AI in libraries: Improving tradition through innovation

Author: Saskia Hoving

In the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution, generative AI has emerged as a transformative force. Research librarians, well-versed in technology, now find themselves at the crossroads—navigating this new landscape and guiding researchers toward the right tools. Learn from 27 research librarians about the emerging ways they are adopting and using generative AI tools. This blog post dives into three key use cases, providing insights into the practical application of AI in libraries.

Although in reality AI is nothing new, especially for librarians, researchers, and publishers, innovative generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Bing Chat, and Google’s Gemini (formerly Bard) are now everywhere and being used commonly by seemingly everyone. Research librarians are better versed than many on AI, as information technology is central to their work. Yet many find themselves struggling to grasp the continually emerging, evolving technologies and, most importantly, direct their researchers in their use of AI.

Interviews commissioned by Springer Nature with 27 research librarians from Europe, North America, and India showed diverse perspectives on AI usage. These librarians are taking a practical approach and highlighted three main ways they’re using generative AI tools in their work.

Librarians’ views on daily generative AI usage

Spanning two months, librarians from India, Italy, Spain, Germany, Romania, and the United States of America were asked about their daily use of generative AI tools. While many libraries worldwide have embraced the ‘AI Tool Revolution’ and offer resources for researchers, a significant number of librarians remain uncertain about generative AI, with some seemingly waiting for the trend to subside. 

Three librarians—one each from Italy, Romania, and the United States—expressed their perspectives respectively: “I don’t use AI tools in my work,” “I struggle to understand how these tools benefit me,” and “I’m confused about AI tools.”

Within institutions, tool adoption, comprehension, dissemination, and training vary widely, depending on how engaged librarians are themselves. A German librarian noted that they often feel overwhelmed by the rapid AI advancements, unsure which tools to recommend or use. Meanwhile, research librarians lag behind students in AI tool adoption.

Streamlining daily work and empowering research

AI is revolutionising the librarian’s daily work, making tasks more manageable, recommendations more informed, and literature reviews more efficient. Most librarians are embracing this technological shift, confident that AI will continue to enhance their impact in the academic world.

1. Automating routine tasks
   Librarians noted that applying AI technologies can significantly reduce manual touchpoints and streamline processes. This use case provides critical support for librarians in an increasingly challenging and pressured environment. By automating routine tasks, AI frees up valuable time, allowing librarians to focus on more complex and impactful work. 
   
   Unsurprisingly, 18 of the 27 librarians we talked to are utilising the AI tools everyone is now familiar with in their daily work. A librarian at Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, remarked that his team were “regularly using both ChatGPT and Gemini to aid with desk work as well as the AI tool Consensus to summarise research papers.” He noted that colleagues also use Perplexity to quickly answer questions coming in from researchers as well as Elicit to speed up literature reviews and find papers. “These tools are extremely helpful and speed up daily work to such an extent that other tasks also seem easier.”
   
   In the responses, specific use cases were confirmed with librarians as well as the use of AI tools in daily work for identifying key topics within areas of study, editing and proofing documents, creating non-English language summaries of articles, translation, and formatting and restructuring documents. Out of the 27 interviewed, 6 noted the use of the Perplexity AI search engine in their daily work, while all were either using ChatGPT or Gemini to speed up various tasks. One librarian from Hungary also shared that “Gemini is especially useful for creating language summaries of information for our researchers”.
2. Reviewing literature
   AI text summariser tools (both dedicated tools and all-purpose generative AI such as ChatGPT) save librarians time and effort by generating concise summaries of complex information in seconds. These technologies enable rapid access and digestion of essential data, improving efficiency and supporting librarians’ ability to manage and curate vast amounts of academic content effectively.
   
   17 out of the 27 librarians noted that they are using tools like ChatGPT, Grammarly and Gemini (amongst others) to write and paraphrase text and perform AI translation. “I’m spending far less time than before reading, translating, and summarising information,” noted one German librarian. Lists of other AI tools and use cases are summarised on euronews and GeeksforGeeks.
3. Recommending resources
   AI-powered search engines provide academic librarians access to more accurate and relevant results, significantly enhancing the research process. One librarian in Hungary noted that the “use of literature reviewing and summarising AI was able to dramatically enhance both the number and quality of responses” he could provide to researchers. He also felt he was “personally learning a great deal both about tools, especially ChatGPT, Gemini, and Scite, and their uses, and research being conducted at the University. The sheer range of tools available also help when confidently recommending resources to colleagues.”
   
   One of the tools mentioned, Scite, was highlighted by several librarians as particularly useful in this case. This tool, along with others, is frequently used to discover and share information with colleagues.

Navigating the AI landscape: Librarians’ role in integrating GenAI tools responsibly

Dozens of new generative AI tools and solutions are popping up all the time across various fields and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for librarians to keep up or keep track. As AI continues to evolve, librarians, with their expertise in information literacy, are well-positioned to help educational communities integrate these tools responsibly into both professional and personal spheres. The rise of AI presents an opportunity for librarians to educate students on the use, critique, and modification of AI-generated information.

The big question is how much librarians will get involved in this change: While libraries have been careful with new tech in the past, they’re now tackling the rise of artificial intelligence with a proactive and intentional approach.

Ethical AI integration in scholarly communications

It is clear, however, that institutions and publishers also have a part to play to ensure that librarians are equipped with the appropriate skills to incorporate new AI tools in their everyday operations. Several librarians noted this, including one librarian from India who remarked that “publishers could provide much more information on how, and when, to utilise AI tools.” 

More information is also needed to “update researchers about recent developments in AI, SaaS and other electronic products that could help us,” remarked Jai Prakash, a librarian from Agra University, India.

Curious about how Springer Nature is supporting the research community? Explore the strategies outlined in our Sustainable Business Report, showcasing our dedication to developing AI capabilities in a sustainable and ethical manner for research professionals everywhere.

Related content

• What to know to plan research training on using AI
• Three ways Generative AI can give Research Managers “superpowers”
• The rise of generative AI: Transforming the role of information professionals
• Can AI help us manage information overload?
• AI and Science Publishing: “Cutting through the clutter has never been more important”
• Text and Data Mining: Uncovering Hidden Data Points and Powering New Discoveries
• Unravelling the Power of TDM: A Transformative Journey for Researchers
• Three ways Generative AI can give Research Managers “superpowers

Don't miss the latest news & blogs, subscribe to The Link Alerts!