Purpose - This study seeks to examine the concepts of context, context-awareness, and context-awareness technology needed for applying context-awareness technology to the next-generation of digital libraries, and proposed context-aware services that can be applied to any situation by illustrating some library contexts. Design/methodology/approach - The paper investigated both theoretical research and case analysis studies before suggesting a service model for context-awareness-based libraries by examining the context, context-awareness, and context-awareness technology in depth. Findings - This paper derived possible library services which could be provided if context-awareness services are implemented by examining and analyzing case studies and systems constructed in other fields. A library-applied context-aware system could recognize users entering the library and provide optimal services tailored to each situation for both new and existing users. In addition, the context-awareness-based library could provide context-awareness-based reference services, context-awareness-based loan services, and cater to other user needs in the stacks, research space, and a variety of other information spaces. The context-awareness-based library could also recognize users in need of emergency assistance by detecting the user's behavior, movement path, and temperature, etc. Comfort or climate-control services could provide the user with control of the temperature, humidity, illumination and other environmental elements to fit the circumstances of users, books, and instruments through context-aware technology. Practical implications - Next-generation digital libraries apply new concepts such as semantic retrieval, real-time web, cloud computing, mobile web, linked data, and context-awareness. Context-awareness-based libraries can provide applied context-awareness access service, reactive space according to the user's access, applied context-awareness lobbies, applied context-awareness reference services, and applied context-awareness safety services, context-awareness-based comfort services and so on. Originality/value - Real instances of libraries applying context-aware technology are few, according to the investigative results of this study. The study finds that the next-generation digital library using context-awareness technology can provide the best possible service for the convenience of its users.
