‘‘ C
ILIP’s Libraries Rewired, held on 10 November, was an inspiring, important and appropriately
different event.
The venue, Codenode, near the heart of London’s tech industry, and with a post-industrial Silicon Valley aesthetic, provided a setting very different to a library. Yet libraries were centre stage in the debate about the ongoing digital shift and what it, and particularly AI, means for our sector’s future.
The rapid and disruptive arrival of generative AI and large language models is precipitating a sense of existential crisis in much of society, and libraries are of course no exception. We have vital roles to play in facilitating critical thinking and education, particularly around the ethical dimensions of new technology. But there isn’t yet a clear sense of what libraries should actually do with AI, no obvious software solution around which the sector is coalescing. Moreover, AI is not new. Smartphones and online platforms already use AI in many ways, so it’s already interwoven into our lives. Libraries Rewired is exactly the kind of initiative we need to bring rational thinking and tangible ideas to a hyped-up space. We are perhaps in the ‘Peak of Inflated Expectations’ and about to tip into the ‘Trough of Disillusionment’. These wonderful terms come from the Gartner Hype Cycle of adoption and maturity of new technologies, which provides a crude but helpful understanding of where we are. Libraries Rewired is an important step towards the ‘Plateau of Productivity’, where we can transcend the hype and despair. I chaired a session which combined two very different perspectives. Emma Adamson, Director of Learning Services at the
December 2023
Libraries Rewired is exactly the kind of initiative we need to bring rational thinking and tangible ideas to a hyped-up space.
University of South Wales, described WHELF’s introduction of a shared library management system across 11 organisations. This formidable initiative has placed libraries at the heart of UK digital transformation. The cost savings and increased service capabilities demonstrate the importance of organisations partnering when it is in their shared interests to do so. It is an illustration of the power of partnership and an inspiration for other organisations to do likewise. Library consultant Ken Chad explored change in library technology through the lenses of engagement, collaboration, integration and the user. Collaboration, for instance, is accelerating through open systems, resource sharing, shared collections and shared software development, but that change is complex and organic rather than linear and consistent. The overriding theme of this was the well-worn but spot-on quote from author William Gibson that “the future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed”.
Other salient themes emerged too. Keynote speaker Bill Thompson highlighted that, in a climate crisis, the most alarming characteristic of AI is its extractive nature: it extracts not just content to ‘learn’ on but earth resources and carbon to power its infrastructure. Yet his vision had positivity too, including these potential roles for libraries in AI:
l being the most empathetic element in the loop;
l being able to read emotions in a voice or face;
l knowing what’s important and shaping the machine response towards it.
There were positive themes from Daniel van Strien from Hugging Face, who has the fantastic job title of Machine Learning Librarian. His overview of AI tools for similarity search, text to usage search, image
Tom Shaw (@shawthomas123), Deputy Director, Libraries & Collections, King’s College London.
classification and entity recognition showed how libraries can actually utilise AI technology. And how they can use AI because it’s the best solution to a problem, rather than using AI to be seen to be using AI. Another positive and memorable statement of the day came from Jisc’s Sue Attewell: “AI won’t take your job. But someone who understands more about AI than you and is more enthusiastic about it than you might do!” This challenges the received wisdom that AI-enabled automation will make roles redundant. I’m going to end though on a note of caution from several audience members. Many opportunities presented by new technology require technical resource and investment, which is relatively straightforward for some of our sector. However, this can be challenging or impossible in areas such as public or FE libraries. CILIP has a vital role in promoting knowledge sharing across all libraries, which won’t in itself solve this challenge, but will at least ensure that the whole sector can participate in the conversation about what AI really means for libraries. IP
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