According to a May 2023 survey of academic librarians by Leo S. Lo, professor and dean of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, about 45% of respondents said they have a moderate understanding of AI concepts and principles. Seventy-four percent underscored the urgent need to address … Continue reading Reading Between the Bots
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 … Continue reading The World of AI
As many types of AI become commonplace, library workers in particular will be at the forefront of evaluating their significance in the information realm. American Libraries touched base with professionals at five public, school, and academic libraries who are using, and innovating with, this emerging technology. Robots in Residence Santa Ana (Calif.) Public Library Some … Continue reading Realizing Potential
Text generators Tools that generate text based on user prompts. Examples: copy.ai, Anyword, Peppertype, Grammarly Uses: Automate drafting of routine documents like overdue notices or new cardholder welcome messages, draft marketing copy or web page text Controversies: » Sports Illustrated was recently criticized for publishing AI-generated product reviews on its website, which it blamed on … Continue reading Common Forms of AI
“Libraries work when they reflect what’s going on in the community, so of course we started getting people coming to us with information needs about cannabis,” says Lyman, who now runs SPL’s Library to Business program, which provides information to entrepreneurs and helps them develop necessary skills. At the time, Washington was only the second … Continue reading Considering Cannabis
“I’m always looking to do programs that are a little bit off the beaten path,” says Waters, youth services manager at Missouri River Regional Library (MRRL) in Jefferson City, Missouri. Enter centuries-old combat and training techniques, which have seen a boom in recent years, thanks in part to the emergence of historical European martial arts … Continue reading Talking Points
To fill in service gaps exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Warren County (Ky.) Public Library (WCPL) opened four satellite libraries. These one-room, full-service satellites, housed by community partners, are meant to support populations that would otherwise struggle to visit a full-size branch because of socioeconomic, transportation, or other barriers. Last year, WCPL debuted a satellite … Continue reading Meeting Neurodiverse Needs
You explore basketball from many perspectives throughout your new book. Can you sum up the game’s meaning to you? Growing up, we had a basketball hoop on our garage, and people I loved, thought about, and cared for would gather around. As a kid, obviously, I was not thinking about basketball as a fully encapsulating … Continue reading Newsmaker: Hanif Abdurraqib
75% Percentage of recycled material required for each item featured in Mattapoisett (Mass.) Free Public Library’s RE-ART show, held in September 2023. Among the pieces local artists submitted: a robe constructed with upcycled quilts and a purse made from a vintage book. 1,000 Number of volunteers who support the annual book sale hosted by Friends … Continue reading By the Numbers: Recycling
How do you archive a robot? This is the question that Kathleen Donahoe, robot archive processing archivist at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Libraries in Pittsburgh, and a team of archivists, roboticists, and preservation experts seek to answer through the Robotics Project, which launched in 2019. “There are just so many layers to how a robotics … Continue reading Bookend: Completing the Circuit
At an academic library conference in Edison, New Jersey, I discovered that a Taylor ham and a pork roll are somehow both the same and different. In Morgantown, West Virginia, I learned that a pepperoni roll is indeed a delicacy, and I was grateful to be stuffed full of them at an event. And at … Continue reading Food for Thought
Together we will write the next chapter of ALA’s legacy. With tremendous passion for the work and impact of libraries, I stand for election as ALA president and seek to leverage this great opportunity to promote, uplift, encourage, and endorse you, your steady efforts, and the values we represent as a profession. As an ALA … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Sam Helmick
