Call for Papers — Open Sessions

Digital Humanities Digital Scholarship Special Interest Group and Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group

• 10 May 2023, 09:19

Theme: "Will Generative AI be a friend or foe in the future of librarianship?"

The IFLA DH/DS SIG and AI SIG are seeking provocative speaker proposals to be presented at their Joint Open Session at the 2023 IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Generative AI is a technology with the potential to revolutionize the future of libraries. Like most new and growing technologies its implications, both negative and positive, are still being realized. These AI tools have generated a lot of debate, in the hopes and worries of many industries. Last fall, the release of ChatGPT accelerated these inevitable conversations, particularly in the world of libraries and academia.

While generative AI has enormous potential for innovation and could be the next revolutionary disruption, there are issues that need to be addressed, many of which have yet to be discovered. In this session, we will employ several provocateurs with different backgrounds, professional foci, and points of view to stimulate discussion with participants about the future of generative AI and libraries, including its potential and possible pitfalls.

Possible topics to engage our provocateurs and audience may include:

On positive views:

1. Generative AI will give librarians the opportunity to increase access to library collections: from literature to artifacts; from discovery to access; from summaries to essays; and from distance reading to close reading.

2. Generative AI will automate or even replace the traditional metadata generation workflow.

3. Generative AI will transform or even replace the traditional reference workflow.

4. Generative AI will assist and enhance the systematic review workflow.

5. Generative AI will create new roles for librarians in the area of “prompt engineering”.

6. Generative AI will create new roles for librarians in educating data and algorithm literacy.

On concerned views:

1. Generative AI will create a crisis of information truth and authenticity.

2. Generative AI will alter the pedagogies of teaching and learning and proliferate plagiarism.

3. Generative AI will create a threat to library users’ privacy.

4. Generative AI will create biases and widen the divide between information have/have nots.

We plan to recruit speakers who are willing to put forth provocative point of views to engage the audience. These will include those who project the positive potential of Generative AI and its transformational impact on the future of the librarianship, and those with concerns who anticipate a negative impact by Generative AI to the future of librarianship. While we recognize the need for a nuanced debate around the opportunities and risks for the profession, we want to air some of the key professional concerns in an open way.

The format for the session will be 6 + 6 + 3 (6 provocateurs, 6 minutes talk, and 3 slides) presentations followed by a panel discussion with broader engagement of audience.

Proposals must include:

• Name, title, institution, country, and email of speaker(s)
• Brief biographical statement about each speaker (max 100 words)
• Title of proposed talk (please indicate that if you will be speaking on “Positive Views” or “Concerned Views” of Generative AI implications to librarianship
• Abstract of presentation (max 300 words)

Proposals should be submitted to both:

Xuemao Wang
Convener of DH/DS SIG
xuemao.wang@northwestern.edu

Andrew M Cox
Convener of AI SIG
a.m.cox@sheffield.ac.uk

All proposals and presentation slides will be required to be in English

Important dates:

• 26 May, 2023 – Deadline for submission of proposal abstract
• 9 June, 2023 – Notification of acceptance
• 15 July, 2023– Deadline for submission of final presentation
• 21-25 August, 2023 – WLIC, Rotterdam

Please note:

• Due to the panel discussion format, we strongly encourage presenters to participate Open Session in Rotterdam, Netherlands in person.
• All speakers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.
• All presentations will be made available online via the IFLA Library under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
• All expenses for attending the Open Session (e.g., travel, accommodation, etc.) are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. No financial support can be provided by IFLA, but a special invitation letter can be issued to speakers.

 Conference Participation Grants and Awards

A list of opportunities for support is available on the Apply for Grants & Awards webpage.