AI and the Ethical Implications for Libraries

an annotated biblography entry 

Cox, A.M., & Mazumdar, S. (2022). Defining artificial intelligence for librarians. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science. 96100062211420–. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006221142029 

Summary

    Cox and Mazumdar (2022) discuss artificial intelligence in relation to its practical use within the library field and the resulting ethical impacts it can carry for librarians.  They provide a great starting point for readers by providing definitions of AI as found throughout research literature.  The common themes within the definitions describe AI as using computers and algorithms to analyze user data to make decisions in processes normally done by humans. They follow up the section of definitions by providing five areas in which AI technology can be used within the library field. Cox and Mazumdar state, “They are areas in library back-end processes, in library services, through the creation of communities of data scientists, in data and AI literacy, and in user management” (2022).  They also look at the potential impacts of AI in ethical and equity issues.  The researchers state that AI is quickly being incorporated into mainstream society in search interfaces and the adoption of digital assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.  They even mention how AI is used for potential misinformation and fake news.  The role of librarians in their tenet of navigating community members through information literacy becomes vital for this new state of information flow available through AI technologies.  In addition, librarians need to be wary of how user data is protected and used with the possible incorporation of AI technologies. 

Reflection

    The paper provided a great introductory baseline of knowledge for anyone interested in AI within the library field especially considering initial searches for articles on the topic can result in some highly technical research papers.  Although the authors of the paper have deep backgrounds in artificial intelligence and complex datasets, the paper is easily understandable with its well laid out structure and supporting tables. The source seems to successfully meet its goal of creating a baseline definition of AI within the library atmosphere.   

    The last example of how AI can be applicable in a library setting was particularly new to me.  This example talked about how AI could not only be used to analyze a library’s collection as data, but also library user data.  The ability to use AI technology to analyze the various statistics a library has on its own users for potential benefit seems very enticing.  But because the authors mention that AI can also be biased, libraries and management must be very careful when using AI for potential prediction of library user behavior.  Both library staff and users must be aware of any library privacy policies that explain the use, storage, and retention of individual user data.  This opened up the fact that AI use in libraries is not just for collection management or access for staff and users, but also for the library in predicting community behaviors.   

LIBRARY 2035

 by April King

Hirsh, S. (Ed.). (2024). Library 2035: Imagining the next generation of libraries. Rowman & Littlefield.

Available at Amazon in paperback for $24.77 - or, borrow it from your local library! 

Library 2035 is a compilation of 25 essays written by leaders in the LIS field regarding the future of libraries and how libraries will meet the needs of their communities. Interestingly, the editor (Sandra Hirsh) and 3 of the contributors (Anthony Chow, Loida Garcia-Febo*, and Patty Wong*) are faculty at San Jose State University. 

The essays are organized into six categories:

PART I: LANDSCAPE: Environmental factors that impact the 2035 library

PART II: COMMUNITY: Innovation, customization, and adaptability to meet the demands of an ever changing community

PART III: EQUITY AND INCLUSION: "focuses on how important it is for libraries to address diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), and social justice to ensure that all people have equitable access to resources and information." (Hirsh, p. 69). 

PART IV: ORGANIZATIONS: The importance of partnerships and the library's role in innovation, advocacy and change across all library types

PART V: LIBRARY WORKERS: A focus on how libraries should invest in and take care of their workers in order to retain quality library workers and agents of change

PART VI: VISION: Strategies for leading libraries into the future and beyond

I stumbled upon this book while looking for material for the extra reading requirement for INFO 266. I have included several of the articles in my additional reading log. It is a very interesting compilation of what libraries in 10 years may look like by those who have been in library leadership long enough to recognize how rapid change is occurring today. It is a great book for anyone currently working in the field or considering entering information services and an excellent source for current library leadership. 

I was delighted to find a copy available  through my library's consortium and I had it in my hands three days after placing a hold on it. I recommend reading it.

 

Actual Goodreads rating, but I would give it at least 4 stars.

*former ALA president

Dorothy Porter: A Black Woman Pioneer in Library and Information Science

Penelope Wright

Conley, Z. (2023). Dorothy Porter: A Black woman pioneer in library and information science. Arkansas Libraries Fall/Winter 2023, 80(3/4), 24-26.

Summary:

Dorothy Porter was born in 1905 in Virginia. She attended Howard University and in 1930 became a librarian there. In 1932 she was Columbia University's first Black student to earn a library science degree. When she began as a librarian, there were two numbers in Dewey that all materials by (or about) Black people went: 326 (slavery) or 325 (colonization). A book of poetry by a Black author would be assigned either 326 or 325, it would not go in 811. Dorothy changed this, putting materials by Black authors in the sections in which they fit best in the wider Dewey system, not just in the two numbers. Porter's system pushed back on racism and challenged the bias of the Dewey system. She was the curator of the Moorland Foundation and amassed a collection of more than 180,000 materials. Her contributions to Black history and literature were immense. She received numerous awards and accolades, including the Frankel Award from the National Endowment for the Humanities. She published many scholarly works and helped set the standard for collections focused on Black lives and culture. Porter's indomitable will and trailblazing nature brought resounding positive change to libraries worldwide. 

Evaluation/Opinion

I read a lot of different articles this semester but this is the one that I kept coming back to, that stuck in my mind the most. Porter challenged the status quo, and shook up the way things "had always been done" because the way things had "always been done" was wrong. I'm glad I learned about her, she was an amazing woman. I'd recommend this article to anyone who wants a quick, informative read about notable librarians, the history of libraries, or overcoming institutional racism.