ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence tools have come up a lot in the news and libraries have been focusing on its impact. In this blog post, we feature 4 librarians to talk about their thoughts on ChatGPT, generative AI tools, and what they are seeing from a global perspective. Here are our responders from CPDWL Standing Committee and one special guest:

Dr. Almuth Gastinger, Senior Academic Librarian, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Norway and CPDWL Secretary 2021-2023.

Rajen Munoo, Head, Learning Services & Research Librarian, College of Integrative Studies, Li Ka Shing Library, Singapore Management University (Singapore) and CPDWL Standing Committee Member 2019-2023.

Dr. Leo S. Lo, Dean and Professor of the College of University Libraries and Learning Services (CULLS), University of New Mexico (United States).

Dr. Ray Pun, Academic and Research Librarian, Alder Graduate School of Education, (United States), CPDWL Standing Committee Member 2019-2023.

Question 1: How is ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence tools impacting you, your workplace, libraries, institutions, or country?

Almuth: I myself have no experience with ChatGPT or any other AI tool. But colleagues in Norwegian libraries are discussing that topic, of course. At the end of April we had a seminar with “Libraries’ Network for PhD support” in Norway ((mainly academic librarians) where we had several presentations and discussions about ChatGPT and KI tools. Before that seminar some colleagues did a little survey and the results were interesting. Among others, 23% of the respondents (57) have never got any question about KI tools while about 50% have got questions from either researchers or library colleagues. About 35% have even taught a KI tool (i.e. ChatGPT, Keenious, Transkribus, Elicit). However, almost 70% answered that they know AI tools only a little bit, while 23% said they have quite good knowledge. 

A few weeks ago there was a discussion on our library listserv about students wanting to borrow books that do not exist. They had got tips for these books from ChatGPT, but have not checked whether they really existed.  At the University of Bergen Library a working group called “Artificial intelligence for the support of teaching” was established that organises various events and offers lectures. The topic of KI is also discussed in library blogs and library magazines. At the university level the discussion is focusing on what to do regarding assignments and exams. That is mainly going on between the university administration and teachers/professors. Today (10 May) the university decided that it is not allowed to use ChatGPT during an exam.

Rajen: With the buzz in the air, everyone is chatting about ChatGPT within the university and professionally amongst colleagues in Singapore. I have been educating myself on this fast moving application and compendium of evolving generative AI tools by attending talks and seminars. Whilst we are threading pieces of comments, opinions and reactions, personally I have been looking for some teachable moments to advocate the role of librarians in information and digital literacy and imparting critical thinking. 

As a fast mover, Singapore Management University (SMU) sent out a early communique to the Faculty providing more information about this trending topic and followed up with a proposed framework noting that the university recoginises the need to embrace the fast moving and evolving nature of the technology in teaching and learning whilst at the same time being alert to misuse and safeguard academic integrity and standards of academic rigour. They further noted that we are preparing students for the world of work where AI and digital transformation is becoming more pervasive. A whole-of-university approach has been adopted as noted from the stakeholder initiatives below:

The Centre for Teaching Excellence began a series of webinars for Faculty and the SMU educator community such as Let’s Chat!: Rethinking assessment design and detection tools in the age of AI-driven chatbots and Let’s Chat Together: Innovating Teaching in the Age of AI Tools.  They also curated resources for self-directed learning: https://cte.smu.edu.sg/resources/use-of-AI-tools I have attended them and found them insightful especially around discussions on plagiarism detection and assessment design. The Student Success Centre is leading the development of a learning object for students on the effective use of AI. The objectives of this course will be to:

• Clarify expectations on how students should use AI responsibly in SMU
• Enable students to use AI appropriately for academic success
• Encourage students to be more thoughtful about using AI tools for learning and growth 

SMU Libraries will be contributing content for the topic on Researching with AI and we are excited to be part of this initiative.   There are many professional development and knowledge acquisition opportunities taking place in Singapore such as the joint Library Association of Singapore’s (LAS) and National Library Board’s (NLB)  upcoming professional sharing in May has as its theme, “Artificial Intelligence and Libraries: Building Future-Ready Information Spaces”.

 
Ray: I think for me, it’s been interesting to hear the different tensions occurring on various levels. Student Affairs supporting students with disabilities may find this tool to be really helpful. Faculty in writing programs might disagree and see this tool as a threat towards developing academic writing skills critically. At my institution, I am collaborating with faculty members and a student who has a PhD in computer science to talk about where we are on this. There are opportunities but also the potential risks to consider. These AI tools are already embedded and/or will be embedded in many tools we use such as Slack, Google Drive, etc…

Leo: I am fascinated by generative AI. I mostly use ChatGPT and Mid-Journey. And I try to experiment with different ways of prompting to see what kind of responses I get. I have been talking non-stop with my library co-workers about these tools since ChatGPT came out, and I think more and more of them are taking it seriously now. I truly believe that we have entered a brand new era that most people in the world are not ready for. It has completely disrupted education, for example. This is a once in decades kind of opportunity for academic libraries to take a real leadership role at the university level, and I hope we don’t squander it. I am definitely working hard to lead my university’s AI effort.

Question 2: From your point of view, what are some opportunities utilizing ChatGPT in libraries? 

Rajen: Sometimes librarians need help in their own writing and thoughts and I hear of some colleagues using ChatGPT for ‘first drafts’ or let’s see what ChatGPT comes up with. A colleague used it to get some ideas to write a welcome message to freshmen. Personally, I used ChatGPT to compose a poem in Hindi and it delivered! It could be used to help address ‘writer’s block’. Another colleague queried for recommendations for finance databases which referenced SMU Libraries research guides ironically! It could be used as a companion to answering simple quick reference type enquiries and might I add, some fact-checking will be needed. I liked this graphic from UNESCO’s Quick Start guide which highlights the different opportunities for libraries in the research process which I think we can all adapt and contextualise.

Ray: Some opportunities include ways to help students think about complex ideas in different ways. I know for many, reading academic texts can be challenging, it’s important to think about how tools like this can support student learning but there’s also some other issues which I know we will talk about later. Some libraries may potentially consider using ChatGPT as a way to support technical services work such as creating catalog records. Although I don’t think it will replace people doing the work but it may help facilitate the process. 

Leo: One potential opportunity is in metadata and cataloging, where ChatGPT can potentially streamline the process. Also, ChatGPT could be an invaluable resource in assisting users with formulating research questions and selecting topics, providing guidance and support throughout their academic journey. I used it to help me develop a study from really a vague idea all the way to having a survey and the IRB done in about an hour. That’s something that would normally take me days or even weeks!

One of the big strengths of ChatGPT is its amazing ability to synthesize and summarize textual content, including reports and emails, in a fraction of the time required by human effort. This could lead to increased efficiency in communication and information dissemination within the institution. I have certainly used it frequently for my emails and communication. 

Almuth: The above mentioned survey asked “what advantages do you think AI tools have?”. 60-70% of the respondents mentioned the following three benefits: 1. Giving input and ideas for the further development of a project. 2. Increasing effectivity. 3. Helping with writing. About 23% thought that AI tools can help with data analysis. I also know that my colleagues who offer systematic search services use the tool Deduklick to remove duplicates and that it saves a lot of time. I agree with all of that, but I think in any way one has to be critical. I have heard from many friends and colleagues about totally wrong answers that ChatGPT gave on their questions.

Question 3: What are some concerns using AI tools in libraries? What should we be thinking about? 

Ray: Privacy and surveillance for sure. We don’t know where the data will end up going by OpenAI and with these “free” accounts, students may have to think about the risk of creating them. Libraries advocate for the value of privacy and anti-surveillance measures, and we need to think about these issues that our students will use…  

Leo: When it comes to implementing AI tools in libraries, there are numerous concerns. Aside from privacy, biases, transparency, and accuracy, one of my biggest concerns is AI literacy among users and library workers. It is critical to ensure that all stakeholders have the appropriate skills and expertise to work effectively with AI tools, and to minimize the flaws of those tools. 

Developing AI literacy entails providing library employees with the training and resources to comprehend the capabilities and limitations of AI technology, as well as the ethical implications of their use. This expertise will enable library workers to better assist users in exploring AI products and dealing with any challenges that may emerge. Similarly, increasing AI literacy among library users is critical to ensuring that these new tools are fully utilized. Education programs, workshops, and user guides can assist users bridge the knowledge gap and make educated decisions when interacting with AI-powered services. I am in fact about to launch an AI literacy of academic library employees survey, which I hope to give us some insight into what we need to do to improve AI literacy. 

Almuth: I think that the use of AI tools has lots of ethical challenges. There is a lack of transparency and AI is not neutral. AI-based answers are often inaccurate and biased. There is also a problem concerning surveillance and privacy.

In the survey I already mentioned before, colleagues responded that they think the biggest challenges are a comprehension of this type of technology (65%), a lack of resources for training (58%), and ethical challenges (88%). We know that many students use ChatGPT in the same way as Google, that means they do not ask themselves very much whether an answer to a question is right or wrong. One colleague said that you need to have a good knowledge of a topic in order to know whether ChatGPT got it right. So AI literacy is key! But who should teach AI literacy? Librarians or teachers? At my university some teachers/professors already announced that they will include AI tools and the “right” use of them in their classes.

One specific problem is how to cite ChatGPT. The APA style team has discussed this question (https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt) and one of the Norwegian tools for information literacy and academic writing (called “Search and Write”) has also included a paragraph about how to write a reference to AI generated text. 

Rajen: For me it is about the AI in AI viz Academic Integrity! There are myriad of things related to academic integrity especially in an educational context. That also means a myriad of things to be concerned about. It also depends on the individual and their personal thoughts and values which can become a philosophical conversation depending on whom you talk with and from which part of the world one is. As a professional librarian advocating the need for literacy skills especially in educational contexts with stakeholders is important. I also echo the comments my colleagues mentioned above. We are living in a technologically-enabled world and experiences have shown the good, the bad and the ugly of its applications.

Reflecting on S.R Rangathan’s Five Laws of Library Science below, how do we reframe our mind around AI in our profession? 

Books are for use vs AI are for use

Every person his or her book vs Every person his or her AI

Every book its reader vs Every AI its user

Save the time of the reader vs AI save the time of the reader

A library is a growing organism vs AI is a growing organism

I am still thinking…

Source: https://cdn.ifla.org/wp-content/uploads/ifla-elections-2023-results-sections_2023-05-01.pdf#page5

Continuing Professional Development and Workplace Learning (fourteen places)
To serve August 2023-August 2027

1. Heba Ismail (Egypt)
2. Carmen Lei (China)
3. Anne Reddacliff (Australia)
4. Simona Bursasiu (Romania)
5. Florian Forestier (France)
6. Jorun Systad (Norway)
7. Susan Cherono (Kenya)
8. Joan Weeks (United States of America)
9. Julia Gelfand (United States of America)
10. Mitsuhiro Oda (Japan)
11. Man Yi Helen Chan (China)
12. Mingyan Li (United States of America)
13. Svetlana Gorokhova (Russian Federation)
14. Tao Yang (China)
—

Congratulations to all, and thank you for your service!

In this blog post, we interview Gabriela (Gabi) Mejias from DataCite! Gabi has been working in the field of research infrastructure for the past six years. She’s DataCite Community and Program Manager. In her role she leads DataCite participation in the FAIR-IMPACT project. She also leads the Global Access Program, DataCite’s new initiative to increase equitable access to PID infrastructure. Previously, she worked at ORCID focusing on community engagement, driving membership and adoption across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region and within ORCID consortia. Gabi volunteers across many initiatives to promote openness and inclusion in scholarly communications. She serves in the Board of Networked Digital Library of Thesis and Dissertations (NDLTD) and in the NISO Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility committee. This year she’s also been part of the csv,conf,v7 organizing team. She has a degree in Communication Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina).

In a nutshell, what is DataCite, your role in DataCite, and why is DataCite important?

DataCite is a non-profit organisation that provides persistent identifiers (DOIs) for a wide range of research outputs and resources, from samples and images to data and preprints and beyond!. Organizations within the research community join DataCite as members to register DOIs and metadata for all their research outputs. DataCite enables the management of persistent identifiers (PIDs), integrate services to improve research workflows, and facilitate the discovery and reuse of research outputs and resources.

I wear two hats at DataCite: as a community manager I engage with the research community raising awareness of PIDs and as a program manager I lead our recently launched “Global Access Program”. We are organized as a global community and the work we do is important to ensure that research outputs and resources are openly available and connected so that their reuse can advance knowledge across and between disciplines, now and in the future. DataCite DOIs and metadata also enable transparency and recognition of contributions to research, hence they support open research practices.

Can you tell us what kinds of projects you are working on in DataCite? What’s new and exciting and what is something that is still ongoing?

I joined DataCite in May last year to contribute to the FAIR-IMPACT project, an EC funded project that aims to expand FAIR solutions across Europe. I’m leading the group that is working to deliver a shared long-term vision for Persistent identifiers in EOSC (European Open Science Cloud) and as our first milestone we delivered a joint value proposition for PIDs. Something both new and exciting I’m working on is our new Global Access Program, launched in January 2023 with the support of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The goal of the program is to improve equity in research infrastructure.

Most of our members are based in Europe and North America and we want to take a more proactive role in partnering with communities in other regions to develop and adopt open infrastructure for research. The program will take a comprehensive and collaborative approach to address current challenges. We will partner with regional communities to increase awareness of PIDs, support the development of technical infrastructure and provide funding opportunities for activities related to the program. Still early days of this program, and so far we’ve been focusing on a recruiting the team members that will focus on community engagement in Africa, Latin America, Middle-East and Asia. Stay tuned for updates in our blog!

What about libraries and librarians? What perspective should they consider regarding research data and access? How can libraries and librarians get involved? 

Academic librarians have been core promoters of open research and scholarship, and this includes a very active role in promoting data sharing best practices. In fact, academic libraries are a key stakeholder for PID adoption, many DataCite consortia are led by libraries! Some perspectives around research data: metadata curation is very important, as rich and complete metadata help increase discoverability and reuse of data.

In the last years there has been a lot of work done around the FAIR Principles promotion and implementation, the Research Data Alliance is a community doing a lot in this aspect and open for participation. Two interesting events in this field are: the Open Repositories conference that gathers together all those working with repositories and acknowledges the vital role open repositories play in preserving and creating access to scholarly outputs (this year’s edition will take place on June 12-15 in Cape Town, South Africa). The csv,conf is a community organized event that focuses on open data for research and beyond (v7 happened last week in Buenos Aires, Argentina and was amazing!).

Thank you for speaking with us! Anything else you like to share that we didn’t get to talk about?

Another exciting project DataCite is working on is building the Open Global Data Citation Corpus in partnership with Wellcome Trust, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and other scholarly communications organizations. The corpus will aggregate references to data across research outputs and it will help the community monitor impact, inform future funding, and improve the dissemination of research. The corpus will be developed within the framework of the The Make Data Count (MDC) initiative and will be publicly available under a cc0 license.

The GHMULA was established in 2017 in the hope of facilitating libraries of the three regions (Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao) in the Greater Bay Area for exchange and collaboration.  Since the establishment, we had held council meetings, Directors  and Youth Forum to deepen academic exchange and networking opportunities.

粤港澳高校图书馆联盟成立于2017年，目的为促进大湾区图书馆的交流与合作。自成立以来，我们举办了理事级会议、青年及馆长论坛，以加深学术交流。

The Forum was held virtually in the past 2 years due to COVID and finally we are back with physically settings at University of Macao, participants include government officials from the Education and Youth Development Bureau, Macao SAR, library directors from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. Council meeting was held during the 3 days forum to discuss path for alliance development, followed by impactful sharing from library directors from the three regions.

受疫情影响，论坛在过去两年以虚拟方式举行，今年有幸在澳门大学以实体会进行。与会者包括澳门特别行政区教育暨青年发展局政府官员、粤港澳图书馆馆长及图书馆业界人员，为期 3 天的论坛期间举行了理事会会议，讨论了联盟发展的路径，及来自三个地区的图书馆馆长进行了分享。

Topics on transformative agreement, scholarly communications, AI, SDGs experiences in library settings and digital humanities project etc were discussed, making the forum an asset for young professionals to gain knowledge and stay up-to-date on emerging trends, expose to diverse perspectives and build expertise in career development. It is also a valuable opportunity as we finally meet face to face after almost 3 years of COVID environment.

会议主题包括转型合约、学术传播、人工智能、图书馆环境中的可持续发展目标经验和数字人文项目等主题，使该论坛成为年轻专业人士获取知识和了解最新趋势、接触不同观点和建立职业发展的专业知识平台。也是一个宝贵的机会让图书馆同仁对话及会面。

Key cooperation areas of the alliance include but not limit to (1) Interlibrary loan (2) Document Delivery (3) Exchange of Publications (4) Exchange and training of library personnel (5) Academic conferences and professional seminars (6) Discretionary access to library facilities.

联盟的主要合作项目包括 (1) 馆际互借 (2)文献传递 (3)出版物交换 (4) 馆员交流与培训 (5) 学术会议和专业讲座 (6) 特许到馆访问

For detailed information of the GHMULA, please refer to the newsletter and website.

有关GHMULA 的详情，请参阅通讯及网站