The North-West University (NWU) Library and Information Service, in partnership with the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA), has challenged librarians to move beyond traditional information management and become leaders in ethical artificial intelligence (AI), digital inclusion and smart library innovation.
The call was made during the South African Librarians' Day celebration held at the NWU’s Vanderbijlpark Campus under the theme, "Librarians: champions of ethical and inclusive AI".
The hybrid event brought together librarians, academics, researchers and information professionals from across South Africa to discuss the future of libraries in an AI-driven world.
Opening the event, Dr Mathew Moyo, chief director of the Library and Information Service, said librarians are uniquely positioned to ensure that technological advancement serves society responsibly.
"As the world rapidly embraces artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, the work of librarians has never been more important. We are not only connecting people with information, but we are also helping them navigate it ethically, critically and responsibly," he said.
Dr Moyo said the profession must embrace innovation without losing sight of its core values of equity, integrity, lifelong learning and equal access to knowledge.
LIASA president Charlie Maphuntshane Molepo challenged librarians to become innovators rather than observers as AI continues transforming education, research and information services.
"Librarians are trendsetters. We need to empower ourselves. We are moving away from simply AI literacy towards AI integration," he said.
Charlie said the libraries of the future should evolve into smart libraries by adopting AI-powered cataloguing, intelligent search systems, virtual research assistants, personalised learning platforms, predictive analytics and digital preservation technologies, while ensuring that ethics and human oversight remain central to every innovation.
He also announced that the NWU, the University of Lesotho and LIASA will participate in an international AI symposium to be hosted by the University of the Free State in Parys, Free State. The symposium will bring together library and information professionals from across the region to explore artificial intelligence, smart libraries, digital transformation and the future of librarianship in the Fifth Industrial Revolution.
