Knowledge Agora

Title	Design for sharing: libraries of things as a product-service system
ID_Doc	8046
Authors	Ameli, N
Title	Design for sharing: libraries of things as a product-service system
Year	2017
Published
Abstract	Sharing can be a way to confront ecological and social challenges. Libraries of Things offer the process of sharing in a convenient way that fits into the users' everyday life. These Libraries offer access to a broad range of items to everyone at a low price. The items offered should be of high quality to minimize risks, to enhance the flow of the sharing process and to create as little maintenance effort and cost as possible for the library. The contradiction of offering high quality products for a relatively low price could be solved by a cooperation between manufacturers using Libraries of Things as a distribution platform. The Libraries could thus help the manufacturers to adapt their business to the circular economy. This paper does not present a ready-made solution yet, but rather reflects upon the role of design within this area of product-service system and defines further fields of research since Lending Libraries have not yet been reflected upon from a design-angle.
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