Knowing that some librarians are thinking about ignoring AI completely, Hanegan had a thought: “What institution is going to help [my mom] and all of her friends navigate this?” “Disengagement from AI guarantees your vulnerability,” he said. “The people that you serve will be harmed without your trusted guidance.” Hanegan was one of four panelists … Continue reading Exercising Agency with AI
Council adopted the rules (CD#5.1) and the agenda (CD#8.6). Committee on Legislation Chair Susan Hempstead brought forth a resolution affirming public libraries as essential economic and civic infrastructure (CD#20.1). The resolution passed 111-3 with an amendment to broaden the statement to include all libraries, not just public libraries. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Working Group co-chairs Ed … Continue reading Council II: Guidance Approved for AI in Libraries
Moderator Amanda Gray Perry, web and digital user experience librarian at Hesbergh Libraries at University of Notre Dame (Ind.), grounded the panel’s discussions of AI in lived experience. “The more time I spend with technology, the more I am aware of the importance of including humanity in the process,” she said, also citing Notre Dame’s … Continue reading Coexisting with the Machine
It’s an overwhelming time to vet and license library resources. To cut through the noise, I’ve narrowed down my queries for vendors to five questions to better understand how a new AI tool might enhance my library’s user experience. 1. What content is your tool trained on? The future of generative AI models will heavily … Continue reading 5 Questions to Ask Your Vendors about AI
State of the industry Clarivate, which in recent years has subsumed the technology products of Ex Libris and Innovative, further strengthened its place as the industry leader. Clarivate has embraced AI across its businesses, including with the 2024 release of its Academic AI Platform, supporting a strategy to harness these technologies while delivering reliable content. … Continue reading 2026 Library Systems Briefing
Freedom to read faces federal scrutiny Following the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the US Naval Academy removed nearly 400 books deemed DEI-related from its Nimitz Library (later returning most of them to circulation). Meanwhile, in April, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case brought by … Continue reading 2025 Year in Review
New Horizons in Artificial Intelligence in Libraries Edited by Edmund Balnaves, Leda Bultrini, Andrew Cox, and Raymond Uzwyshyn Born out of recent International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions conferences, this volume examines current and potential directions, implications, and projects for AI in library services. For example, uses of natural language processing for topic modeling … Continue reading Considering AI
New Zealand Two locations of Thames-Coromandel District Libraries closed temporarily on November 19 because of concerns that play sand used in crafts at the library may have been contaminated with asbestos, Radio New Zealand reported. Multiple brands of play sand have been recalled, and investigations are ongoing, according to New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation, … Continue reading Global Reach: Anime Site Banned in Russia
When she came across a book titled Rabbits: Children’s Animal Fact Book from the publisher Bold Kids, it seemed promising. Eklund hadn’t heard of Bold Kids before, but it offers nearly 500 books on Goodreads and Amazon, and its paperbacks aren’t expensive. Though the catalog showed only the book’s cover—not its interior—she put in the … Continue reading Books by Bots
A total of 14,292 people registered for the event, whose programs included many dedicated to anticensorship efforts, programming challenges, funding cuts, and other existential threats. In these dark times, when the very mission of libraries is being scrutinized and politicized, attendees took comfort in collective engagement and critical discussions about intellectual freedom, diversity, and other … Continue reading 2025 Annual Conference Wrap-Up
With more than 600 vendors and a variety of live stages and pavilions, the Library Marketplace showcased products for libraries facing intense new challenges. Services and solutions that focused on libraries’ ongoing needs for efficiency and impact were in high demand. Palpable politics The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) booth, which sat empty … Continue reading Solidarity amid Uncertainty
The June 30 panel at the American Library Association’s 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia gathered library technology experts to discuss ways that AI—and other technologies—are impacting libraries this year and how they may evolve in the future. AI technology is developing rapidly. “Usually a cycle of technology is a decade long,” says Marshall … Continue reading Generative Generations
