Date of this Version
5-23-2026
Document Type
Article
Citation
Zeren, Michelle Q & McAllister, Alex D. (2026). Librarians as Guardians of Knowledge: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Librarianship. Manuscript submitted for publication, Department of Library and Information Science, Appalachian State University.
Abstract
This article examines librarianship in the new age of AI, specifically how librarians can enhance and improve upon their already unique responsibilities by expanding to new and exciting jobs requiring AI information integrity. Librarian roles are becoming more crucial to the information environment as they help people fully embrace and protect knowledge in a challenging world of AI. The authors explore the evolving librarian roles needed to safeguard unbiased AI oversight, protect patron privacy, teach proper AI ethical academic usage, and fact check research information to maintain ethical integrity in academic studies. Librarians must continue to evolve and embrace an AI based information world as it faces challenges on the horizon.
