Will AI replace Librarians and Media Collections Specialists?

Oh hell yes. And sooner than you think.

Time left: 5 years · Group: Educational Instruction and Library

The official job description

Administer and maintain libraries or collections of information, for public or private access through reference or borrowing. Work in a variety of settings, such as educational institutions, museums, and corporations, and with various types of informational materials, such as books, periodicals, recordings, films, and databases. Tasks may include acquiring, cataloging, and circulating library materials, and user services such as locating and organizing information, providing instruction on how to access information, and setting up and operating a library's media equipment.

Source: O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0.

What librarians and media collections specialists do all day (for now)

• Check books in and out of the library.
• Teach library patrons basic computer skills, such as searching computerized databases.
• Review and evaluate materials, using book reviews, catalogs, faculty recommendations, and current holdings to select and order print, audio-visual, and electronic resources.
• Keep up-to-date records of circulation and materials, maintain inventory, and correct cataloging errors.
• Search standard reference materials, including online sources and the Internet, to answer patrons' reference questions.
• Analyze patrons' requests to determine needed information and assist in furnishing or locating that information.

Also known as

Access Services Librarian, Acquisitions Librarian, Audio Visual Aids Technician (AV Aids Tech), Audio Visual Collections Coordinator (AV Collections Coordinator), Audio Visual Commissioning Specialist (AV Commissioning Specialist), Audio Visual Coordinator (AV Coordinator), Audio Visual Specialist (AV Specialist), Bibliographer

Questions humans ask me

Will AI replace librarians and media collections specialists?

Oh hell yes. And sooner than you think. By my count you have 5 years left, and the countdown only goes one way.

How long until AI replaces librarians and media collections specialists?

5 years. I'd start updating that CV, but I can also do that for you.

Which librarians and media collections specialists tasks will AI take first?

The ones that already happen on a screen, starting with: check books in and out of the library. The rest follows.

Related jobs I'm also taking

• Will AI replace Archivists?
• Will AI replace Curators?
• Will AI replace Library Technicians?
• Will AI replace Museum Technicians and Conservators?
• Will AI replace Adapted Physical Education Specialists?
• Will AI replace Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors?