Beyond books: AI literacy and the future of academic libraries

Abstract

With the fast emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), especially generative AI technologies, the process of creating, accessing, and utilizing knowledge in higher education is changing. These technologies are becoming more and more influential in academic libraries where students and researchers use AI tools to search for information, summarize scholarly materials, and assist them in writing their academic works. Although AI enhances efficiency and access to information, the use of AI also creates issues of information reliability, academic integrity, ethical use, and the evolving role of a librarian in assisting the users in the digital realm of knowledge. This conceptual paper discusses the significance of AI literacy in librarians and its impact on their productivity and how it affects the future of academic libraries. Method that been used is a literature review approach through the analysis of recent academic papers on AI in libraries and AI literacy. As indicated in the analysis, AI literacy is an urgent skill that allows librarians to assess the AI-generated information, direct users on responsible AI usage, and revise library service according to the shifts in technologies. The discussion indicates that by increasing AI literacy among librarians, the level of professional relevance, productivity, and facilitating the evolution of academic libraries to trusted digital knowledge centres in the AI era can be achieved.