LibBlock - Towards Decentralized Library System based on Blockchain and IPFS

Abstract

In modern times, the definition and the library’s expected functionality did not change much as before. It is still a place for us to hold massive collections of information. Traditionally, libraries require physical storage space for writings and publications, but storing and managing costs can be tremendous. Although the aid of digital promises and computers allows a super high density of information storage, it does not lower the library’s complexity. As our main source of information is moving away from physical writings toward digital, the new digital library (i.e., state-run library) faces the challenges of records’ integrity and storage efficiency. Focused on this issue, we learn the demands from the Royal Library in Denmark and try to explore the use of blockchain technology. We introduce a system named LibBlock, by integrating with both smart contract and IPFS in order to provide a robust, decentralized, flexible, and adaptive e-Library, which enables the ease of scalability and rigid record keeping. In the evaluation, we investigate the initial performance of LibBlock with Ethereum and show its viability and efficiency.