluctance for voluntary knowledge sharing, thereby promoting engagement in social media.

The scope of the paper is limited by the window of the data collection period. Hence, the findings should be interpreted in the light of this constraint.

The lessons gleaned from the case study suggest that social media is not a tool exclusive to online businesses. It can be a potential game‐changer in supporting CKM efforts even for traditional businesses.

This paper represents one of the earliest works that analyzes the use of social media for CKM in an organization that relies on a traditional bricks‐and‐mortar business model.

The evolution from emerging technologies to smart libraries is thoroughly analyzed thematically and bibliometrically in this research study, spanning 2013 through 2022. Finding and analyzing the significant changes, patterns and trends in the subject as they are represented in academic papers is the goal of this research.

Using bibliometric methodologies, this study gathered and examined a large corpus of research papers, conference papers and related material from several academic databases.

Starting with Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data (BD), Augmentation Reality/Virtual Reality and Blockchain Technology (BT), the study discusses the advent of new technologies and their effects on libraries. Using bibliometric analysis, this study looks at the evolution of publications over time, the geographic distribution of research and the most active institutions and writers in the area. A thematic analysis is also carried out to pinpoint the critical areas of study and trends in emerging technologies and smart libraries. Some emerging themes are information retrieval, personalized recommendations, intelligent data analytics, connected library spaces, real-time information access, augmented reality/virtual reality applications in libraries and strategies, digital literacy and inclusivity.

This study offers a thorough overview of the research environment by combining bibliometric and thematic analysis, illustrating the development of theories and concepts during the last ten years. The results of this study helps in understanding the trends and future research directions in emerging technologies and smart libraries. This study is an excellent source of information for academics, practitioners and policymakers involved in developing and applying cutting-edge technology in library environments.

The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively review existing literature regarding the ethical dilemmas posed by location-based services (LBS) and their impact upon the adoption of a regulatory framework.

This paper employs a qualitative approach for reviewing LBS scholarship, in which existing knowledge is presented in narrative form and is critiqued thematically.

In reviewing contemporary scholarship, the value of technical, social and environmental considerations is demonstrated. This encourages an understanding of the complexities, multiple interests and contextual factors that must be incorporated into the examination of LBS regulation in any social context.

Approximately 85 per cent of handsets now have a global positioning system chipset on board. LBS affect a great number of mobile users. This research will create awareness among users of the potential benefits and harms that can come from the (mis)use of the technology. It will also promote an awareness of the complexities surrounding LBS regulation, drawing attention to the importance of collaboration and involvement of LBS stakeholders in the regulatory process.

Defines the ethical dilemmas of LBS that influence regulatory choices through a review of applicable literature and proposes that future research simultaneously address technical, social and environmental factors relevant to LBS.

Context-awareness has emerged as an important principle in the design of flexible business processes. The goal of the research is to develop an approach to extend context-aware business process modeling toward location-awareness. The purpose of this paper is to identify and conceptualize location-dependencies in process modeling.

This paper uses a pattern-based approach to identify location-dependency in process models. The authors design specifications for these patterns. The authors present illustrative examples and evaluate the identified patterns through a literature review of published process cases.

This paper introduces location-awareness as a new perspective to extend context-awareness in BPM research, by introducing relevant location concepts such as location-awareness and location-dependencies. The authors identify five basic location-dependent control-flow patterns that can be captured in process models. And the authors identify location-dependencies in several existing case studies of business processes.

The authors focus exclusively on the control-flow perspective of process models. Further work needs to extend the research to address location-dependencies in process data or resources. Further empirical work is needed to explore determinants and consequences of the modeling of location-dependencies.

As existing literature mostly focusses on the broad context of business process, location in process modeling still is treated as “second class citizen” in theory and in practice. This paper discusses the vital role of location-dependencies within business processes. The proposed five basic location-dependent control-flow patterns are novel and useful to explain location-dependency in business process models. They provide a conceptual basis for further exploration of location-awareness in the management of business processes.