Siri, Alexa, and Other Digital Assistants

Apple has "Siri," Amazon "Alexa," Google "Google Assistant," and Microsoft "Cortana." Learn how you can use a popular technology to improve library services, increase their efficiency, and excel in your career.

Digital assistants such as Alexa and Siri can play music, podcasts, audiobooks, and the radio; answer questions; provide factual information; tell stories; and even control devices in your home. What can they do for you in your library?

This concise, practical guide will help you to understand the basics of voice computing platforms and appreciate its relevance to you as a librarian, outlining specific applications for this technology in the library. Discussions of potential applications will inspire you to include voice computing in your library services and events and give you the tools you need to do so. You'll also find a list of the best sources on voice computing. In short, you will find everything you need to know about this important and growing technology and how you can use it in your library.

Auteur

Nicole Hennig, an independent user experience professional, helps librarians and educators to effectively use technology through her online courses, books, and webinars. She worked for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Libraries for 14 years.