The Evolving Role of Libraries in the Era of Artificial Intelligence: A Scoping Review

This scoping review investigated the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in library services. Under-researched themes including concerns about equitable access to AI, ethical implications, particularly, job displacement and privacy and staff preparedness for this technology were also investigated. The study which was anchored on the Diffusion of Innovation (DoI) theory assessed the trends, patterns and gaps in the literature and aimed to explore ways in which libraries are adapting to AI technology, investigated equitable AI access strategies, assessed ethical implications of this technology in libraries and the readiness of library staff for AI adoption. The review included 26 English language empirical studies from August, 2015 to September, 2024. These studies were sourced from Scopus, Eric, Ebscohost-LISTA, Google Scholar and other sources. The PRISMA guidelines were followed for screening and thematic analysis for data synthesis. The study revealed that there was a high concentration of Nigerian studies in the 26 included studies. Academic libraries also dominated the literature under review as other libraries, including public, school and medical libraries were underrepresented. AI applications were mostly Chatbots, automatic-indexing and predictive analytics. The theme equitable access was largely investigated around knowledge sharing and resource expansion at the expense of marginalized groups, such as, the disabled users. Job displacement and privacy were the most dominant themes in the literature within the context of ethical implications in libraries. Transparency and intellectual freedom on the other hand were neglected ethical issues. With regards to staff preparation strategies, emphasis was on training and awareness campaigns leaving gaps in hands on experimentation. The study revealed that libraries are adopting AI, particularly in academic settings implying that implementation of this technology is promising. However, equity gaps persist for marginalised groups especially in resource limited locations. While studies have identified job displacement and privacy as the most challenging ethical issues in AI discussions, other broader ethical implications are overlooked. In addition, staff preparation strategies seem to be inadequate in developing practical AI skills for librarians. Therefore, future research should consider including neglected library types, marginalised communities and fostering practical experimentation.