What’s next on the horizon for libraries? From the New Horizons module, I’ve learned that this is an important question for library professionals to pose. Library professionals need to keep looking forward and adapt to emerging technologies and trends. I recall when my local library, early on in the pandemic, began providing hotspots to patrons to address the digital inequities emphasized by the shift to remote learning and work. This kind of innovative solution to community problems exemplifies the need for libraries to remain forward thinking and up to date in an ever-evolving technological landscape.
I’m sure we’re all aware of the dominant emerging technology at the current moment: Artificial Intelligence (AI). A lot about AI remains unknown, and its current iterations are far from perfect. Issues related to AI are plentiful: AI hallucinations (creating made-up information), algorithm biases, copyright disputes, data privacy risks, and inadequate safeguards, to name a few.
The 2026 EDUCAUSE Horizon Report: Teaching and Learning Edition offers a useful lens to view emerging trends in the field, and this year’s edition highlights the many ways AI is shaping the current landscape. As the report shows, AI is influencing the relationships between students and teachers, instructional design, and student support. There is also a growing awareness of its environmental cost (Robert et al., 2026).
So how do we move forward, using AI in an ethical and responsible manner? AI isn’t going away anytime soon. There are use cases for AI such as automating tasks and analyzing large datasets. But many people still have questions about AI, or are unsure of how to use it properly. I believe that as library professionals, we can play a large role in educating our communities about emerging technologies so that they can make informed decisions on their own. To do that, we have to take the time to learn about and understand these technologies. I don’t yet have all the answers, but this course module has taught me to keep watching the horizon and to approach the unknown with a critical eye while remaining open and curious to the possibilities.
Reference
Robert, J., Muscanell, N., McCormack, M., & Arnold, K. (2026). 2026 EDUCAUSE horizon report: Teaching and learning edition. EDUCAUSE. https://library.educause.edu/-/media/files/library/2026/5/2026hrteachinglearning.pdf