Holograms in libraries – the potential for education, promotion and services

Purpose The subject of this paper is the application of holograms in cultural institutions. The purpose of this paper is to define the potential areas of hologram use in libraries, particularly in education and promotion, and also in services. Design/methodology/approach The method of analysis and criticism of literature was used. Based on a search conducted through Google Scholar for the 2006-2016 period, the current state of research on the use of holograms in cultural institutions was established. Subsequently, in order to find examples of hologram use in libraries, museums, galleries, and social organizations, an established set of queries was used to systematically search network resources using global search engines and metasearch engines. The initial list of results was narrowed down to the most relevant. On the basis of the above fact, the main areas of hologram use in cultural institutions were defined and examples of best practices were selected according to chosen criteria. The comparative method then was used to determine potential areas of application of holographic techniques in libraries. Finally, SWOT analysis – the situational analysis method known to management sciences – was used to determine opportunities and threats related to the use of holograms in cultural institutions. Findings Holograms have broad potential use in libraries that is even broader than initially assumed because they are not limited to education, promotion and services, and can also be used in documentation, research and exhibitions. The use of holograms can bring many benefits, but it is also associated with certain risks that need to be considered. Practical implications The results can be widely used in practice as a framework for the implementation of holographic techniques in libraries. Social implications The paper can help initiate debate on the opportunities and risks of using holograms in cultural institutions. Originality/value The issue of the use of holograms has not yet been widely discussed in library and information science scientific journals.