Growing popularity of artificial intelligence tools is fundamentally changing the ways in which people search, retrieve and use information. Summaries of texts, detailed answers from specific perspectives and further references can be provided to some extent even through some freely available AI tools. While this has a major impact on education style and assessment, another area greatly impacted is that of libraries, putting to question what the task and evolving skill set of a librarian could be in such a context.
Current status of libraries and the field of library science
In the past two decades, especially, there has been a major push to digitise library and archival collections. One of the main reasons for this has been the preservation of valuable manuscripts, historical texts and artefacts.
For instance, in 2023, the Nehru Memorial Museum launched a project that is digitising the India House Collection of the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), comprising 40,000 books, reports, and periodicals (around 70 lakh pages), 55 lakh pages of archival documents, 30,000 microfilms, and 57,000 microfiches with approximately 2.5 crore images. Non-profit Servants of Knowledge has taken up the task of digitising over 11,700 books from Bangalore’s Gandhi Bhavan library.
Another reason for digitisation is improved accessibility. The Ministry of Education funded the development of the National Digital Library by IIT Kharagpur which was launched in 2018. This is one of the biggest available databases in India with over 4.6 crore books.
Similarly, several institutes have or are in the process of adding their entire collections to the repositories for wide reach. In November 2024, the government approved of the ‘One Nation One Subscription’ scheme which aims to provide equitable access to scholarly journals across public institutions.
Instead of viewing these efforts as a challenge, some hope that with increasing digitisation and use of AI thrown in the mix, libraries will get a much needed revamp. “It is true that the footfall to libraries has considerably fallen. At the library where I work, only some years ago there would be approximately 1 lakh visitors whereas now there are only about 30,000,” says Dr Mohan Kherde, President of Indian Library Association. “On the contrary, our online library is accessed by people from over 50 countries with over 8 to 10 lakh visitors.”
As of July 2024, India had a total of 46,746 public libraries across states and union territories. The Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation (RRRLF) under the Ministry of Culture has offered schemes for modernisation of over 1,500 libraries between 2019 and 2024. This scheme opens the scope for these libraries to get required technology, from a system and internet to library management software and development of web services. Under the National Library Mission, the government has released over ₹ 40 crore to various selected libraries for their ‘upgradation of technology and modernisation of services’.
But such efforts have remained few and far in between as the situation for most public libraries across the countries remains dismal with severe lack of funds and attention. Dr Preedip Balaji, senior consultant of the library at the Indian Institute of Human Settlements (IIHS), said, “We also, to a significant extent, lack a culture of libraries, remaining limited to textbooks. On one hand we do not have enough public libraries and on the other, people don’t usually know about them or access them. The capacity building of libraries is not up to the mark. ”
Authenticity, accuracy and reliability
Dr Manju Naika, Chief Library Officer at IIT Bombay, says, “AI is a powerful tool that libraries can use to enhance the efficiency of managing resources and services. However, it will not replace librarianship; rather, it will complement the work of librarians by streamlining processes, improving user experiences, and providing more personalized services. Librarians will continue to play a crucial role in curating knowledge, offering guidance, and ensuring ethical practices in the use of AI-driven tools.”
There is plenty of information out there. The librarian’s job is to provide the information that is required. There are plenty of databases available online but one needs a technique to retrieve relevant texts from the plethora of formats like magazines, research journals and books of various genres.
Dr. Kherde said, “Plagiarism has become rampant and with publishing becoming easier than before, it is important to verify the reliability and authenticity of the material that we are providing. If you take the example of medical research alone, approximately 1.5 billion articles are published in a year so it is of utmost importance to add material that is both accurate and relevant.”
With increased online access to material, the habit of copy-paste is also growing so a librarian’s task is also to educate people about plagiarism, he added. A lot of material is not actually available digitally so bringing lesser known literature, cataloguing it and making it accessible digitally are all tasks that a library takes up. While incorporating any material it is important to categorise it accordingly, add the relevant keywords and make the material searchable.
Socially conscious curation
There are a lot of processes that go behind the scenes to organise information in an accessible manner for users with subject description being an important aspect, says Mr. Balaji. He was also the founding librarian at IIHS which has about 45,000 materials which includes books, magazines, guidebooks, journals, films, maps and so on. In 2014, the library was opened to the public and its physical collection is fully digitised.
He said, “We use the Dewey Decimal Classification but there are subjects that would not fit into this hierarchical system. At that point it is our job to foreground voices that have not been heard or encouraged and ensure adequate representation. AI tools might be able to generate responses that are needed but can the original voices be erased?”
A lot of the knowledge and resources that we have is derived from the global north and our own subjectivities tend to get missed out, he adds, emphasising the need for curating diverse collections which can be best done by a librarian who is familiar with the context. “Libraries are meant to be inviting and open for all, representing the various sections of our society,” says Dr Balaji.
Community outreach
Additionally, libraries function not only as storehouses of knowledge but also spaces for public engagement and knowledge dissemination. Libraries are also the space to make connections, meet people and have conversations, exchange ideas. “Organising outreach programs, educating people on proper use of libraries and its technology and promoting a culture of reading are invaluable tasks of a librarian,” said Dr. Kherde.
The community aspect of libraries is given special attention through courses like the Library Educator’s Course (LEC) run jointly by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and Bookworms Trust. “This course focuses on making libraries more attractive for readers across ages and backgrounds as well as building libraries as an active and equitable community space,” said Priya Mohire, an alumna of the course. She currently runs a children’s library called Kathavat, Banyan of Stories in Pune and emphasises the ways in which reading books in libraries facilitates the socio-emotional learning of children.
Evolving education and skill sets for librarians
The field of Library and Information Science (LIS) has evolved significantly to keep pace with changes in technology, research practices, and user needs. Educational programs in LIS are continuously updated to reflect these shifts. Dr. Naika says, “Modern curricula now include courses on Digital Libraries, Content Management, and the growing emphasis on Open Science. Students are trained to engage with emerging trends like preprint servers, and the ethical challenges posed by predatory journals and conferences. Moreover, the curriculum places increasing importance on research metrics, equipping students with the tools to help users interpret citation data, altmetrics, and impact factors.”
LIS programs also focus on the development of information literacy initiatives, ensuring students are prepared to educate others in navigating and evaluating information effectively. Libraries today play an active role in supporting institutions with their global rankings by providing critical data on research outputs, including high-impact journal publications, citations, and other research metrics.
Furthermore, the integration of library resources with learning management systems, such as Moodle, is now a key component of many LIS programs. “This ensures that libraries remain central to the educational experience, facilitating seamless access to resources and supporting academic success. As a result, LIS graduates are not only equipped with traditional knowledge management skills but also prepared to address the challenges and opportunities of the digital age,” added Dr Naika.
ICT (Information Communication Technology) has become integral to the ways in which libraries are sought to be managed. In fact, the recently released draft regulations on the criteria for promotion of librarians reflect the primacy of ICT-related skills. Librarians need to have knowledge of virtual reference services, open science, cloud computing, altmetrics, scientometrics, text mining, and mobile-based library services.
Librarians need to be skilled in leveraging technologies to digitize, automate, and manage institutional repositories through advanced content management systems. They need to stay well-versed in research tools such as data analytics, data visualization, efficient information retrieval, and reference management software.
Published – January 25, 2025 05:21 pm IST
