As generative AI technologies continue to evolve, their potential to impact library services, operations, and user experiences is becoming increasingly apparent. We conducted a quick poll of Association of Research Libraries (ARL) member representatives in April 2023 to gather insights into their current perspectives on generative AI adoption, its potential implications, and the role of libraries in AI-driven environments. In this blog post, we summarize, synthesize, and provide recommendations based on the survey responses, aiming to offer valuable insights for senior library directors navigating the AI landscape.
We shared the survey link with ARL member representatives in April 2023; 19 ARL members completed the survey.
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Adoption Stages: While some libraries are actively implementing generative AI solutions (11%), many are exploring potential applications (32%) or considering adoption in the near future (32%). A few libraries have limited interest (16%) or no plans to explore AI technologies (11%) in the next 12 months. Figure 2: Percentage of respondents who indicated the extent to which the library is currently exploring or implementing generative AI solutions
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
