Blockchain
Technology
in the
Library
By Nancy K. Herther
Blockchain, although a relatively new
technology, has ignited a tremendous amount
of interest. The enthusiasm of supporters
and early adopters borders on the fanatical.
Its distributed ledger system—marked by
decentralization, unique and immutable
transactions, and data stored in secure,
verifiable, and permanent blocks—is gaining
advocates in many disciplines and industries
worldwide. Its origins, rooted in Bitcoin and
other cryptocurrencies, do not obscure its
appeal for other types of transactions. For a
description of the technology and definitions
of blockchain terminology, see Richard
Hammond’s January/February 2018 Online
Searcher article, “Blockchains, Sealing Wax,
and Disruptive Technologies,” pp. 10–16.
SEARCHER’S
I
f you think you have been seeing more about blockchain
VOICE
recently, you are not alone. Searches in Factiva and ABI/
INFORM reveal a similar pattern of increased informa-
tion about blockchain technology being published. A Statis-
ta report shows the size of the market, with projections to
2021 steadily increasing, and, according to the Stanford
Centre for Social Innovation, new projects, organizations,
and platforms are also growing.
The advantages of blockchain are counter-balanced by con-
troversies about privacy issues. In an era of deepening con-
cern about data security, blockchain appears to be attracting as
much criticism as support across the globe. This article exam-
ines the comments, advice, and concerns of technology ex-
perts and shares their perceptions of blockchain in light of the
increasing hype around this technology. The speed of change
in communication and technology is creating serious disrup-
tion for information professionals.
I spent years as a writer, editor, and consultant in tech in-
dustries before entering academia, and one thing has always
been clear to me: Technology is neutral, not “bad” or “good.”
However, the potential for misuse is almost impossible to
foresee, and the costs of damage have grown massively. For
information professionals, the issue of privacy/security of in-
formation and the need to carefully protect certain categories
of information are core to our work and legitimacy.
INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS FACE BLOCKCHAIN
This year, with funding from the Institute of Museum and
Library Services (IMLS), the San Jose State University (SJSU)
iSchool has initiated the first major examination of blockchain
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SEP | OCT 2018 ONLINE SEARCHER 37
 Factiva search results show an increasing number
of articles about blockchain over the past 5 years.
and its potential impact on information services (imls.gov/
grants/awarded/LG-98-17-0209-17; ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/
block​chains). “It is time to examine the possible ways that li-
braries can support city/community goals through the use of
blockchains while the implementation of the technology is still
SEARCHER’S
in the infancy stage,” Susan Alman, SJSU instructor and project
director, notes on the iSchool website (ischool.sjsu.edu/
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center-information-research-and-innovation-ciri/projects/
featured-projects/blockchain-technology). The school is cur-
rently investigating ways that blockchain technology might be
used “as a community anchor to partner with other organiza-
tions and to support city/community goals” (library20.com/
page/call-for-proposals-blockchain). The school sponsored a
conference in June 2018 (youtube.com/c/Library20) and will
be using the IMLS grant to support another meeting that was
scheduled to take place on Aug. 6, 2018 (ischoolblogs.sjsu.edu/
blockchains/national-forum). It expects to release a report on
the findings and observations of the meeting in fall 2018.
The IMLS grant is intended to study the feasibility of block-
chain technology to help libraries expand and extend their ser-
vices by “developing a distributed, permission-less metadata
archive; creating a protocol for supporting community-based
collections; and facilitating better digital rights management.”
Sandra Hirsh, director of the SJSU iSchool, has a long histo-
ry of research and scholarship, user/information-seeking be-
havior, technology use, and online experiences and commu-
nities. As research continues on the IMLS Blockchain grant,
Hirsh tells Online Searcher, “I think we will be in a better po-
sition to comment on some of these things after we have held
our National Forum in early August and have had a chance to
digest what we have learned through our year of exploration.”
However, there are plenty of experts, pundits, and technolo-
gists with opinions, as well as a few very interesting projects
underway that might help explore not only the issues, but
point to potential applications for this technology that could
revolutionize web-based information services.
38 onlinesearcher.net
ABI/INFORM search results show an increasing number
of articles about blockchain over the past 5 years.
SUPPORTERS, SPONSORS, AND QUESTIONS
Blockchain has the strong, active support of a wide variety
of industries, companies, and professional and association
groups. Blockchain exists as an ISO standard (iso.org/com​
mit​tee/6266604.html; ISO/TC 307). It is under consideration
as a European Union ITU-T standard (ec.europa.eu/news​
room/document.cfm?doc_id=47036). The Chinese govern-
ment has begun a process to have a comprehensive frame-
work for blockchain standards completed by the end of 2018
(coindesk.com/china-poised-to-form-blockchain-standards-​
committee-this-year). An IEEE initiative for blockchain has
also been launched (blockchain.ieee.org). All these efforts are
critical in establishing strong, clear standards for the distrib-
uted processing of key user data worldwide.
Hexayurt.Capital founder Vinay Gupta, in a March 6, 2018,
article in Harvard Business Review (“The Promise of Blockchain
Is a World Without Middlemen,” hbr.org/2017/03/the-promise-
of-blockchain-is-a-world-without-middlemen), notes:
We’re going to see the potential for a trajectory of
radical change in all industries. As a society, we’re
experiencing a time of unprecedented technological
change. It can feel like an insurmountable challenge
for leaders to stay on course in such rapidly chang-
ing tides. And yet, with each passing generation, we
are acquiring more skill and expertise in navigating
a high rate of change, and it is to that expertise that
we must now look as the blockchain space unfolds,
blossoms, and changes our world.
However, many are far more skeptical.
In one example of the thorny issues involved, IEEE spon-
sored “a one-of-a-kind independent research study to examine
the State of Blockchain Adoption on the Pharmaceutical Supply
Chain.” The final report (blockchain.ieee.org/stan​dards/​2017-​
sba-psc) is sobering, as it “offers detailed insights on unresolved
>
Creating Open Algorithms
to Ensure Privacy?
MIT Connection Science officer Thomas
Hardjono authored the 2016 W3C Position
Paper “On Privacy–Preserving Identity Within
Future Blockchain Systems.” He emailed me his
thoughts on creating open algorithms to ensure
privacy. “One of the major challenges today has
to do with an interesting dilemma with regards
to data-driven decision making for individuals,
organizations and communities. On one hand,
individuals, organizations and communities need
‘access to data (information)’ in order to perform

SEARCHER’S
computations as part of decision-making. The

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promise is that better insights can be obtained
by combining data from different domains in
interesting and innovative ways. On the other
hand, however, there is considerable risk to privacy when ‘data is
shared’ across entities. As such, one imperative next step is to develop
the paradigm of ‘open algorithms’: (i) It is the algorithm that is moved to
the data location (and computed there); (ii) data must never be exported
(leave) its repository; (iii) algorithms must be vetted for fairness and PII-
leakage; (iv) data should be encrypted at all times (during computation
and during storage). The last principle (data encrypted at all times)
means that new cryptographic techniques are needed which allows data
to remain encrypted (and even ‘sharded’ into parts across distributed
locations) so that it increases protection against cybersecurity attacks.”

SEP | OCT 2018 ONLINE SEARCHER 39

 financial, regulator, policy, and protocol issues, expectations
and commitment of partners when participating on a block-
chain-based pharmaceutical supply chain.” This is hardly a
strong endorsement of the technology, and with good reason.
Technology consultant Jason Bloomberg, in a May 31, 2017,
Forbes article, notes that “aside from Bitcoin itself, real-world
implementations of blockchain are few and far between”
(forbes.com/sites/jasonbloomberg/​2017/​05/31/eight-​rea​
sons-to-be-skeptical-about-blockchain/#6b7a57715eb1).
The reasons for this cautious approach are many.
PRIVACY AND SECURITY ISSUES YET UNSOLVED
Researchers at the Open Data Institute remain cautious:
[W]e have seen continued excitement about the pos-
sible uses of blockchains, but too little consideration
about the risks, or whether blockchain technology
even brings any benefits in such cases.
New technologies go through a hype cycle. The
challenge near the beginning of that cycle is to identi-
fy the uses and applications that will stand the test of
time. Like most new technologies, blockchains could
cause significant damage if used indiscriminately.
–theodi.org/article/comment-blockchain-technology-
is-useful-but-not-for-everything
SEARCHER’S
VOICE
Information professionals rarely consider themselves tech-
nology experts; however, there are many computer experts
who have studied blockchain as it currently exists in light of
the increasing problems of privacy and security.
Jason Griffey, founder of Evenly Distributed and an Affiliate
Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Soci-
ety, answered this question, posed by ZBW MediaTalk, “Could
libraries and open science benefit from this technology?” by
explaining the basics of blockchain (zbw-mediatalk.eu/​2018/​
02/blockchain-profitieren-bibliotheken-und-open-science-​
von-​der-technologie).
As a storage media for information, or as a program-
matic platform, blockchain has potential to be used
in place of existing technologies where decentraliza-
tion might be advantageous. … There is still a con-
siderable technical hurdle in developing new tech-
nology on the blockchain, and it isn’t clear that
libraries have the in-house talent to do this techno-
logical development.
Griffey believes, “at the core,” blockchain is really “just an
information storage system. It’s an information storage sys-
tem with some very unusual properties (multiple untrusted
authors, provable authorship, automated consensus, decen-

Whither Privacy?
Walid Al-Saqaf is a senior
lecturer at Södertörn University in
Stockholm, where he specializes
in the use of the internet and
media technology for journalism,
access to information, freedom
of expression, and public
good. He also serves as a member of the Internet Society board of
trustees. He sees blockchain as a new type of challenge for industries,
governments, and individuals. He told me, “One characteristic of
the blockchain is immutability. So if users opt to put their private
information on the blockchain, they cannot simply remove them
because blockchains are not meant to be centrally controlled. In other
words, there is no ‘blockchain manager’ who can oblige to requests
to delete personal information. So I don’t personally see a way for
blockchains to be GDPR-compliant. That being said,” he added, “I
also cannot see how someone could sue a blockchain that is not
controlled by anyone! This is an interesting area to study in-depth and
to me, it actually may expose the knowledge gap that exists among
bureaucrats (in this case in the EU GDPR regulators) and disruptive
technologies where such regulations are impossible to implement.”

40 onlinesearcher.net
tralization of content), and it’s in those properties that its use
is found.”
Jessica Berger, research study coordinator at Northwestern
University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, posted to the San
Jose State iSchool blog about medical data privacy (ischool​
blogs.sjsu.edu/blockchains/blockchain-chock-full-of-prob​
lems-for-medical-data-privacy-by-jessica-berger-mlis-cipm)
that is must-reading for any information professional.
She explains:
Where information is stored on a blockchain, the
disposition of that information becomes impossible
even when the information contained in those re-
cords is erroneous. Since blockchains can be hacked,
and since they are widely distributed, personal infor-
mation that should have been destroyed (but which
could not be destroyed because of the very nature of
a blockchain) becomes linked to numerous entities,
exposing that information to breaches and the per-
son to whom it is connected.
The lack of boundaries within this schema is also
reason for concern with regards to confidential infor-
mation. Despite robust encryption and other security
measures, we have witnessed the proliferation of data
breaches that would never occur if the information
was simply collected by the one entity that needs it
and stored in one locked cabinet, or on an offline
hard drive. The notion that your personal informa-
tion exists to be exploited has been widely adopted as
a foundational credo of modern marketing, but its
popularity does not render it ethical or right.
Berger summarizes her concerns by saying this:
Just because a technology exists does not mean we
should use it.
The nuclear bomb exists, but we should not use it.
The blockchain exists, but we should not use it to
store any sensitive information, especially medical
information.
This is not an isolated concern—researchers at MIT’s Me-
dia Lab and other locations are working to find ways to build
privacy-preserving functions into these highly decentralized
networks (ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7163223).
Old Dominion University’s Sachin Shetty, head of the Vir-
ginia Modeling Analysis and Simulation Center, believes the
challenges can be met. He emailed me that “one of the chal-
lenges with Internet services is the lack of trusted platforms in
a distributed environment.” Shetty believes blockchain has
the potential to provide the trusted platform in a decentral-
ized fashion and is resilient to adversaries, acknowledging
that the current security solutions in the internet are vulnera-
ble to attacks due to centralization and lack of immutable
properties. “If blockchain can provide a ‘truly’ decentralized
trusted platform that takes away the need for a trusted arbi-
trator, we would be able to overcome several attack surfaces.
Blockchain cannot stop attacks from taking place.
“The future technologies need to make sure the Internet is
resilient to attacks and can survive impact of attacks and pro-
vide service at an acceptable level,” Shetty continues. “Most
folks think blockchain is a panacea for all security problems.
Its advantages are in providing strong integrity checks, it is
not good for confidentiality and availability.” However, as he
sees it, “Privacy needs to be tackled from multiple perspec-
tives (technological), organizational (economic and legal
policies), societal (human behavior). Most privacy solutions
have come from computer science which only proposes a
technology solution. We need to engage psychologists, sociol-
ogists, anthropologists, attorneys, economists, etc., to tackle
this problem from several perspectives.” In his option, “priva-
cy is a ‘human problem’ and technology is just a vessel.” Shet-
ty concludes, “If we only focus on addressing technology risks
and ignore the other aspects I mentioned, we will always play
a reactive game and not stay ahead.”
SOME VERY INTERESTING PROTOTYPES
Some interesting applications or prototypes of blockchains
are taking place internationally. The National Agency of Public
SEARCHER’S
Registry in the Republic of Georgia has implemented the
Blockchain Land Registry, intended to “provide its citizens with
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a digital certificate of their assets,” and “develop the most se-
cure solution to provide citizens and governments with data
safety, auditable processes and transparency” (exonum.com/
napr). Dubai plans to issue its government documents using
blockchain technology. Estonia is building a “digital society”
(e-estonia.com). Several U.S. government agencies, from the
Department of Homeland Security to the Food & Drug Admin-
istration, have evinced interest in blockchain. Other countries’
projects are underway today as well.
It’s not just governments experimenting with blockchain.
A New York startup, Civil Media Co. (civil.co), is using the
Civil Media Company is using blockchain technology to connect
content and journalists to create new types of publications.
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SEP | OCT 2018 ONLINE SEARCHER 41
 The View From Europe
I consulted Nicola Fabiano, Italian lawyer and frequent commentator on European
implementations of blockchain, to ask about the European view of blockchain’s
effect on privacy. He said, “In Europe, people are working on blockchain
standardization, and I think that data breaches will decrease. Obviously, it
depends on the blockchain category (public blockchain, private blockchain,
combined blockchain). I think that in the private and combined blockchains it is
an adequate level of protection.” He sees the main issues as being related to the
public blockchain, but hopes that a technical standard could mitigate the risks.
“The ‘data protection by design and by default’ principles or ‘privacy by design’
method [is] an excellent …model to protect personal data.”
SEARCHER’S
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technology to connect content and journalists to create new
types of publications. To date, it has started nearly 1,000 new
publications. In one case, with the demise of the Denver Post,
a group of editors and journalists for the paper decided to
start their own paper, the Colorado Sun. As reported by The
New York Times, “The new publication will have a conven-
tional website whose data will be written permanently into
the secure digital ledger known as the blockchain” (nytimes.
com/​​ 2 018/06/17/business/media/denver-post-block-
chain-colora​do-​sun.html).
Civil Media’s goal is to provide a new model and support
structure for print journalism. According to its About page,
“The ad-driven revenue model that traditionally funded
quality journalism has not translated to the digital economy.
Journalists around the world are facing an existential threat
like never before. We’re committed to introducing a new
funding model—and a supporting ecosystem—that enables
journalists to focus on serving their readers above all else.”
It is partnering with various nonprofits, including four ma-
jor journalism schools.
The problem for the Denver paper began with the purchase
of the paper by a hedge fund and the resulting layoffs and cut-
backs. In order to maintain the mission of the paper and pro-
vide a future for their staffs, some editors decided to give this
model a try, beginning with a Kickstarter campaign. Once it be-
gins publication, it will be interesting to see what the reaction is
to this new “paper.” Might it be possible to create a truly global
news source that can rely on ads or other income streams to
connect the world while providing adequate support to report-
ers, editors, and other professionals involved?
GETTING LIBRARIES INVOLVED
Equally Distributed’s Griffey thinks that it is time for libraries
to investigate blockchain. As he suggests in the ZBW MediaTalk
interview, “it might be interesting to prototype a metadata or
cataloging system that stored its information in a blockchain,
and used cryptographic signing to allow for selective retrieval”
in order to give libraries a chance to test out these new technol-
ogies. “New services and platforms such as blockstack, IPFS,
and other media-driven decentralized technologies could be
very interesting for libraries. Funding experimentation inside
libraries, and supporting innovative individuals that have an
interest in emerging technology would help libraries prepare
for this potentially disruptive technology.”
Of course, experimentation requires funding and collabo-
ration, which in the current economic and political economy
seems difficult to imagine. However, the stakes are very high
for information professionals.
When asked, RedLink CEO Kent Anderson encourages in-
formation professionals to “focus on the benefits to the user,
which from my perspective aren’t many if any. In fact, I think
blockchain depends entirely on non-technology issues to
succeed, which makes the technology moot.”
Vittoria Bergeron, product lead at Blockchain.com, reminds
Online Searcher readers that “humans typically fear what we
don’t know and favor the incumbent. Systemic change begins

42 onlinesearcher.net

when realized value trumps comfort of the existing system.
We’ve reached that tipping point but still have a long way to go.
A network is only as useful as it is trusted. First, security must
not be seen as an added product feature, but as seen as part of
the genetic makeup of the product. Second, it is imperative that
those who build upon and contribute to these products put the
security of its individual users first above all else.”
“Now that everyone is getting comfortable with blockchain
platforms, what’s next?” asks the 2017 Deloitte Insights report
“Blockchain to Blockchains: Broad Adoption and Integration
Enter the Realm of the Possible.” According to the report, “As
blockchain use cases grow in scope, scale, and complexity, the
need for standardized technologies, platforms, and skillsets
becomes more pressing each day. … Unfortunately, there are
currently no overarching technical standards for blockchain,
and it is unrealistic to think we will get them soon, if ever, across
all use cases. …” (tinyurl.com/y6v8y8gd).
“We decided to investigate the possible applications of
blockchain in libraries since it appeared on our radar as an
important emerging technology,” SJSU iSchool’s Sue Alman
explains in an email. “Libraries and information centers are
community hubs for public, academic, school, and special
populations, and because our profession provides leadership
in providing access to information, it’s important for us to un-
derstand new technologies, issues and trends. This investiga-
tion will make recommendations on next steps for the infor-
mation profession to take with blockchain.” And it couldn’t
come fast enough.
SEARCHER’S
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FACING THE ISSUES
In congressional testimony and public announcements,
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg sought to placate
lawmakers and their users, even admitting that his company
would be open to regulatory efforts to protect the privacy of
users on this global social-media behemoth. He apologetical-
ly stated that the company had learned much from the most
recent crisis about better protecting user data. Zuckerberg
proffered his support for consumer protection with warnings
about regulation leading to unintended consequences for
these companies. Yes, this is a major industry, driving much of
the innovation, jobs, and profits during this technological
transition; however, progress and profits have little value if
they work to destroy trust, individual freedoms, and the very
fibers of society.
If there is anything to be learned from the current investi-
gations about foreign interference in American politics, it is
that technology is changing too fast for legislation or regula-
tion to keep up with, let alone be a step in front of, these de-
velopments. Industry leaders admit that potentials exist for
both bad and good outcomes. We are left with the need for
ongoing education and vigilance as blockchain—along with
other technologies—continues to develop and evolve.
Nancy K. Herther (herther@umn.edu) is librarian for sociology and
anthropology and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus.
Comments? Email the editor-in-chief (marydee@xmission.com).
SEP | OCT 2018 ONLINE SEARCHER 43
Reproduced with permission of copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited
without permission.