Critical tech theory for libraries: An autoethnographic case study of Amazon’s Alexa in a public library

Abstract

This paper proposes a framework for understanding and evaluating technology in library settings through the lens of critical theory of technology, dubbed critical tech theory, by drawing on the philosophies of Martin Heidegger, Jacques Ellul, Herbert Marcuse, and Andrew Feenberg. Leveraging metasynthesis to juxtapose each theorist’s arguments and claims in dialectical discussion, the paper advocates for a deeper, values-based critique and merges utilitarian and deontological ethical frameworks with critical tech theory. The study uses autoethnography and case study to recount the author’s experiences with Amazon Alexa devices in a public library, highlighting ethical conflicts surrounding privacy, dataveillance, and professional integrity. Assessment of the scenario demonstrates how critical tech theory can reveal underlying power dynamics and unintended consequences in the adoption and deployment of emerging technologies, which brings forth insights in regard to how libraries may exhibit a sustainable form of mindful resistance to the rapid adoption of emergent technologies. The combination of theory and praxis demonstrates that libraries deploy technology with the best of intentions, but the values of librarianship and corporate technology developers are not well aligned. Under circumstances where technology acquisition and public exposure prove out of step with values and intended outcomes, the technology itself must be rejected. The study concludes by calling for community engagement in the form of democratic intervention to reexamine priorities benefiting the public good and define how they are represented in library policy.