Month: July 2026

Libraries are keepers of stories, among our many connective roles, but we’re not the only ones. The concept of humans as “living books” resonated with me this week, as well as the supportive role libraries can play. People are the keepers of their own stories, and initiatives like the Human Library welcome and elevate storytellers from all walks of life. Their “living books” are people who are part of marginalized communities including the unhoused, LGBTQ+, disabled, BIPOC, religious, and others that are stereotyped and misunderstood. These books volunteer to be available for checkout, engaging in conversations that can open hearts and challenge prejudices. Founded in Denmark in 2000, the Human Library has now expanded to community venues in over 80 countries around the world from public libraries to farmers markets, from festivals to coworking spaces. The versatility of the Human Library model allows for activations in diverse spaces and neighborhoods, all with the common goal of bringing people together.

Photo from HumanLibrary.org

The city of Wollongong in Australia turned the concept into a Living Books program that highlights and connects community members who share their unique life stories. Their “living books” come from diverse backgrounds from double amputees to refugees and are updated regularly. Listening to and asking about the lived experiences of neighbors transforms storytelling into a dynamic conversation and relational process with the potential of more than a one-off experience. Wollongong recommends the program for students, community groups and the general public, and the possible venues include but are not limited to the public library.

Screenshot of the City of Wollongong Living Books bookshelf on July 27, 2026

Another storytelling initiative that happens outside of but is supported by a library is The Korean American Story, an oral history project that records the stories across generations of the Korean diaspora in the U.S. They create videos and live events that capture and share stories past and present, bridging continents, languages, immigration journeys, and communities of Koreans. The organization invites and uplifts stories from Korean American people, paying particular attention to overlooked groups like queer and trans Koreans. The recorded materials are preserved as part of the Korean American Digital Archive (KADA) within the Korean Heritage Library at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. The university library and archives strengthens the reach and duration of these personal and cultural stories.

These storytelling practices touch different organizational settings where information professionals work, from public librarians supporting programs like the Human Library or Living Books to university archivists safeguarding oral histories from community organizations. I believe becoming a hyperlinked librarian requires de-centering the library sometimes and centering important community-led work that emphasizes inclusion, connection, and transformation. We can play support roles in platforming powerful stories that unfold through peoples’ lives, recognizing the value of these “living books.”

References

Human Library Organization. (2023, April 25). The Human Library. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxukgiVqb5A

Human Library Organization. (n.d.). About The Human Library. humanlibrary.org/about/

Korean American Story. (2024, June 4). Legacy Project | Queer Joy: Editorial Cut. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxukgiVqb5A

Korean American Story. (n.d.). Legacy project. https://www.koreanamericanstory.org/legacy-project

Public Libraries Online. (2013, April 26). Human library. https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2013/04/human_librar/

Wollongong City Libraries. (n.d.). Living books. https://wollongong.nsw.gov.au/my-community/events-and-programs/living-books

Wollongong City Libraries. (n.d.). Meet our books. https://wollongong.nsw.gov.au/my-community/events-and-programs/living-books/meet-our-books

Like any critical thinker, I have a complex relationship with AI. My desire to thoughtfully and ethically engage with this technology butts up against societal and corporate technolust that rushes everyone to adopt and normalize AI. At the same time, I take the bigger picture view that AI is just the latest trend to usher in doom-and-gloom predictions about libraries. AI cannot replace libraries as long as we remain hyperlinked and keep adapting to serve our communities as hubs of human connection and enrichment. A more fruitful and practical approach to AI is to utilize it as a powerful sidekick for busywork, a helper in the process of information seeking. But I can’t help the side eye.

So to try on this “AI is not my enemy” mindset, I decided to use AI to learn more about AI and libraries. I started with the SJSU King Library AI chatbot, Primo Research Assistant. I asked Primo to find some recent academic articles about Chat GPT and libraries. The results returned 5 sources from 2023-2026 from peer-reviewed journals with a useful overview that included AI chatbot uses in international libraries. 

I chose to focus on the 3 most recent articles because the technology has evolved and become so pervasive in recent years that even 2023 may feel outdated. “Will ChatGPT replace libraries? A thematic literature review and recommendation framework” (Ramteke et al., 2026) was a useful overview.

“But the idea that technology might take the place of libraries is a fallacy that stems from a limited understanding of what libraries accomplish in reality. Libraries are democratic spaces, cultural stewards, and moral institutions that go well beyond simply providing access to knowledge. Although helpful, ChatGPT is unable to replace the human judgment, community involvement, and equity-focused goals of libraries and resource centers.” (Ramteke et al., 2026)

I then asked Primo for less academic sources like TED talks or podcasts about the topic, but the chatbot couldn’t deliver relevant results. No surprise, the academic library’s generative AI research assistant remained academic. 

OK I’m all about plurality so I switched over to Perplexity and asked for non-academic sources about ChatGPT and libraries. But the results were too focused on ChatGPT and unrelated to libraries. I broadened the search to AI and libraries, which returned too many results. Sifting through Perplexity’s TMI, I chose to focus on a 2024 episode of the ALA podcast Call Number called Decoding AI and a blog post from Bibliotheca, “AI in Libraries: What’s Changed, What’s at Stake.” 

In the podcast episode, I was introduced to Elissa Malespina, a teacher-librarian at Union High School in New Jersey and writer of The AI School Librarians, a Substack newsletter I am now subscribed to. Elissa spoke about not fearing generative AI as a librarian and the importance of AI literacy in today’s world where students and teachers are already using it. Just try it, she advised. I am!

The Bibliotheca blog post had so many gems, including historical and current applications of AI in libraries to streamline back-of-house and frontline duties. Look at this handy chart:

I will conclude this thinking-out-loud reflection post with quotes from the Bibliotheca blog post that I will keep chewing on as I continue to wrestle with AI. 

“In reference environments, a confident wrong answer is worse than no answer at all.”
“When a system can synthesize a credible-looking answer in seconds, evaluating that answer matters more than locating it.” (Bibliotheca, 2026)

References

Bibliotheca. (n.d.). AI in libraries. https://www.bibliotheca.com/ai-in-libraries/

Ramteke, S. W., Daphal, Y. B., Ankush, S. M., & Arote, P. P. (2026). Will ChatGPT replace libraries? A thematic literature review and recommendation framework. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 33(1), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.1080/10691316.2025.2576843

American Libraries Magazine. (2024, March 11). Call number podcast: Decoding AI [Audio podcast episode]. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/call-number-podcast-decoding-ai/

Early Morning Self-Service Hours at Memorial Branch (Los Angeles Public Library)