Our paper puts forward that generative AI is influencing academic writing and research, improving efficiency, yet also raising challenges related to academic development and integrity. Generative AI affects not only students but also the broader academic ecosystem, including libraries. To adapt, libraries must integrate AI while preserving their core strengths in curation, verification, and community-building. A key response involves developing AI literacy programs to help students, faculty, and researchers use AI critically and ethically. Libraries are well positioned to become leaders in this space by combining innovation with the enduring values of scholarly inquiry.

This article presents the University of Manitoba Libraries’ (UML) initiative to develop an in-house AI chatbot, a project aimed at enhancing library services through innovative technology tailored specifically to user needs. The chatbot was created to complement existing reference services by triaging routine inquiries and escalating complex questions to human librarians, ensuring personalized support. The article details the project’s stages, including initial research, requirements gathering, design and development, and iterative testing. This case study offers valuable insights and a model for other academic libraries considering similar AI-driven service enhancements.

This paper performs content analysis on how four major GenAI chatbots: Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and two versions of ChatGPT, performed on twenty-eight patron submitted reference inquiries, which were selected from Rider University’s reference transaction log between July 2023 and May 2024. The descriptive statistics indicate that Google Gemini outperformed the other GenAI chatbots, by scoring high on “accuracy,” relevancy,” “friendliness” and “instruction” resulting in a higher mean score followed by public ChatGPT, commercial ChatGPT-4.0, and Microsoft Copilot.

This study investigates the influence of institutional support and peer dynamics in adopting ChatGPT in Indonesian higher education. Narrative reflections from 44 lecturers across 15 provinces, analyzed through thematic analysis, reveal that strong institutional support enhances creative and effective use of ChatGPT, while inadequate resources hinder its adoption. Peer collaboration fosters positive attitudes and integration, whereas its absence leads to skepticism. The findings highlight the critical need for robust institutional policies and supportive academic communities to maximize the educational potential of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT.

This study determines librarians’ perceptions of Virtual Reference Services (VRS) in university libraries in Pakistan. Based on the census, data was collected from 29 head librarians of Lahore through a questionnaire. The results show that short messaging, instant messaging, and ask a librarian are prominent VRS. Time-saving, 24/7 service, reduced workload, and easy access are significant merits. Increased users’ expectations, staff training, and special skills to answer users’ queries are the key challenges. Librarians with higher qualifications have a positive opinion and fewer challenges to offering VRS. This service is likely to become necessary in academic libraries in Pakistan.

This column examines readiness for 4IR technology adoption in public libraries in Bangladesh. It explores the current state of adoption, the challenges faced during implementation, and the potential benefits. With the convergence of advanced technologies such as AI, IoT, blockchain, and autonomous systems, libraries can transform into vital community centers and preserve cultural heritage. The findings provide an overview of the current state of adoption, identify opportunities and challenges, and emphasize the need for further research to understand the impact of these technologies on libraries in Bangladesh.

This column aims to explore the frameworks to help libraries foster digital innovation by leveraging AI technologies through continuous experimentation to innovate their services for their patrons. Additionally, the column seeks to highlight the benefits and interplay between the frameworks, providing insights for librarians interested in implementing AI solutions and driving technological advancements in library settings. The column reports two frameworks - The Need-Based Experimentation (NBE) Framework and the Curiosity-Based Experimentation (CBE) Framework based on the author’s professional experiences and empirical observations of 10 university libraries’ experimentation-driven AI technology adoption practices. The NBE framework focuses on experimenting with AI technologies that have the functional capability to address the library’s current business needs. In contrast, the CBE framework explores AI technologies out of curiosity, aiming to gain practical experiences and uncover potential future applications, aligned with the librarian’s interests. These frameworks guide librarians to effectively experiment with AI technology based on their motivations and goals. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no experimentation-driven framework for adopting AI technologies to assist libraries do so strategically. The adoption of AI should be influenced by carefully planned, ongoing experiments, the results of which should be deployed in real to inform adoption decisions.

The research aimed to explore the perspectives of students toward the utilization of ChatGPT, its potential benefits and disadvantages over traditional reference librarians. The study employed a descriptive survey research methodology and analyzed the data collected through descriptive and inferential statistics. Out of the 54 students at Adeleke University surveyed, they acknowledged the advantages of ChatGPT such as its convenience, user-friendliness, extensive knowledge base, and accessibility. However, they also pointed out its limitations including the inability to comprehend emotions, limitations in answering complex questions, potential for providing incorrect answers, and risk of outdated information. Despite these drawbacks, the students still expressed their intention to seek reference assistance from ChatGPT, as well as from librarians. The research suggests that library administration should embrace technology to ensure that students have convenient access to reference services.