Skip to main content

Libraries, BookBots and Algorithms

I was listening to NPR this morning, as usual, during my workout. The Pulse did their entire hour on the Rebirth of the Library.  As an avid reader, this was of great interest to me. I love books. I have a crazy collection of books, all down in my basement now since I live in a tiny house with little room for my shelves and shelves of books. But - I don't have the heart to get rid of them, and I do reread them - it's like coming home to old friends.In fact, I just reread over the holidays The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (an annual tradition)...which can only be done correctly with a the actual book that allows me to flip back to the maps a million times.

NPR's many stories related to the library included many things about how libraries of today are still relevant, and how many libraries are changing. I would suggest reading/listening to the different stories. The one that really sparked my mathematical interest however was the one by Peter Crimmins entitled Will BookBots be the revolutions libraries are looking for? I'd never heard of a BookBot, but basically it's a robot that finds books that have been stored in metal bins in large warehouse spaces. The bins are arrayed in a matrix (math!) and a searchable database is used to identify a book and send an algorithm to the BookBot, which then finds and retrieves the bin and brings it to the librarian to get the ordered book. It's a space-saving method of storing thousands of books, allowing for libraries to provide more space for meeting rooms, makerspaces, wifi, social gathering areas, etc. But - what fascinates me is the math.

The BookBot works on algorithms to find the books. The books are not arranged in a typical Dewey-
decimal system, but based on an algorithm. When books are returned, they don't go back to the bin they came from, but go to the closest bin to the crane.  Storage is based on efficiency and proximity, not what we typically associate libraries with - alphabetical, chronological, genre. Fascinating. And clearly an amazing amount of programming and mathematics goes into this system. Naturally, this just made me think about students and the never ending questions "when are we ever going to use this". Here is yet another example of math at work....and in the library!!

I love finding examples of math in places you don't really think of as "mathy". Apparently this BookBot technology comes from similar technology used in the automotive and textile industries. It's fascinating to consider the mathematics needed to store up to two-million books and be able to deliver a single item within five minutes of clicking the online catalog. Yet another example to provide students where math and technology are used on a regular basis.

I found this video of the BookBot in action at the Hunt Library in NCSU. Very cool.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Implementation Dip - It's Not Just Test Scores, It's Any Change

I read this article yesterday by Andrew Ujifusa entitled New Tests Put States on Hot Seat as Scores Plunge . Basically, states that have implemented new standardized tests to address revised academic standards, such as the Common Core State Standards, have seen a drop in student scores, so panic has ensued. What I want to know is: has no one ever heard about the implementation dip? Whenever you try to implement something new, there is going to be a period of adjustment, scores will go down if we are talking tests, classroom behaviors will change and achievement will go down if new teaching strategies are being implemented - in short, any time you try something new, it is NOT going to go exactly as planned!  Mistakes will happen, things will be bad before they get better - it's part of the whole change process.  Which is why we need to be implementing changes slowly, early, and over time so that things that go wrong can be adjusted. Image from images.google.com What is th

Social Media's Impact on Personal Life - Personal Reflections

The question - does social media impact personal life? The answer - yes.  Is that a good thing or a bad thing? The answer - it depends. I have been on vacation the past week or so and am currently on personal leave to finish writing my dissertation proposal (which, as you can see, I am procrastinating!) During my vacation, I swore I would take a break from blogging, Twitter, email, and all things electronic. I lied. I admit - I did honestly make the attempt and in fact, did not turn on my computer one time.  However, the iPad is a constant companion, especially since the books I am reading (currently, the Game of Thrones series) are on there, so I had the iPad with me a lot - even on the beach.  It was very easy to check if I had emails, to check out my Facebook or to send a Twitter or two.  Long story short, I failed miserably at the disconnecting aspect. View from chair and under canopy! Which brings me back to the question of does social media impact personal life? The o

Lecture, Direct-Instruction or Talk - There's the Confusion!

In yesterday's weekly #edchat Twitter collaboration the discussion focused on the flipped classroom, where, naturally, there was quite a bit of debate around the idea of video lectures. What became apparent was the many different interpretations of the term 'lecture'. This came to the forefront for me when I offered up the idea of TED Talks as one option for learning rather than a teacher's video lecture, and someone said "TED talks are just lectures, so how is that better?" This stumped me as I have never thought of a TED talk as a lecture, which is funny, because now, forced to think about it, I guess they could be construed as lectures, depending on your definition. Which of course has led me to this post!  Obviously, my perception of a lecture is not the same as others. What is MY definition of a lecture? Perhaps it's my many years of being both a student and a teacher, but for me a 'lecture' has rather negative connotations, as I envisio