Blockchain is an emerging technology that will change the way we acquire and share information. They combine a variety of technologies including cryptography, peer-to-peer networks, smart contracts and consensus mechanisms to create a new kind of database. Currently, different industry sectors such as finance, medicine and government are making significant investments investigating the transformational impact of blockchain. It’s imperative that librarians take a role in shaping how this technology is applied to content creation, storage and distribution or risk being disrupted. The Special Libraries Association Toronto in tandem with Prescient Innovations has initiated a blockchain working group, investigating the technology and how it can be applied to the information industry. Join me in learning more about our process, our challenges and what we’ve discovered. 

Bio: Stephen Sawyer is the Lead, Design Research and Business Analysis with Prescient Innovations, a creator-focused innovation lab exploring the future of rights management. With over 10 years experience working as an Information Specialist, he is now focused on researching, speaking about and building apps using blockchain technology. He is passionate about creating digital solutions for creators and publishers while improving experiences for content consumers through human-centred design. In 2019, he founded a ‘Blockchain for Librarians” working group with the Special Libraries Association Toronto, investigating the potential for blockchain as applied to the information sciences.