This month’s blog post was contributed by Kevin Engel, Associate Professor and Science Librarian at Kistle Science Library at Grinnell College.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a ubiquitous topic. Looking at social media and technology news in 2024 gives the impression that the world abounds in AI experts and superusers. But that impression is misleading.
AI can seem an especially daunting topic for most of us, especially those of us at libraries for higher education institutions facing financial and enrollment challenges. Will AI take our jobs? We should pay attention to it. But there is so much else to do just to keep our libraries and our institutions above water. Is it possible for an OER to exist that covers this fast-moving topic?
I believe there is.
Artificial Intelligence and Librarianship: Notes for Teaching by Martin Frické covers introduces the topic of AI in several forms and use cases, from text-to-speech and Optical Character Recognition to the language models that we often see discussed today. What is most impressive about this book, though, is its currency. As befits a topic that moves at hyper speed, the book—originally published in 2023—already has a third edition as of August 2024.
The first eight chapters of the third edition serve as an introduction to AI, chatbots, large language models, bias in AI, and other foundational topics. From there, chapters 10 through 15 directly tie AI to libraries and librarians—identifying opportunities and pitfalls for information professionals engaging with these tools. The author devotes separate chapters to the roles he thinks librarians can play when using AI: as Synergists, Sentries, Educators, Managers, and “Astronauts.”
With a plentiful bibliography and writing that is both punchy and acerbic, Frické’s book is a worthwhile resource to peruse for those looking for an introduction to the seemingly overwhelming topic that is AI in libraries.