NEWS
Wiley plans to stay ahead of AI curve
ACADEMIC publisher Wiley has launched Wiley AI Partnerships: A Co-Innovation Program to develop new AI applications, assistants, and agents in partnership with innovative companies.
The company said a survey it carried out
revealed that 69 per cent of researchers “want to keep up with or be ahead of the curve in AI adoption in their field” and also want better tools, guidance and training to use AI responsibly and effectively. Josh Jarrett, Senior Vice President and General Manager for AI Growth at Wiley said: “Researchers and practitioners are seeking more than generic AI tools – they need relevant applications that enhance and support their research endeavours.”
Data published on access to amenities
LIBRARIES and how close people live to one of them was widely reported in local papers in October after the Office for National Statistics published its Access to local amenities in England and Wales: October 2024.
The interactive analysis of access to amenities includes detailed information for neighbourhoods across England and Wales, allowing users to focus in and see how the levels of access differ across neigh- bourhoods within their local authority. Visit the #accesstolibraries data here
https://bit.ly/3YygML2.
Council funding crisis revealed
ONE in four councils in England are likely to apply for emergency government bailout agreements to avoid bankruptcy in the next two financial years according to a Local Government Survey of council chief executives in which 195 councils (62 per cent) responded.
The survey reported around one in 10 coun-
cils have discussed requesting Exceptional Financial Support. It found that 25 per cent are likely to apply for EFS without additional government funding – 18 councils were given Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the Government in February.
8 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Understanding an AI future for librarians and info pros
A NEW report into how librarians, information managers and Knowl- edge managers are using and innovat- ing with AI tools is set to be delivered by Dr Andrew Cox, who wrote CILIP’s groundbreaking AI report published in 2021. The Impact of AI machine learning, auto- mation and robotics on the information profession (
www.cilip.org.uk/page/researchreport) set out to give information professionals an insight into how AI could be incorpo- rated into services and delivery. Now the author is ready to explore how AI is being implemented and used, and he is keen for CILIP members and other information professionals to help provide evidence. The new report will draw on data from a survey into real-world use of AI in infor- mation and knowledge settings. Andrew said: “It is important to recognise that AI has been with us for a while in functions like transcription, translation and not least in search, filtering and recommen- dation. The benefits to knowledge access of such techniques are not new to us. Nor are the problems such as: inaccuracy, bias and filter bubble effects. “Smart speakers, library chatbots, AI to improve collection description. There are many information uses of AI emerging.
The 2021 report remains a sound picture of many of the impacts of AI on library work, identifying some of the key skills informa- tion professionals need to develop. “Since the report there have been important new developments. It is impos- sible to ignore generative AI, in the form of ChatGPT and the proliferating number of services offering generative AI summaries.” The survey is designed for anyone work- ing in the knowledge and information management professions and libraries from all sectors – whether you regularly use AI or not.
The results will be developed into a new report, which Andrew says: “Will build on the [original] report and the excellent dis- semination and education work already being done by CILIP in the AI space, such as through the AI hub. It will give us a clearer picture of how information and knowledge professionals in all sectors are starting to use and support the use of AI. We hope it will identify the big picture trends. We also want to identify key use cases. We hope the survey will highlight emerging good practices that can be show- cased to strengthen our collective role as a profession in the future of knowledge access with AI.” To take part visit
www.cilip.org.uk/ai-survey.
British Library appoints new CEO
REBECCA Lawrence, who was Chief Executive of the Crown Prosecution Ser- vice (CPS) from 2019-2023, has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the British Library and will take up the role from 2 January 2025. Rebecca led the CPS through the pan- demic, improving its performance and supporting its digital transformation. Before that she was a founder and first CEO of the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), and held roles as a senior civil servant at HM Treasury and the Home Office.
Dame Carol Black, Chair of the British
Library Board, said: “She brings skills and experience from more than 25 years
at the forefront of reforming and deliv- ering public services, with particular strengths in leadership and digital trans- formation.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy congrat-
ulated her, saying: “I am confident that she will continue the excellent leader- ship we have seen at the British Library, taking forward the Knowledge Matters strategy and the ongoing work to rebuild and recover from the cyber-attack last year.”
Outgoing CEO Sir Roly Keating said: “Along with her deep experience of pub- lic service leadership, Rebecca brings an infectious passion for the Library and everything it stands for.”
October-November 2024
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