{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,27]],"date-time":"2026-02-27T10:18:49Z","timestamp":1772187529495,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":19,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,5]],"date-time":"2018-02-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1517788800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["EL"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,5]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to explore the roles of public libraries in the context of Big Data.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A mixed method approach was used and had two main data collection phases. A survey of public libraries was used to generate an overview of which professional roles connect public libraries with Big Data. Eight roles were identified, namely, educator, marketer, data organiser, data container, advocator, advisor, developer and organisation server. Semi-structured interviews with library directors and managers were then conducted to gain a deeper understanding of these roles and how they connect to the library\u2019s overall functions.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Results of the survey indicated that librarians lack a proper comprehension of and a pragmatic application of Big Data. Their opinions on the eight roles are slightly stronger than neutral. However, they do not demonstrate any strong agreement on these eight roles. In the interviews, the eight roles attained more clear support and are classified into two groups: service-oriented and system-oriented roles.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>As an emerging research field, Big Data is not widely discussed in the library context, especially in public libraries. Therefore, this study fills a research gap between public libraries and Big Data. In addition, Big Data in public libraries could be well managed and readily approached by citizens in undertaking such roles, which entails that public libraries will eventually benefit from the Big Data era.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/el-06-2016-0134","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,12,29]],"date-time":"2017-12-29T19:24:28Z","timestamp":1514575468000},"page":"133-145","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":22,"title":["Public libraries: roles in Big Data"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"36","author":[{"given":"Ming","family":"Zhan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gunilla","family":"Wid\u00e9n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2020093018531328000_ref001","volume-title":"The Accidental Data Scientist: Big Data Applications and Opportunities for Librarians and Information Professionals","year":"2015"},{"key":"key2020093018531328000_ref002","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"314","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ins.2014.01.015","article-title":"Data-intensive applications, challenges, techniques and technologies: a survey on Big Data","volume":"275","year":"2014","journal-title":"Information Sciences"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.1007\/s11036-013-0489-0","article-title":"Big Data: a survey","volume":"19","year":"2014","journal-title":"Mobile Networks and Applications"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122","DOI":"10.1108\/LR-06-2015-0061","article-title":"A formal definition of Big Data based on its essential features","volume":"65","year":"2016","journal-title":"Library Review"},{"issue":"1\/2","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref005","first-page":"35","article-title":"Research data management in the age of Big Data: roles and opportunities for librarians","volume":"36","year":"2016","journal-title":"Information Services and Use"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jdmm.2014.08.002","article-title":"Big Data analytics for knowledge generation in tourism destinations: a case from Sweden","volume":"3","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Destination Marketing and Management"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref007","first-page":"30","article-title":"Big Data: a big opportunity for librarians","volume":"36","year":"2012","journal-title":"Online"},{"issue":"7\/8","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref008","first-page":"662","article-title":"The emerging role of libraries in data curation and e-science","volume":"51","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of Library Administration"},{"key":"key2020093018531328000_ref009","unstructured":"Hey, J. (2004), \u201cThe data, information, knowledge, wisdom chain: the metaphorical link\u201d, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, available at: www.dataschemata.com\/uploads\/7\/4\/8\/7\/7487334\/dikwchain.pdf (accessed 4 March 2016)."},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"320","DOI":"10.1080\/02763869.2014.925709","article-title":"Big Data: an introduction for librarians","volume":"33","year":"2014","journal-title":"Medical Reference Services Quarterly"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref011","first-page":"2","article-title":"Promises and challenges of Big Data computing in health sciences","volume":"2","year":"2015","journal-title":"Special Issue on Computation, Business, and Health Science"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref012","first-page":"17","article-title":"Big Data and the library: a natural fit","volume":"34","year":"2014","journal-title":"Computers in Libraries"},{"key":"key2020093018531328000_ref013","first-page":"995","article-title":"Big Data: issues and challenges moving forward","year":"2013"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"786","DOI":"10.1016\/j.acalib.2015.08.020","article-title":"Imagining library 4.0: creating a model for future libraries","volume":"41","year":"2015","journal-title":"The Journal of Academic Librarianship"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"552","DOI":"10.1016\/j.acalib.2013.06.002","article-title":"Developing data management services at the Johns Hopkins University","volume":"39","year":"2013","journal-title":"The Journal of Academic Librarianship"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"346","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lisr.2015.07.001","article-title":"Effectiveness of digital library services as a basis for decision-making in public organizations","volume":"37","year":"2015","journal-title":"Library and Information Science Research"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"429","DOI":"10.3390\/fi5030429","article-title":"Libraries\u2019 role in curating and exposing Big Data","volume":"5","year":"2013","journal-title":"Future Internet"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020093018531328000_ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"363","DOI":"10.1080\/0361526X.2014.915605","article-title":"The library: Big Data\u2019s boomtown","volume":"67","year":"2014","journal-title":"The Serials Librarian"},{"key":"key2020093018531328000_ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"120","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijhm.2014.10.013","article-title":"What can Big Data and text analytics tell us about hotel guest experience and satisfaction?","volume":"44","year":"2015","journal-title":"International Journal of Hospitality Management"}],"container-title":["The Electronic Library"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/EL-06-2016-0134\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/EL-06-2016-0134\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T01:07:24Z","timestamp":1753405644000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/el\/article\/36\/1\/133-145\/101685"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,5]]},"references-count":19,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,5]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/EL-06-2016-0134"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/el-06-2016-0134","relation":{},"ISSN":["0264-0473"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0264-0473","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,2,5]]}}}