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
Here are several updates on the attacks against libraries across the US and the ways in which library supporters are pushing back. Hayden fired On May 8, Hayden learned in a two-sentence email from the Trump administration that she had been fired from her position as Librarian of Congress. On June 8, in Hayden’s first interview … Continue reading Five Months into the Trump Presidency
Companies continue to tailor products to the diverging service needs and collections of public, academic, school, and special libraries. Library services platforms (LSPs) designed for academic libraries, for example, are not well suited for public libraries. This stratification further narrows customers’ choices. The expectation is that a handful of established players will continue to drive … Continue reading 2025 Library Systems Report
But providing access to technology, shelter, and information after extreme weather is only one way libraries are grappling with sustainability. Many are also guiding communities with information to address urgent and emerging ecological threats, such as air and water pollution, food insecurity, and diminishing natural resources, as well as economic, political, and social disruptions. Libraries … Continue reading Sustaining for the Future
Training and operating AI tools like large language models, for instance, require substantial computational power. Generating one image could use as much energy as charging an average smartphone, according to a 2023 study by AI developer Hugging Face and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the first study of its kind to measure the carbon and … Continue reading Assessing AI
New values for challenging times On January 21, ALA Council approved five new Core Values • access • equity • intellectual freedom and privacy • the public good • sustainability Council cochairs Erin Berman and Sara Dallas explained the reasons for the changes: “This is a crucial moment for our profession, as our library community … Continue reading 2024 Year in Review
First, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett speaks with Cheryl Eberly and Larry Singer, both from Santa Ana Public Library in California. They discuss the library’s initiative, which provides neurodivergent youth with access to robots that help them build social-emotional skills. This includes an AI robot named Moxie, who is available for checkout. Then, American … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Decoding AI
Scholars Michael Barrett and Wanda Orlikowski note in a March 2021 paper that technologies deployed at scale have both constructive and problematic outcomes. As library decision makers position the library as a source of advice and expertise, as they determine the products and services to invest in, and as they consider the welfare of their … Continue reading Predicting the Unpredictable
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
