Demonstrate proficiency in identifying, using, and evaluating current and emerging information and communication technologies.
The field of library science has changed dramatically over time. New forms of information and communications technologies have increased the capacities of libraries, and the capabilities of their staff, immensely. Librarians today are expected to understand and inform patrons on every subject from audiobooks to chat systems to online catalogs. Gone are the days when there was only a card catalog to browse material for patrons – instead, information professionals must be able to explore metadata-tagged material and place holds remotely. These technologies have made libraries more accessible than ever, but they have also come with a host of new challenges. Cyber-attacks now threaten libraries with more regularity, and with heftier consequences (Speight, 2024), and some librarians fear that their jobs may be threatened by artificial intelligence technologies (Shelton, 2019). However, by keeping abreast of technological developments, seeking to expand our knowledge base, and providing access to new technologies, we can ensure that librarians, and the libraries they are employed at, remain up-to-date and technologically savvy.
There are many new information and communication technologies that librarians have been able to implement at all kinds of branches. Web design has gained importance as library catalogs and resources have migrated online. In order to have a fully functioning website, many library webmasters must focus on aspects such as mobile-friendliness, access to information, and capacity to continually update (Singha & Verma, 2021). These qualities ensure that a library's patrons can access accurate and relevant information anywhere. But technological developments don’t just take the form of public-facing websites. Other communications technologies have been incorporated at modern libraries, such as text and email notifications for late items or hold pickups. In some cases, these more modern methods have even replaced automated phone calls (Turiano, 2018). Finally, librarians have almost completely computerized their branches’ collections, formatting metadata according to specific data content standards. These guidelines allow information professionals to explore the resources that their local and global colleagues have to offer.
Identifying such uses of technology allows for implementation – which can sometimes be more difficult than might be assumed. New technologies can have ways of subsuming the old, and especially at public institutions, training can take a while to bring everyone up to speed. However, specific strategies can ensure that these new technologies are able to be utilized in an effective manner. Above, changes to hold and late item notifications were already mentioned. When such technological alterations are made to a library system, it is also technology that is relied upon to spread the word. Online chat systems, another newer method of disseminating information is often on the front line of explaining the underpinnings of new updates to patrons. Information professionals staff these chat systems as a part of their regular duties, allowing for queries to be answered with haste and expertise – and newer technologies may go even further.
The specter of artificial intelligence is a thorny issue for modern libraries – and is likely one of the areas of greatest contention. Some information professionals view AI as a powerful tool that can more easily free up time for staff to spend on the reference desk. Others perceive it as a shortcut that cheats patrons of a learning process in favor of a poorly sourced answer. The issue of AI and its implementation at libraries allows an examination of how we evaluate current and developing technologies as a whole within a library lens. The first question to consider is this: does any given new technology increase access, privacy, and equity? These elements are key to the inherent mission of the library, and it is from this standpoint that new technologies should be judged. If yes, then questions of implementation and feasibility studies can follow. If not, then the library staff must prepare different tacks - ones that will brainstorm ways to coexist with such new technologies. At present, AI has toes in both the positive and negative pools. It drastically is able to improve access for many curious patrons – but raises deep questions about privacy. As this technology, and others in the future, continue to develop, we will be able to more effectively implement – or avoid utilizing – them. Regardless, by continually exploring the potential usages of new technologies, librarians and the libraries they work at can maintain technological and cultural relevance.
I have had many opportunities to implement and use new information and communication technologies through both my library work and my MLIS degree. Since shifting over to the Crockett Library where I currently work, I have added answering the online chat service to my work repertoire. This service is used by patrons of all ages who have all kinds of questions. Manning this online reference desk is both humbling, challenging, and gratifying, as it allows me the opportunity to offer expertise, utilize my research skills, and assist a larger number of people than are able to file into the branch at one time.
I have also been able to develop more computer skills both through coursework and career, in terms of creating graphic design. This element of communication technologies is one that I feel would frequently be overlooked when considering developing fields, but using computers to create high-quality and eye-catching graphics to attract patrons to programming events and convey information is an important skill to have. I have also been truly enjoying my html course, where I am learning to write my own web pages and code – a skill I had dabbled in before, but had not had the opportunity to truly hone until this semester.
Despite the preconception that all millennials are technology gurus, I have found that there is still much to learn in terms of implementing, evaluating, and identifying new technologies for the good of library patrons everywhere.
In order to display my competency with using and utilizing new and developing technologies, I pulled assignments that I feel demonstrate both my familiarity with technology, but also areas where I have progressed a lot. The first document was one that projects into the future, an essay that I wrote in INFO 266: Collection Management. For this paper, I explored the benefits, downsides, and other potential ramifications of how AI technologies can be used within the library. I find myself trepidatious to wholeheartedly endorse AI, as patron privacy is such a large concern within the library environment, but concede that there are some uses that it would be ideal for. The second document that I presented was my final project for INFO 210: Reference Information Services. For this project, I collected, analyzed, and interpreted the data from my library system’s online chat service. After investigating the results, I discovered that a large percentage of the replies sent back to email queries had the potential to be answered by a very slightly modified prewritten answer. This raises the potential of incorporating a chatbot into the library system to improve turnaround time on replies – and offered an intriguing insight into the types of questions that were most frequently asked. The last document that I presented to demonstrate my competency with new and developing technologies is an assignment I completed this semester in INFO 240: Information Technology Tools & Applications. This assignment required us to understand the importance of cross-platform webpage viewing, and create a fully responsive webpage that would display differently when viewed on phones, tablets, or full desktop computers. Designing websites in this way is essential for modern libraries, who need to be prepared for patrons to view their pages on any number of devices. When taken in aggregate, I feel that these assignments cover a solid breadth of technology and adequately demonstrate my capabilities in understanding and evaluating them.
In this paper, I explore how artificial intelligence can be intelligently implemented in library systems. This continually developing technology has a myriad of potential applications, from predicting future circulation trends to offering patrons personalized book recommendations. However, there are also dangers to be considering with AI usage – namely the concern that maintaining privacy is difficult to do if AI is granted access to patron accounts (Herrlich, 2023). With this in mind, I believe that the best usage of AI technologies at present in library services is as an augmented chatbot. Online reference services already exist in the form of virtual chat and email reference – but many of the queries asked through these services can be addressed with a form-feed response. With this in mind, I believe that an AI filter could be added to incoming email queries, and potentially direct patrons to the FAQs that would be able to solve their problems, with the option to pass it along to a real staffperson in case that advice was not sufficient. I believe that this level of implementation would allow for libraries to use AI in an ethical and effective manner, while avoiding the privacy issues that this technology is often plagued with.
Many patrons at the library where I work email in reference questions to an inbox manned by staff. This is an intriguing form of reference desk work, as it occurs asynchronously, and without face-to-face contact. As such, answers provided through the ASK email service must be more comprehensively designed. However, during my work at the library, I noticed that many of the questions raised had common elements, and that I found myself copy-pasting sections of previously written answers to new queries. Therefore, when the final assignment of INFO 210 challenged us to explore an aspect of how reference questions were answered in the modern era, I decided to perform a statistical analysis on the questions I was being asked. In my study, I examined 100 email queries, and classified them according to their response times, query subjects, and whether or not they needed a fully personalized email to answer in full. This research project allowed me to see that 58 percent of the emails received were able to be replied to with a pregenerated message, or a slightly modified one. This area therefore seems to be a ripe opportunity to implement an automated system, similar to the one I had considered in my INFO 266 essay. Analyzing how we currently use technology like email allows us to better understand how we can connect with information seekers in the future.
Possibly my most direct experience in using current technologies, I was requested to design a responsive webpage as a part of my INFO 240 assignments. Responsive webpages are critical to modern library patrons, as they frequently access library catalogs and resources across a number of devices. As such, it is essential that webpages work well no matter the device they are being viewed on. Responsive webpages are ones that display information in different ways depending on the viewport (screen) size. They may turn headers into drop-down menus, reformat how images appear, and change where paragraphs of text show up on the page. In this assignment, I was tasked with making a webpage appear visually distinct across three different screen sizes: one designed for phones, one for tablets, and one for computer screens. To accomplish this, I wrote both HTML and internal CSS code, and the result is a webpage that alters its color, content, and size as the breadth of the window it’s being viewed through changes. This was a difficult assignment to complete, but I truly feel that it has leveled up my understanding of how to write code and produce websites that will be able to convey information effectively.
When considering the various technologies that are currently available to libraries, as well as the ones that are still in development, the future leaves much uncertain. Libraries are placed in an interesting scenario, one where they must balance the adoption of new technologies to remain modern, but simultaneously not alienate patrons with constant change. Still, but appraising new technologies and maintaining old ones, branches can ensure that they are able to provide access for patrons of all ages and all skill levels.
In order to keep up to date on technologies that might be able to assist me in better serving the public, I intend to continue to work on the coding skills I have developed throughout my coursework at SJSU. This will not only improve my understanding of web development, but also enhance my employability in the future. Additionally, I mentioned in the last competency that the metadata aspects of archives were a fascinating area of study, and so I plan to keep abreast of new ways that we can classify and communicate information, both to sate my own curiosity, and to ensure that I can inform others of developing systems.
Herrlich, H., (2023, May 23). The Future of Libraries: AI and Machine Learning. Fordham Library News. https://librarynews.blog.fordham.edu/2023/05/23/the-future-of-libraries-ai-and-machine-learning/
Shelton, S. D. (2019). ROBOTS STOLE MY JOB—AI AND ROBOTICS IN LIBRARIES. In Computers in libraries (Vol. 39, Number 1, pp. 22–26). Information Today, Inc.
Singha, S. C., & Verma, M. K. (2021). Web Content and Design Trends of Agricultural Universities’ Library Website in Rajasthan State, India: An Evaluation. Library Philosophy and Practice, 2021, 1–16.
Speight, D. (2024). The British Library Cyber-Attack and Implications for Law Libraries: Some Initial Thoughts. Legal Information Management, 24(2), 84–87. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1472669624000215
Turiano, J. (2018). Carroll County Public Library to stop phone call notifications, replace with email, text, mail. In TCA Regional News. Tribune Content Agency LLC.