An AI Toolbox for Librarians. Accessibility is a primary mission of school libraries, and artificial intelligence (AI) can help with that mission by opening many doors for students. It can re-level, outline, summarize, narrate, and remove distractions from text, unlocking rigorous curricula for struggling readers. Students with dyslexia or ADHD, for example, can get information in the way that is most helpful for them without having to work through the lens of their disability. Meanwhile, there are many questions around uses, ethics, and copyright regarding AI.
While those concerns stand, AI can be incredibly useful for both students and teachers. AI large language models (LLMs) are not only useful for special education students, but for all students, particularly in writing skills. Both Gemini (formerly Bard) and ChatGPT can help students who are paralyzed by choice in their research to take a step forward—either with a topic choice or in finding search terms for a fully formed research question. Specificity. AI Tools for Research - Artificial Intelligence (Generative) Resources - Guides at Georgetown University. Research Librarians Describe Many Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence | Gonzaga University.
The growth of Gonzaga’s library from College Hall to Crosby Center to the Foley Center mirrors in some way the evolution of technology, from the first computer in 1966, the internet and now, Artificial Intelligence. A constant has been the presence of the librarian. Foley library is home to a number of librarians, including specific liaisons for each department to provide assistance to faculty and students. Among them are Anthony Tardiff, instruction and first-year engagement librarian, Candise Branum, health sciences librarian, and Nicole Gustavsen, STEM specialist librarian. Dissecting and helping others use AI has become a specialty of these three. For now they say AI is just like the internet and social media: Simply another tool that is helpful in aiding research when used correctly. A variety of AI platforms are available for use, including ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing Chat, and Google’s Bard.
Improving search results Recommending resources Providing personalized assistance. The World of AI. Last October, President Joe Biden released an executive order detailing guidelines for various aspects of artificial intelligence (AI), with the aim of driving inquiry, regulations, and policy around current and emerging tools. A hot topic in many industries, generative artificial intelligence (generative AI) has increasingly occupied our cultural consciousness since the large language model ChatGPT debuted for public use in November 2022. Some libraries are playing a unique role in charting a path through this new technological territory as the boundaries of AI’s uses and impacts continue to shift. “Librarians are asking if AI will render us obsolete—it won’t,” says Nick Tanzi, library technology consultant, author, and assistant director of South Huntington Public Library in Huntington Station, New York.
“We are information professionals, and our information landscape has just grown in complexity.” What top questions have librarians and educators raised about AI? Glossary. How Can AI Be Used in Libraries? - The Digital Librarian. As artificial intelligence continues to grow by leaps and bounds, how is AI technology manifesting itself in our public, academic, and school libraries? AI-Powered Patron Assistance Library digital services contain an amalgam of third-party e-media collections and software solutions, which we try to present as a unified library experience. While libraries have experimented (and continue to experiment) with using AI-powered chatbots ourselves, many of our vendors are increasingly rolling out sophisticated, patron-facing solutions.
For example, library digital content distributor Overdrive now employs AI-assisted support to answer patron service FAQs. In the near future, such vendor provided chatbots will become both increasingly commonplace and capable. Between these offerings, and the development of library-administered AI services that are likely to follow, an umbrella of 24/7 patron assistance options should continue to expand. Marketing & Design Tools Library Programs and Services. The Use of AI in Public Libraries - collectionHQ. “Hey Siri, what’s the future of the public library?” Siri: “Sorry, I don’t have that information about the future of the public” “…Huh?” The use of technology – in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs – is becoming more commonplace everywhere.
Whether you need directions, want to buy groceries, or collect a cup of coffee, help can be found with the click of a button. Judging by the nonsensical answer that Siri gave when asked about public libraries, technology can’t answer all our questions yet. As we try to manage this new technology, people are calling on the library community to lead the way. New examples of AI Technology is becoming more sophisticated, and AI is impacting every facet of society. Here are a few different innovative applications of AI: With so much opportunity available, how has it been implemented in libraries so far? The role of AI in libraries AI has become integral to many of the daily operational tasks in libraries. The future of AI in public libraries 1. 2. 3. Generative AI in Libraries: Unlocking Creativity and Empowering Knowledge. Generative AI and libraries: seven contexts. This is the third of four posts on Generative AI: It is now a year since the momentous appearance of ChatGPT.
So much has happened in that time. Whether one measures by new product and feature announcements, business churn (investment, startups), or policy, safety and ethical debate. Usage is increasingly integrated into daily applications. Much of this has become routine, some of it is tedious, and much still has the ability to surprise. The recent White House Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence highlighted safety concerns, will influence developments in the US, and has prompted much debate about the role of government, industry and others. To help ensure the responsible development and deployment of AI in the education sector, the Secretary of Education shall, within 365 days of the date of this order, develop resources, policies, and guidance regarding AI. // White House Here are some important library concerns that recur at various points: LLMs. Generative AI, scholarly and cultural language models, and the return of content.
Introduction I provided a general overview of large language models and generative AI in a recent post. As AI momentum continues to grow, there are now more announcements in areas which are closer to our domain. Here I want to look a little bit more at some examples of scholarly or cultural large language models (LLMs). It is not at all a comprehensive review, rather a sampling of indicative initiatives.
The focus is on LLMs themselves and the importance of curated data to these initiatives, rather than on the parallel proliferation of AI-based applications which use the LLMs. There is now a diverse and expanding universe of LLMs. And then there is a variety of domain specific initatives developing models, or training more general models, for specialised communities or applications (e.g. medicine, finance, biosciences). The composition, transparency, documentation and representativeness of these models are important issues given known concerns. Quick AI recap Language models. Conclusion. The role of generative AI in library services. Below are some key terms to know for developing competency in AI technologies, and some of their applications. Machine Learning (ML): Enables computers to learn from and make decisions based on various forms of data including images and text. Neural Networks: A type of machine learning that mimics the human brain in analyzing and learning patterns from data.
Can be applied in learning and predicting user behavior, and for large dataset analysis. Natural Language Processing (NLP): Computer-human language interaction. Can support search functions and text analysis such as topic modeling, sentiment analysis, named entity recognition. Language Models: Algorithms for understanding human language. Can enhance library information retrieval, text summarization, and support user assistance chatbots. Computer Vision: Machine learning for interpreting visual data. Topic Modeling: A statistical model to discover topics in text-based documents. How AI in public libraries can benefit librarians and patrons alike. It is inarguably the game-changing technology of the moment. Once the stuff of science fiction, artificial intelligence (AI) has made its presence felt in just about every sector imaginable, from academia to the hotel industry.
Much of the discourse around the use of AI technology has centered on ethical concerns, and understandably so. Generative artificial intelligence has raised red flags about everything from data privacy to plagiarism. AI-generated texts are often riddled with factual errors and images created by generative AI tools have been used to spread misinformation. Ethical implications of artificial intelligence aside, we can't live in denial of the fact that these emerging technologies are here to stay, and as they develop and grow ever more sophisticated, it serves all of us well to improve our AI literacy. Moreover, libraries have discovered that integrating AI technology can enhance and streamline their services. See also: AI enables libraries to play a leading role. Next Gen AI: Libraries Work with ChatGPT and Other Emerging AI Tools | Library Journal. 2023 was a breakout year for generative artificial intelligence, and librarians are in a position to help patrons work with this technology For years, people have relied on artificial intelligence (AI)–powered tools ranging from grammar checkers and Netflix recommendations to voice assistants and credit card fraud detection systems, but those seemed like old hat when ChatGPT burst onto the scene on November 30, 2022, reportedly reaching one hundred million users within two months.
OpenAI’s free-to-use, large language model “Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer” chatbot was engaging users in detailed conversations, quickly answering questions about seemingly any topic, and even writing simple computer code on command. Similar tools soon followed, with Meta releasing its Large Language Model Meta AI (LLaMA) and Microsoft debuting the Bing Chat extension for its Edge browser in February 2023, and Google launching Bard AI in March. Content creators may be impacted as well.
R. R. Guide for instructors - AI Literacy in the Age of ChatGPT - LibGuides at University of Arizona. Prepare for AI: Future-Proofing Library Services. Generative AI: What Librarians Need to Know. Prompt engineering - Something for librarians here? | Aaron Tay's Musings about librarianship. 30 AI Tools for Librarians: Upgrade the Way You Work | GR Tech. AI tools are coming to automate all aspects of work, leaving humans to do what we do best: work with each other.
This article discusses how AI tools for librarians are poised to reinvent everything from book recommendations, to archiving rare materials, from automating daily tasks, to assisting patrons with research. While some may view AI as a threat to librarians' jobs, I see it as an opportunity to elevate our roles and better serve our communities. AI can handle routine and mundane tasks, freeing librarians to focus on higher-level duties like teaching critical thinking, curating collections, and helping patrons navigate an increasingly complex information landscape.
The 30 AI tools for librarians highlighted in this article represent the cutting edge of this transformation. Summoning Mechanical Mentors: The 30 Best AI Tools for Librarians AI Tools for academia and research 1. 2. Curating knowledge is at the heart of what librarians do. 3. Facts are friends to librarians! 4. 5. 6. 7. 5 Ways Artificial Intelligence Impacts Libraries | AJE. Libraries and library professionals have long been conscientious stewards of information, safeguarding its organization, access, collection, and protection. As such, they are necessarily at the forefront of all new information developments from card catalogs and microfilm to personal computers and e-books.
It is little known, however, that libraries are notoriously slow in adopting these new technologies. They often wait until the market is saturated and the public is demanding access and education before implementation. The flaws in this practice create unique challenges for library professionals tasked with meeting the needs of their communities. Slow adoption not only causes a lag in service but also leads to gaps in training and other core competencies. While library organizations and leaders recognize this and try to stay ahead of the curve, the rate of output for new technologies makes keeping pace almost impossible. 1. 2. Robotic process automation Smart Libraries 3. 4. 5.
AI challenges for librarians. Darrell Gunter takes a critical look at racial bias and ethics in artificial intelligence Allow me to share two stories with you. The first story is about a town that had a bad fire. The published story stated that the town experienced a tremendous fire that burned everything down to the ground. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. The town mayor estimated rebuilding would take 18 to 24 months. This is the truth by this reporter that will stand for generations. But what if it was not the truth……? Truth is in the balance of the story reported by the journalist. Considering the omissions, I must ask the question, “generationally, what type of human beings are we creating” if this is allowed.
Can you imagine if the Tulsa Race Massacre of of 1921 was reported as just a bad fire versus the reality that it was a massacre that claimed the lives of 32 people and thousands were injured? Language matters. The current landscape for librarians AI did not start with chat GPT. Definitions of AI. AI in Indian Libraries: Prospects and Perceptions from Library Professionals.
1 Introduction Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into library services has grown increasingly popular, potentially transforming the sector by significantly enhancing routine library operations and services (Cox, 2022). Typical library functions entail recurrent tasks performed by library professionals ranging from user services to technical undertakings like development and management. Such tasks, although necessary, often prove time consuming, detracting from professional growth and library enhancement opportunities (Johnson, 2018).
Many libraries have embraced automation through information technology, but these systems require considerable human interaction and involvement. For instance, in organising library information – such as classification and cataloguing – library professionals must manually ascertain a collection’s metadata before system entry. This process demands significant time expenditure (Al-Aamri & Osman, 2022). 1.1 Objectives of Study 2 Literature Review Table 1. Generative AI for library and information professionals – IFLA. Produced by the IFLA AI SIG In compiling this resource we are seeking to provide a useful non-technical resource for information library and information professionals. We try to point to authoritative sources which are open to all.
If you have any comments or suggestions for improvement please email them to a.m.cox@sheffield.ac.uk Generative AI are systems that can produce new text, images or other media. They could be differentiated from descriptive AI which focuses on improving access to content such as text, images, audio and video by identifying features in them to enhance search. Resources: Ortiz, S. (2023). UNESCO quick start guide to ChatGPT in Higher Education, 1.1 Examples of generative AI GPT has been around for a while. Image generators: Other AI 1.2 How generative AI works Resources: Clarke, S., Milmo, D. and Blight, G. AIAAIC. 2023. Generative AI & the Evolution of Academic Librarianship - ACRLog. AI in Libraries | @LibrarianKira | Flipboard. No Frauds, No Fakes…No Fair Use?
The Use of AI in Public Libraries - collectionHQ. Youtube. Generative AI and libraries: seven contexts. Future of libraries report 2022. Generative AI & the Evolution of Academic Librarianship - ACRLog. No Frauds, No Fakes…No Fair Use? 5 Ways Artificial Intelligence Impacts Libraries | AJE. AI Leadership Brief. AI Leadership Brief October2023. 30 AI Tools for Librarians: Upgrade the Way You Work | GR Tech. AI challenges for librarians. Next Gen AI: Libraries Work with ChatGPT and Other Emerging AI Tools | Library Journal.