Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to subject the potential of Internet of Things (IoT) technology for libraries in terms of the possible scope and usage forms of this technology in public and academic library services. Design/methodology/approach – Based on analysis of the subject literature, the main areas of IoT applications in commercial institutions were identified, then an analysis of Library and Information Science English-language literature from the years 2010 to 2015 was conducted in order to create a profile of modern library services. The range of activities of commercial and non-commercial institutions were compared to ascertain if areas in which commercial entities using or planning to use IoT could also be an inspiration for libraries. In this way, a theoretical model of IoT use in library activities was developed. Findings – The research showed that IoT technology might have the potential to be used in library services and other activities, similar to how it is implemented in the commercial sector. Research limitations/implications – The aim of the paper is to determine the possible, not the actual, scope and forms of using this technology in public and academic libraries’ services. Practical implications – The results can be widely used in libraries as an inspiration for the use of IoT technology in modern library services. Social implications – The use of new technologies in libraries can help to improve the image of these institutions in the eyes of users, especially the younger generation. Originality/value – The use of IoT in libraries is a new issue that has not been studied much yet. The issue of using the potential of this technology for the needs of libraries has, in recent years, been raised at international conferences, become a subject of interest to librarian associations, and been widely discussed in the blogosphere, thus proving that this topic is important to practitioners. It is difficult, however, to find any scientific, comprehensive studies of this topic.

Purpose The subject of the paper is innovative information services. The purpose of this paper is to identify the potential sources of innovation in library information services and point out how they can be used to improve the overall service quality. Design/methodology/approach In the first stage, literature analysis and critique was used to establish the state of research in the field of innovative solutions and select the main sources of innovation in services. Next, a systematic search of the subject literature and network resources was carried out according to the selected criteria to find the examples of innovative commercial services, particularly in the information sector. Findings Libraries, like all customer-oriented service organizations, must innovate and continually evolve to better meet the needs of their audience. It seems that in libraries, the basis of innovation and building a competitive advantage over other institutions may primarily be the thoughtful design of services in the spirit of the assumptions of the experience economy. Innovative ideas based on in-depth knowledge of user needs are less dependent on financial conditions and more on the creativity and enthusiasm of library staff. Research limitations/implications This paper is a conceptual work presenting the issue of innovation from the perspective adopted by the author. The paper does not aim to fulfill the subject but to show some interesting aspects of this issue and help initiate discussions on innovation in libraries from the perspective of phenomena present on the commercial information services market. This approach, which has not yet been adapted in library science, may show some new aspects and lead to new conclusions. This is a literature review type of paper that is not based on empirical research and it has not yet been tested in practice; however, the author believes that it can provide a valuable framework for designing and implementing innovative services in libraries. The presented process is a preliminary proposal that can and should be modified in the future based on further scientific reflection and examples of implementations in libraries. Practical implications The results can be widely used in practice as a framework for designing innovative services in libraries. The paper, based on subject literature, proposes a process of designing innovative information services that can and should be tested in practice. Social implications The paper can help initiate the debate on the need to implement innovative solutions in library services. Originality/value The issue of innovation in library services has not yet been widely discussed in library and information science journals from the perspective proposed by the author. This paper presents a specific approach to library innovation based on the observation of the certain phenomena on the commercial market, which opens the door to new reflections.

Thermal imaging has been used for patients with spinal diseases who were qualified by their physicians for whole-body treatment or local cryotherapy. The experimental groups of patients consisted of 20 males aged 51.6 ± 9.0 (12 treated by whole-body cryotherapy and 8 by local cryotherapy). The distribution of the skin surface temperature was monitored by using a Thermovision Camera E60 before and immediately after body cooling. The chosen spinal region (Th5/Th6-L5/S1) was taken into consideration for all of the research groups. An essential drop in skin temperature and a better differentiation of the body surface temperatures (leading to an increase in the diagnostic value of thermography) was observed after both methods of cold impact. In order to estimate the usefulness of thermovision used after body cooling, the quantitative parameters including temperature contrast-the difference between the maximum and minimum temperatures before and after cold impact and relative contrast ratio (related to the average temperature of the selected area of interest, before and after cooling, respectively)-were compared for both kinds of medical treatment. The statistical analysis proved that significant differences between the parameters obtained before and after body cooling in the case that patients treated by local and whole-body cryotherapy are similar. However, local therapy is cheaper and easy for application while whole-body therapy can give more information about the state of soft tissues for the whole back.

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a chronic movement disorder which presents as clonic and/or tonic facial muscle contractions frequently accompanied by many other sensory (visual or auditory disturbances, pain), motor (facial weakness, trismus, bruxism, dysarthria) and/or autonomic (lacrimation, salivation) symptoms. The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of HFS non-motor and motor-related symptoms and their responsiveness to botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) therapy. 56 HFS patients were included in the open-label design study. Patients were examined three times: before BTX-A injection, and 2 and 12 weeks later. The occurrence of non-motor and motor-related symptoms was assessed by a special questionnaire, and the severity of HFS was rated by the Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale (CGI-S) and depression symptoms by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Over 81% of the patients before BTX-A therapy reported HFS non-motor and motor-related symptoms. Almost 50% of the patients reported more than three symptoms. The most frequent symptoms were: tearing (44.5%), eye irritation (39.3%), facial paraesthesia (26.8%) and hearing of a "clicking" sound (25.0%). 2 weeks after BTX-A injection 75% of the patients did not report any symptoms and 20% reported only one or two. 3 months later the number of symptoms had increased again, with 57% of patients reporting at least one. The number of HFS non-motor and other symptoms did not correlate with the patients' age, disease duration and the presence of neuro-vascular conflict, but were positively correlated with the CGI-S and BDI scores. This study showed that muscle contractions in HFS patients are commonly accompanied by non-motor and other motor-related symptoms and most of them are reduced following BTX-A treatment.

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PurposeThe subject of this paper is the phenomenon of social media aesthetics, which can be perceived as a tool for promoting and building the image of libraries, especially in terms of merchandising. The aim of this paper is to analyse the potential of the dark academia social media trend in the promotion of academic libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe article is based on a review of the social networking sites YouTube and Instagram and an analysis of network resources using the Brand24 tool.FindingsResources that are described by Internet users as “dark academia” are popular in social media. Dark academia as an aesthetic concept creates potential for the promotion of academic libraries, especially those that are more traditional in terms of their architecture, décor or how they offer their services.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper concerns a phenomenon which, although popular socially, has not yet been scientifically analysed in the literature on the subject. Since the topic is new and there is no scientific literature on it, the author had to base the paper on less standard sources of information (e.g. analysis of the content of social media). The article is a review, an introduction, as well as an invitation to further discussion. The author's aim is not to comprehensively cover this topic but only to draw attention to an interesting and rarely discussed issue that has great potential for practical activities.Practical implicationsThe topic has great potential for the practical improvement of the promotional activities of libraries, especially older, more traditional libraries, to create a strong and positive image on the basis of characteristics often perceived as weaknesses.Social implicationsSocial media services are powerful social impact tools. Showing the potential role of social media aesthetics for cultural institutions could serve to make the public more aware of the role of the proper use of social media for promotion and image building.Originality/valueThe use of social media aesthetics is very rarely discussed in the subject literature.