Trending issues in advancing blockchain technology in libraries, archives and museums

Abstract

Purpose Blockchain technology as a way of preventing data tampering of institutions databases is creating new opportunities for libraries. Digital ledgers can help better track intellectual property rights and ownership for art, commodities, music, film and more. The blockchain technology is used in libraries, archives and museums for data management, in academic publishing and others. Design/methodology/approach Using systematic literature review, and exploring blogs and wikis, data is collected of ways in which blockchain has been used and can be used in the memory institutions. Findings Blockchain is used by some institutions for collection management, offering native protection against data tampering, for decentralized digital identity solutions, and in academic publishing, and also could be used in museums as a means of asserting ownership over an original digital work. Recommendations are made for more specialized use as technology advances. Originality/value Novel ways of using blockchain apart from those used in the financial industry are brought to the fore for libraries, archives and museums. Librarians, archivists and museum curators find links to ways of using blockchain for their work.