Introducing Chatbots in Libraries

Bachofer, Mark

McNeal, M. L., & Newyear, D. (2013). Introducing chatbots in libraries. Library Technology Reports, 49(8), 5-.

Summary:

For my Presentation Five in this class, I set out to explore the feasibility of utilizing artificial intelligence as a chatbot to answer the questions of digital patrons. While I’m definitely not the biggest fan of AI, especially in creative endeavors, at the branch where I work, two-thirds of my workdays are spent manning the ASK inbox. For the majority of the emails that we receive, I am able to cut and copy a preprepared response, and send it back out. In my mind, this would be an ideal use for such technology – scanning incoming emails, recognizing certain keywords, and deploying the premade advice. But before I fully condoned the use of AI chatbot technology, I wanted to make sure that I understood where it came from.

In Introducing chatbots in libraries, McNeal provided exactly the resource I was looking for. This article discusses the history of chatbots, and their more recent implementation in libraries. I was surprised to find that some branches have been using them since the mid-2000s, but given that the technology has existed since 1966, I suppose that’s not too unreasonable.

The first chatbot was designed as a therapist. Specifically, ELIZA acted as a Rogerian therapist, which reframe statements are questions to then induce further introspection, and allow the individual undergoing therapy to control the conversation. This type of conversation seemed ideally suited to a chatbot, as they specialize in recognizing keywords, and providing outputs based on those triggers. However, it also seemed ideal for a library scenario.

Indeed, many libraries have adopted chatbots – new systems include Emma the Catbot in Mentor, Ohio and Pixel at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln – but their overall purpose remains the same: to allow branch staff to get back to the desk. Interpersonal contact is one of the key duties of library staff, and if AI is able to increase the time that we are able to spend interacting with the public, I think that it is worth implementing.

Evaluation:

I very much enjoyed this article. It gave a solid history of chatbots, and was able to uncover the underpinnings of this technology. It’s important to understand where new technologies come from, how they’ve developed, and how they can be used in the future.

I did notice that there was not much discussion about the personal privacy issues of AI chatbots, which is still a concern I have. I think that while implementation of such a system in libraries is a good idea that could free up a lot of staff time, we will have to take precautions to avoid distributing people’s information. 

ChatGPT and the rise of chatbots in academic libraries

Haggard, Millicent 

Reference

Adetayo, A. J. (2023). Artificial Intelligence Chatbots in academic libraries: The rise of ChatGPT. Library Hi Tech News, 40(3), 18-21.

Summary

        Adetayo reviews ChatGPT and other chatbots, and how they are being used in academic libraries. Adetayo reviews how they can be used to simulate human conversations for users, deliver rapid answers to a variety of questions, and overall, just improve the quality of library services. The chatbots can also assist users with accessing materials or placing holds, without having to wait for a librarian for these services. The chatbots handle simple inquiries and tasks to help free up more space for the librarians to work on other projects. The article also touches on how chatbots can assist with language translation when it is needed, which makes the library more accessible for a larger group of people. The article also mentions some potential issues with the chatbots as well, such as inaccurate query responses and limited comprehension. One of the biggest potential issues discussed is the risk of librarians losing their jobs due to the intelligence of AI and chatbots. 

Evaluation

        I chose to review this article because it was the one that stood out to me the most this semester out of all my readings and became the topic of my "design your own" presentation. I never really tapped into chatbots or researched them before this class, so it was interesting to read about everything that they can do and learning about companies other than ChatGPT that are providing these services. Along with learning about all that they can do, I also learned so much about the implications involved. It was interesting to learn that while most academic libraries are studying chatbots and AI, only a small percentage of them are implementing the services in the libraries. Due to many technological issues and privacy concerns, so many users fear implementing AI into their libraries or businesses. Job loss seems to be the main concern of many, but I don't agree with this. I think that these AI tools could supplement and help workers do their jobs more efficiently and are not meant to take their place. I think with proper training and regular adjustments, chatbots can be very beneficial to libraries and other businesses.