Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Results From the Library 2.0 Survey on "AI Readiness"

We've received 384 total responses to our recent survey "Is Your Library AI Ready?

While this is a smaller response than normal for one of our Library 2.0 surveys (it went out to our email list of 80,000 librarians and staff), we expected that given the nature of the survey. When we sent out our "Libraries and AI" survey in the spring, we had 3,690 responses, but the target audience was much more general. In this case, we anticipated that only people who felt they could report on the state of their library or library system would participate, and that seems to have been the case.

The data from the responses provides a compelling snapshot of libraries' focus on AI right now: the majority see the importance of learning about AI, providing training for it, and developing a strategy or roadmap for institutional policies and planning. But the majority are either not started or are only just beginning in those efforts. From the discussions we are having with many of you, the general feeling is: we know AI is going to be a critical factor in the services we provide and our day-to-day operations, but we're unsure of how we feel about AI, and the tasks of creating policy frameworks, plus the conditions for successful use, feel overwhelming.

There is some great work being done by some libraries, and we'll be highlighting those efforts, as well as providing lots of practical guidance, as a part of the 10-week leadership cohort program to help libraries and library systems develop a strategic AI roadmap we just announced. We are currently taking applications for that program, and we'll be continuing to offer lots of basic and advanced AI webinars for all!

Forms response chart. Question title: Has your library developed—or is it starting to develop—a strategy or roadmap for using AI?. Number of responses: 382 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: Is there an internal group, team, or staff member currently exploring or leading AI-related efforts?. Number of responses: 380 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: How would you describe the management or leadership focus on AI?. Number of responses: 379 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: How would you describe the use of AI by library management and staff?. Number of responses: 381 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: Is there AI training available to staff?. Number of responses: 379 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: Are you doing your own personal research or training on AI?. Number of responses: 381 responses.

Forms response chart. Question title: If we offered a cohort training program for library teams to create and implement a strategic AI roadmap, would you or your library want more information?. Number of responses: 371 responses.

What challenges do you see to training and planning for AI use by management, staff, and patrons? (Summarized by Google Forms)

  • Rapid Change & Uncertainty: The swift evolution of AI tools and capabilities makes it difficult to keep up, requiring frequent updates to training and resources, and creating uncertainty about long-term implications and best practices.
  • Ethical & Misinformation Concerns: Significant apprehension exists regarding intellectual property, data privacy, bias, factual accuracy, and the potential for misuse, leading to concerns about academic integrity and the spread of misinformation.
  • Staff Hesitation & Buy-in: Many staff members show reluctance to learn or adopt AI due to discomfort with new technology, fear of job displacement, or personal beliefs, making it challenging to gain acceptance and facilitate training.
  • Lack of Resources & Policy: Libraries face challenges with insufficient funding for AI tools and training, a lack of clear institutional policies or guidelines for AI use, and limited staff time and expertise to develop and implement AI initiatives.
  • Training & Education Needs: There's a need for practical, tailored training on specific AI tools, effective prompt crafting, and responsible AI use for both staff and patrons, focusing on critical evaluation and distinguishing AI-generated content.

Anything else that you feel would be helpful for us to know about your organization's current AI use or training efforts? (Summarized by Google Forms)

  • Need for Training & Guidance: Many respondents expressed a strong need for more AI training, specifically library-centric, practical, and hands-on guidance on how to safely and effectively utilize AI in their jobs and services. There's a desire for basic AI knowledge, evaluation methods, and understanding how to integrate AI into library workflows.
  • Organizational Challenges & Slow Adoption: Several responses highlight challenges within their organizations, including slow leadership, lack of proactive planning, insufficient financial space for training, and internal resistance or fear among staff regarding AI's impact on job security. Some libraries are restricted by broader governmental or institutional policies.
  • Ethical Concerns & Policy Development: Ethical considerations, such as privacy, bias, copyright, academic integrity, and potential negative environmental and labor impacts, are significant concerns for many. The development and approval of formal AI policies, and their ongoing review, are seen as crucial.
  • Varied AI Engagement & Understanding: Responses show a wide spectrum of AI engagement, from those deeply invested and exploring its potential to those who are hesitant, skeptical, or even opposed. There's also a noted lack of clear understanding of what "AI" encompasses beyond common tools like ChatGPT.
  • External Influences & Collaboration: Libraries are influenced by external factors like university-wide AI working groups, district-level policies, and training provided by state libraries or other organizations. Some are actively seeking partnerships or collaborating with instructional technologists and faculty to integrate AI.
Any additional thoughts or comments? (Summarized by Google Forms)
  • Ethical Concerns: Many respondents expressed concerns about the ethical use of AI, including accuracy, bias, copyright, privacy, and the potential for AI to widen the digital literacy gap or lead to a decline in critical thinking skills.
  • Training and Education: There is a significant demand for more affordable or free training and workshops on AI, particularly regarding its ethical use, open-source options, and practical applications for library staff and patrons.
  • Policy and Guidance: Respondents highlighted the need for clear policies and guidance on AI implementation in libraries, including addressing cheating in higher education and developing strategies for staff and public library directors.
  • Budgetary Constraints: Financial limitations are a major concern, making it difficult for libraries to allocate funds for necessary AI training and resources.
  • Mixed Feelings and Skepticism: While some see AI as a helpful tool for efficiency and exploration, others are skeptical, viewing it as overhyped, a "data grab," or a threat to jobs and societal intelligence.

 

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

New Webinar - "Improving Performance and Behavioral Problems: A Proactive Approach"

Improving Performance and Behavioral Problems:
A Proactive Approach Using Early Identification-Intervention Systems (EIIS)

Part of the Library 2.0 Service, Safety, and Security Series with Dr. Steve Albrecht

OVERVIEW

What follows is a unique approach to library leadership, using data to manage outcomes and thereby creating a more successful and sophisticated supervision process for your staff. It’s time to develop an employee measurement tool that looks at seven key factors for both work performance and behavior, as an early indicator of the need for coaching, support, guidance, and/or as a last resort, discipline. All new ideas are often met with curiosity, suspicion, and doubt. This one is no different.

An Early Identification-Intervention System (EIIS) is a confidential database that library leaders can create for each their employees, to measure the most common elements of an employee’s success or failure in the work environment. This includes Attendance; Work Quality; Service; Attitude; Conflicts With Others; Policy Violations; and Teamwork.

This database, which can be updated monthly and reviewed with the employee quarterly, can help stop work performance or work behavior problems before they develop into issues that require discipline or termination. We will want to talk to those employees who over-represent in any of these seven areas. And guess what? Most library directors, managers, and frontline supervisors already know who is on the list of employees they need to be concerned about.

An EIIS approach helps them help their staff, before the performance or behavior issues get to critical levels. Let’s not guess anymore as to why some employees are struggling; let’s measure the factors that lead to HR-related problems and develop our responses.

This webinar shows you how to use both IT and HR processes to create your own customized Early Identification - Intervention System.

LEARNING AGENDA

  • Define what employee performance or behavior factors in an EIIS database should collect, measure, and help you interpret as a leader, manager, or supervisor.
  • How to use EIIS data as both an early and on-going coaching tool.
  • How to keep the EIIS confidential, updated, and accessible to those leaders who have to supervise, coach, and evaluate their employees.
  • How and why to make referrals to your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, if the employee is struggling off-the job as well.

DATE: Thursday, August 7, 2025, 2:00 - 3:00 pm US - Eastern Time

COST:

  • $99/person - includes live attendance and any-time access to the recording and the presentation slides and receiving a participation certificate.
  • To arrange group discounts (see below), to submit a purchase order, or for any registration difficulties or questions, email admin@library20.com.

TO REGISTER: 

Click HERE to register and pay. You can pay by credit card. You will receive an email within a day with information on how to attend the webinar live and how you can access the permanent webinar recording. If you are paying for someone else to attend, you'll be prompted to send an email to admin@library20.com with the name and email address of the actual attendee.

If you need to be invoiced or pay by check, if you have any trouble registering for a webinar, or if you have any questions, please email admin@library20.com.

NOTE: Please check your spam folder if you don't receive your confirmation email within a day.

SPECIAL GROUP RATES (email admin@library20.com to arrange):

  • Multiple individual log-ins and access from the same organization paid together: $75 each for 3+ registrations, $65 each for 5+ registrations. Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.
  • The ability to show the webinar (live or recorded) to a group located in the same physical location or in the same virtual meeting from one log-in: $299.
  • Large-scale institutional access for viewing with individual login capability: $499 (hosted either at Library 2.0 or in Niche Academy). Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.
DR. STEVE ALBRECHT

Since 2000, Dr. Steve Albrecht has trained thousands of library employees in 28+ states, live and online, in service, safety, and security. His programs are fast, entertaining, and provide tools that can be put to use immediately in the library workspace with all types of patrons.

He has written 27 books, including: Library Security: Better Communication, Safer Facilities (ALA, 2015); The Safe Library: Keeping Users, Staff, and Collections Secure (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023); The Library Leader’s Guide to Human Resources: Keeping it Real, Legal, and Ethical (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2025); and The Library Leader's Guide to Employee Coaching: Building a Performance Culture One Meeting at a Time (Rowman & Littlefield, June 2026).

Steve holds a doctoral degree in Business Administration (D.B.A.), an M.A. in Security Management, a B.A. in English, and a B.S. in Psychology. He is board-certified in HR, security management, employee coaching, and threat assessment.
He lives in Springfield, Missouri, with seven dogs and two cats.

More on The Safe Library at thesafelibrary.com. Follow on X (Twitter) at @thesafelibrary and on YouTube @thesafelibrary. Dr. Albrecht's professional website is drstevealbrecht.com.

 
SURVEY:
 
COHORT:

UPCOMING EVENTS:

 August 13, 2025

August 26, 2025