“Democracy can never
be undermined if we maintain our library resources.” Franklin D. Roosevelt
For centuries,
libraries have acquired written resources, organized materials, preserved
archives, and made them accessible to the public. Internet search
engines and artificial intelligence (AI) have ushered in an explosion of
information available with a click or a swipe. Whether a user is searching for news,
obscure facts, or the latest best-selling novel, it is not necessary to leave
the easy chair to find an answer. Digital access to information and the surge
in AI raises the question: why do we need brick and mortar libraries?
To answer this question and to find out where “librarianship”
is headed, I interviewed three local experts who work in two very different
library environments. Diane Ambrose is the Executive Director and Kathy
Pienkowski is Operations Manager at the Citizens Library in Washington. Samantha
Martin is Instructional Technology Librarian at Washington and Jefferson
College.
All three professionals were adamant that libraries are
changing to meet our information needs
in the age of search engines and AI. They believe that modern librarians continue
to excel at finding and managing resources for untrained users.
Washington’s public library says it all in its title,
“Citizens.” It was created to serve all of us. The existing structure was built
with a colonial design to reflect our local heritage.
Director Ambrose pointed out that there has been a major
shift to digital usage in recent years. Many residents need the library
computers and reference guides to fill out all manner of on line forms. They
are applying for medical insurance or other benefits and are seeking employment.
She reminded me that many residents cannot afford computers, fax machines, or
access to the internet. Last year alone, 2,000 users sought assistance from the
library computers for a multitude of purposes.
Ms. Pienkowski provided me with a plethora of statistics
that emphasize Citizens Library’s important community role. In 2023, 8,657 eBooks
and 3,800 audiobooks were requested from the facility. There are over 14,000
individuals registered at Citizens with over 129,000 physical items in
circulation.
Citizens Library supports an annual summer reading program
for 250 children. There is a popular robotics program and a monthly meeting for
Down Syndrome parents. The WAGGIN library card permits users to access all
libraries in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties. Events are scheduled
every day the library is open for residents of all ages. When an individual is
seeking information about Washington County’s local resources, the first stop
is often Citizens Library.
Ms. Martin from W&J proudly told me she is a patron of the
Citizens Library. She often sends college students “down the street” to obtain
a library card for their pleasure reading requirements. Moreover, the college’s
library director serves on the Citizens’ board of directors and there are
numerous collaborative efforts between the two institutions. Citizens works with
other Washington organizations, like the Historical Society, to help individuals
research ancestry information.
Ms. Martin has a different clientele and unique challenges
at her college library. She thoroughly erased the myth that college and
research libraries will become obsolete. She explained that with basic research
of archival materials it is often necessary to view the original documents. Moreover,
many specialized articles are available only behind expensive paywalls. These
materials are accessible at academic libraries.
Due to cost and server space, much of the world’s 2,000
years of written primary documents have not been digitized. This information is
simply not yet in a database for generative AI to gather and disperse.
In the new information age, the W&J library remains well
attended as a quiet place for research and academic work. Rooms are available
for study groups and meetings. W&J is well aware that there are constantly
evolving advances in electronic search that must be absorbed into the library
experience. A user may frequently access the library’s vast resources and
rarely step inside the building.
According to the special March/April issue of American Libraries that was provided to me, college librarians
view AI as a tool to edit text ethically, narrow a topic, or to provide
keywords to aid in searching databases. Many librarians have mixed feelings
about AI as machine learning penetrates our society. They are excited about its
potential as a new technology. However, librarians are worried about over-dependency
on AI. They believe that students may not grasp concepts as deeply as they have
when using more traditional forms of research.
American Libraries pointed
out that in public libraries, there are other AI concerns. With the new
emphasis on banning books, AI could increase the abuse of library book audits
seeking to easily uncover certain words or concepts objectionable to book
banners. Thankfully, book banning has not yet become a significant issue in our
Washington County public libraries.
The librarians I spoke with wanted to emphasize two
important thoughts. Libraries of all types and sizes are not passive structures
serving simply as a depository for storing books. They are a vibrant, active
participant in the community and on campus.
Second, modern librarians serve as guides to unlocking the
wonders of the information age. They are poised to help us find new meaning
and to facilitate intellectual development as machine learning proliferates.
As we plunge headlong into a future full of fake news and
altered realities, we need libraries and dedicated librarians more than ever.
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