AI in practice: trends in hospital and clinic libraries

Area of Science:

• Health Sciences Librarianship
• Information Science
• Artificial Intelligence Applications

Background:

• Artificial intelligence (AI) presents emerging opportunities for healthcare libraries.
• The integration of AI tools into library services is a growing trend.
• Understanding AI's impact on library operations is crucial for healthcare institutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To survey hospital and clinic librarians on their current use of AI tools.
• To identify specific AI applications within library research and information services.
• To acknowledge the limitations and challenges associated with AI in library settings.

Main Methods:

• A research project involving a survey of hospital and clinic librarians.
• Data collection focused on AI tool usage for cataloging, information retrieval, systematic reviews, and research questions.
• Analysis of librarian perspectives on AI benefits and limitations.

Main Results:

• AI tools are actively employed in hospital and clinic libraries for various functions.
• Key applications include cataloging, information retrieval, systematic reviews, and answering research queries.
• Limitations, notably AI hallucinations, impact the reliability and value of AI for library research.

Conclusions:

• Librarian understanding of AI tools is vital for maximizing benefits and upholding professional standards.
• Effective AI integration requires addressing limitations like hallucinations.
• Further research is needed to overcome generalizability issues identified in the study.