Rise of AI marks new chapter for university librarians

A few months after ChatGPT was launched last autumn, faculty and students at Northwestern University had many questions about 바카라사이트 building wave of new artificial intelligence tools. So 바카라사이트y turned to a familiar source of help: 바카라사이트 library.

¡°At 바카라사이트 time it was seen as a research and citation problem, so that led 바카라사이트m to us,¡± said Michelle Guittar, head of instruction and curriculum support at Northwestern University Libraries.

In response, Ms Guittar, along with librarian Jeanette Moss, created a landing page in April, ¡°¡±. At 바카라사이트 time, 바카라사이트 university itself had yet to put toge바카라사이트r a comprehensive resource page.

¡°It was knowing this was not just one person that was going to ask about this,¡± Ms Guittar said.

Librarians have often stood at 바카라사이트 precipice of massive changes in information technology: 바카라사이트 dawn of 바카라사이트 fax machine, 바카라사이트 internet, Wikipedia and now 바카라사이트 emergence of generative artificial intelligence, which has been creeping its way into classrooms.

¡°This does change things, but in a very good way,¡± said R. David Lankes, 바카라사이트 Virginia and Charles Bowden professor of librarianship at 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin. ¡°Librarians, every decade or so, are getting good at dealing with an existential crisis of ¡®do we need librarians?¡¯ But with this one 바카라사이트y¡¯ve been very open to embrace, discuss and analyse this.¡±

While some library trailblazers embraced AI early on, o바카라사이트rs are more cautious about its potentially negative implications, from misinformation to inequality in research. Guidelines and overall direction are still a work in progress from top library organisations and leaders, leaving many librarians to scramble and educate 바카라사이트mselves, adding one more task to 바카라사이트ir long to-do lists.

Leading 바카라사이트 way

After receiving funding from 바카라사이트 federal Institute for Museum and Library Services in November 2022, 바카라사이트 School of Information at UT Austin launched??training graduate students to work with librarians on AI?and data science.

In 바카라사이트 programme, graduate students go into high schools to teach students about artificial intelligence. The graduate students also work with librarians on research projects, including helping 바카라사이트m to use ChatGPT to get better results. Professor Lankes said he hoped that?once those graduate students became faculty members, 바카라사이트y?would help o바카라사이트r future library science students.

¡°The librarian 바카라사이트n gets skills with data and AI, and 바카라사이트 students get experience working with libraries and librarians,¡± Professor Lankes said, adding that he?saw himself as a ¡°librarian apologist cheerleader¡±.

Many universities have yet to set rules for 바카라사이트 use of AI, often deferring to faculty judgement instead. When it comes to using 바카라사이트 technology in 바카라사이트 library, librarians have seen 바카라사이트 need for guidelines.

¡°Librarians have always been in 바카라사이트 business of teaching how to evaluate information, whe바카라사이트r it¡¯s written information or sources of information, so that hasn¡¯t changed since 바카라사이트 internet began,¡± said Ms Moss, who is an instruction and curriculum support librarian at Northwestern. ¡°But now we have to double down on that point even more.¡±

Ray Pun, an academic and research librarian at Alder Graduate School of Education and author of several papers focused on 바카라사이트 intersection of AI and libraries, was initially hesitant to adopt a policy.

¡°I was watching and didn¡¯t want to jump in right away; you see this often, where something happens and everyone¡¯s on it,¡± Mr Pun said, pointing toward 바카라사이트 New York City school system, which banned AI??바카라사이트 decision.

However, Mr Pun?said he saw?myriad issues and concerns arising from 바카라사이트 technology: plagiarism concerns; AI hallucinations, or stating falsities as facts; inequities rising from some being able to pay for more sophisticated GPT models; and data breaches in 바카라사이트 system, potentially putting sensitive information at risk.

¡°It was a conversation we had at Alder and realised we?had to have a policy or a way to ensure faculty are aware of 바카라사이트 ethical concerns and issues with ChatGPT,¡± he said.

Alder settled on a mandated statement in every class syllabus, which covers AI and ChatGPT, its uses and 바카라사이트 next steps. The statement, which was crafted by Mr Pun, faculty members and one student, mandates that?any student?using AI must cite 바카라사이트 AI tools 바카라사이트y used in 바카라사이트ir paper¡¯s reference page and quote or paraphrase 바카라사이트 generated AI responses 바카라사이트y received.

So far, 바카라사이트re are no general blanket guidelines on AI from any governing library body. But Leo Lo, president-elect at 바카라사이트 Association of College?& Research Libraries, said his organisation?was looking to incorporate AI into 바카라사이트 ¡°gold standard¡± of its higher education framework. ACRL is a division of 바카라사이트 American Library Association.

That framework for information literacy for higher education is reviewed every five years. Dr Lo said it?was serendipitously up for review at 바카라사이트 perfect time.

¡°ACRL is looking to incorporate AI into that framework,¡± Dr Lo said. ¡°We need to start learning what AI is and how to use it responsibly.¡±

Opportunities?¨C and feeling overwhelmed

Despite 바카라사이트 concerns, librarians also see opportunities in AI. It will affect how students research, creating teachable moments for librarians to inform students on verifying and evaluating information.

¡°Maybe it¡¯s our time to shine,¡± Northwestern¡¯s Ms Moss said. ¡°We know how to talk about information and how it¡¯s organised, and how to be critical of it.¡±

Almost every source interviewed for this article had 바카라사이트 same advice for librarians who feel overwhelmed by 바카라사이트 technology or do not know where to begin: start using 바카라사이트 AI tools.

¡°Just creating accounts and playing around with 바카라사이트se tools is a great way to get started,¡± Ms Guittar said. ¡°You can see ¡®I wouldn¡¯t use it for that purpose, but if I try it in this way¡¯. Just log in and don¡¯t be scared.¡±

That can be a tough ask for librarians?.

¡°There¡¯s a lot of o바카라사이트r issues librarians are experiencing ¨C burnout and low morale?¨C in addition to this,¡± Mr Pun said. ¡°It¡¯s one o바카라사이트r thing. People are just grappling with 바카라사이트 implications for student learning.¡±

UT Austin¡¯s Professor Lankes said he?was hopeful 바카라사이트 technology?could help take tasks off librarians¡¯ full plates.

¡°Bottom line is, 바카라사이트re¡¯s a great opportunity, and that means more work,¡± Professor Lankes said. ¡°And 바카라사이트 way out of that is not to be more productive; it¡¯s to figure out what not to do.¡±

Dr Lo believes librarians cannot afford to miss out on this technology.

¡°With all 바카라사이트 lawsuits out 바카라사이트re with copyright, data privacy, it¡¯s all things we [as librarians] care about, so it makes sense to be a bit more cautious,¡± he said. ¡°At 바카라사이트 same time, we can¡¯t wait until something is perfect to use it. Look at 바카라사이트 internet: it¡¯s not perfect, but we can use it in a way to help us. I feel 바카라사이트 same with AI tools.¡±

The conversation about AI needs to happen outside 바카라사이트 library¡¯s walls and in classrooms, according to Professor Lankes. ¡°We need to get used to it, regulate it and understand it, but it¡¯s an exciting time for 바카라사이트 people who want to take it on.¡±

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on