How AI Will (and Won’t) Impact Library Work

The Authority File

In the final episode of this four-part series on the recent white paper from Technology from Sage and Skilltype on the librarian skills landscape, our guests look at how artificial intelligence technologies will (or won’t) impact the library workforce and successful support mechanisms to help staff develop their skills. First, David Erlandson, Head of Cataloguing and Metadata Services at Rice University Fondren Library, and Matthew Weldon, Library Patron Consultant at Technology from Sage, underscore that AI services have not replaced any of their own tasks, adding that the human element still serves as an essential function of library work.

Further, Marcy Simons, Director of Hesburgh Libraries Organizational and Personnel Development at the University of Notre Dame, explains that she encourages colleagues at her institution to see artificial intelligence as an opportunity to reassess workloads and let go of monotonous tasks. Tony Zanders, Founder & CEO of Skilltype, highlights two key issues he’s observed in relation to automated tools: an ongoing global shortage of library professionals and remote roles that lack interpersonal connections becoming automated or reduced. To close, our guests emphasize recognition, opportunities for career advancement, communication, and community-building as necessary building blocks for aiding library skill-building and professional development.

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