Technology

Playaway has debuted the Launchpad Quest, a 21.5-inch touchscreen learning hub with up to 150 educational games, storybooks, activities, and more for children ages 3–10.

Microsoft makes Windows and Office free for all public access computers in libraries, JSTOR reaches 100 open access books via its Path to Open initiative, Ingram partners with Backstage Library Works to bolster shelf-ready offerings, and more.

The Public Library Association (PLA) announced the launch of a Transformative Technology Task Force that will focus on artificial intelligence and “advise the association on the evolving role and impacts of transformative technology on library work.”

As artificial intelligence aspires to reshape many aspects of daily life, including research and education, the same question is being asked: Will libraries survive? The answer is not only yes, but that libraries are more important than ever. Far from becoming obsolete, libraries are essential to guiding society and its citizens through this transformation, ensuring that AI is used ethically, equitably, and in ways that advance and preserve knowledge and social well-being.

The three of us talk monthly in the Libraries Lead podcast (available at librarieslead.libraryjournal.com), and share content from that segment of the podcast in digital and print form through Library Journal.

As the impact of generative artificial intelligence continues to grow, are there ways that libraries can help shape its future?

Bots scraping data for artificial intelligence (AI) models have become a serious problem across the internet during the past several months, impacting libraries, cultural heritage websites, and other content important to these institutions.

Library vendors have made several announcements recently, including many during the recent American Library Association (ALA) conference in Philadelphia at the end of June.

Gale recently debuted new personalization and visualization features for its Digital Scholar Lab—a cloud-based research environment designed to facilitate the access and analysis of Gale primary source materials and a researcher’s local humanities and social sciences collections.