A Governance-Oriented Smart Library Pod Reservation System: A Design Science Research Approach
Abstract
The growing demand for flexible, focused learning spaces led universities to introduce individual study pods in academic libraries. However, the absence of structured reservation mechanisms led to inefficient utilization, no-shows, and limited accountability. This study aimed to address these challenges by employing a Design Science Research approach to develop a governance-oriented smart library pod reservation system as a design artifact. The research followed a pre-implementation design process encompassing problem identification, requirement elicitation, system design, and conceptual evaluation. Data were collected using a mixed-methods approach, including a survey of undergraduate students and semi-structured interviews with administrative stakeholders. The findings revealed that although students perceived study pods as effective for focused academic activities, their usage was constrained by accessibility issues, misuse, and lack of transparency. These insights informed the development of a rule-based reservation system incorporating real-time availability, user check-in validation, automated cancellation, and administrative monitoring. The study demonstrated that embedding governance mechanisms directly into reservation workflows enhanced fairness, accountability, and efficiency in the management of shared learning spaces. The proposed design provided a scalable, practical solution to improve the utilization of learning spaces in higher education environments.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/edulib.v16i1.95740
DOI (PDF): https://doi.org/10.17509/edulib.v16i1.95740.g36412
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