Physical metadata visualisation: The knitted personal library

Abstract

Personal collections, be they books, music, or artefacts have significance to the owner, and provide conversation and engagement with visitors. For example visitors of physical libraries may browse the spines, select a book, and begin a conversation. When the collection is digital it cannot be engaged with in the same manner and it becomes more difficult to share and explore with others. Physical data visualisation is becoming more popular, supported by new technologies, such as 3D printing, and the resurgence of crafting. This paper reports our investigation of digital library and eBook metadata visualisation using knitting. We report on our design considerations, a digital prototype to explore knitted library shawls, and a knitted prototype for a personal digital library.