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. 

Policies for Library Inclusion of Self-Published Works

 

Burns, C. (2016, February 4). Policies for library inclusion of self-published works. Public Libraries Online. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2016/02/policies-for-library-inclusion-of-self-published-works/

Whipple, Karen

Spring 2025

Summary:

    This short article poses the question of whether self-published works should be accessible through libraries. The article discussed how these works can easily fit into a library's collection with a few caveats. Specifically, it may be necessary to modify the collection development policy to focus on self-published works, and an agreement must be established with the self-publishing companies. As always, libraries need to consider the value of the book and the space they have available for their collection. Ultimately, the article argues for including self-published works but recognizes the library must be willing to create a firm policy and procedures for these works.

Evaluation:

    This brief article was written almost ten years ago, but it has become even more relevant today. Self-publishing is incredibly easy nowadays with the help of self-publishing opportunities like Kindle Unlimited Direct Publishing (KDP), which allows individuals to electronically publish their works and even receive payment when users access and read their books. Many of these books are available in print, eBook, and eAudiobook formats.

    "Indie" authors are no longer the amateurs they were once considered to be. Some indie authors have built successful careers through this nontraditional form of writing, achieving notable success in both income and readership. These self-published works are reviewed by readers on Amazon, and Goodreads, and some have Kirkus reviews as well.

    The question of whether libraries should include self-published works has been on my mind recently, so I was happy to come across this article. I would have loved to have had more detailed information, but this article was relatively brief and was more of an introduction to the idea rather than a fully fleshed-out how-to guide or review of libraries that are currently using self-published works. It is unsurprising, though, as the article was published in 2016; I imagine the idea was still in its infancy. Still, it was an enjoyable, quick read to pique my curiosity.

Tech-Savvy School Librarians Provide Value to Modern Learners

journalism, A. B. A. B. is an award-winning writer specializing in, Marketing, C.,

& Communications, B (2022, July 8). Tech-Savvy School Librarians Provide

Value to Modern Learners. Technology Solutions That Drive Education.

https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2022/07/tech-savvy-school librarians-

provide-value-modern-learners

School librarians are at the forefront of technology adoption and play a crucial role in integrating technology into education. Librarians partner with teachers to provide students with access to a variety of technology tools and resources. These tools help students develop the essential skills they will need for the 21st century workplace. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the role of school librarians in today's educational landscape. The author does an excellent job of highlighting the unique expertise that librarians bring to the table, particularly in terms of integrating technology into teaching and learning. One of the strengths of the article is its emphasis on the importance of school libraries as hubs of learning, creativity, and collaboration. The library is no longer just a place to check out books and do research. The author does a great job of highlighting the ways in which libraries are evolving to meet the changing needs of students, from makerspaces and 3D printers to flexible learning spaces and mobile devices. It is a great tribute to the important work that school librarians do every day. I would recommend it to anyone interested in education technology, school librarianship, or simply wanting to learn more about the vital role that libraries play in supporting student success.

Leveraging the Power of the Collective: Consortia and Collection Development

 Nunez, Sasha

Ballock, T., Ostergaard, K., & Heinlen, A. L. (2019). Creatively collecting: Leveraging the power of the collective to benefit our local collection. In M. Flinchbaugh et al. (Eds.), Transforming Acquisitions and Collection Services: Perspectives on Collaboration Within and Across Libraries (pp. 309-324). Purdue University Press. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/24368

Summary: 

This book chapter considers the value of consortia and building strong library connections as a way to successfully meet user needs in the face of budget constraints. It presents the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium (PALCI) as a case study: this consortium was originally established to facilitate easier sharing of print materials between participating regional academic and research libraries, but over time the partnership has expanded to include: 

• Consortial purchasing of electronic resource subscriptions (p. 313)
• A 39-library rapid interlibrary loan (RapidILL) pod that “supports collection management by supplementing our collection through quick and easy access to numerous resources for which we do not subscribe, allowing us to use our limited budget on other much-needed resources” (p. 314)
• A core “collective collection” of ProQuest and EBSCO e-books accessible to all member libraries (p. 316)
• shared remote storage and shared serials archiving initiatives (p. 309). 

The chapter’s authors describe multiple benefits of this consortium arrangement: saved time, saved money, and the ability to try out new resources and models with the financial and time risk dispersed. The chapter ends with thoughts on the future of consortia and whether it could make sense for participating libraries to consider something like approaching collection assessment and development as a collective task to benefit the consortium as a whole. “Twenty-first-century academic libraries need to operate more like networks, creating collections that complement each other rather than duplicating efforts and wasting valuable resources,” the chapter concludes (pp. 322-323).

Review:

I found this chapter very interesting and enlightening. While I’m familiar with consortia and libraries sharing resources as part of a network (two libraries operating within the same academic institution, for instance), this is probably the most extensive example of intensive material collaboration between libraries I’ve seen. I appreciated the great descriptions the chapter provides of services and resources these libraries share, and it can be read as a sort of roadmap for other interested libraries to follow suit. 

 Ambrosio, Heather 

The Only Grant-Writing Book You'll Ever Need

By Ellen Karsh and Arlen Sue Fox

I found this book on  the Candid grant writing site along with other free resources and e-books. If you make a free account you are welcome to read many free full length grant writing books that they have readily  available on overdrive. Some are even audiobooks!

Fox, A. S., & Karsh, E. (2023). The only grant-writing book you’ll ever need lib/E the only grant-writing book you’ll ever need lib/E. Basic Books.

This book contains plenty of practical information on Grant writing for newbies. It tells you to contact politicians, get on mailing lists, when to apply, when not to apply, how to do your homework, what information to gather before and after, vital terms, and sites to explore for grant opportunities. 

The most most important tools to explore include: The foundation center online at: www.foundationcenter.org,  for foundation research: the grantsmanship center at www.tgci.com and for federal grants information, go to www.grants.gov

What’s not to like!