On September 11, 2023 Dr. Piotr Chmielewski presented the lecture Blockchain is no just cryptocurrencies. What it actually is and what are the possibilities of this technology.
The lecture was divided into two main parts. In the first, Dr. Chmielowski introduced the participants to the blockchain technology, i.e. "chain of blocks". He discussed the relevant historical aspects that influenced the emergence of this technology and argued why it is worth taking an interest in it, stressing that "sooner or later each of us will become its user, consciously or not." The lecturer pointed out that the technology is approaching its full maturity and will be more widely adopted by various entities in the coming years. He supported this statement with numerous examples from various economic sectors, such as Coca-Cola or BMW companies, which have been using it for several years.
Piotr Chmielewski also conducted a "breakdown" of the technology under discussion into smaller components, and discussed each of them in detail. In addition, he explained to the audience the meaning of terms such as miner, excavator, and smart contract. During the lecture, he also referred to the results of his own research, presenting eight potential areas where libraries could successfully use blockchain technology.
The second part of the lecture was of a practical nature and focused on issues related to "first steps" in the blockchain issues. The lecturer presented an excerpt from an article containing relevant recommendations and then gave practical solutions related to each of these recommendations to the audience.
The lecture was followed by a short Q&A session during which the speaker expanded on some of the issues raised during the lecture in response to questions from the participants.