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Many libraries face the challenge to deal with the often massive but very little used print collection. At the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), the library started the three-year project Re:Booking to repurpose the print collection in new and innovative ways in close collaboration with communities throughout the university. In this practice paper, we outline our unusual approaches and present the results from the first two years of the project. With our paper, we hope to inspire other libraries to take a fresh look at the value of their print collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic search literacy and searches powered by artificial intelligence are a focus of the Royal Library and affiliated university libraries in Denmark. The ambition is to integrate AI-search tools in teaching and services that support literature seeking and hence improve the efficiency of the academic search process. However, before doing so, the library managers needed to learn more about the value AI-powered search tools have for information specialists and library users, and hence make informed decisions regarding investment in such tools. This paper presents a case study of two AI-search tools, which were tested via Think-aloud tests, a hackathon and an expert quality assessment at the Royal Library, Denmark. The results point to both opportunities and barriers for the implementation of AI-search tools at the library and we explore the consequences the results of the tests can have for library users and library services. In conclusion, there is a need for more research on the value of AI-search tools for information special)ists and library users. AI-search tools are continuously being developed and improved. The library needs to provide a critical approach to where in the search process the tools add value. Accordingly, the library needs to develop guidance on how to use AI-search tools as a supplement to more traditional approaches, how to report the use of the tools as part of an academic study and address the limitations of the tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pressure on higher education institutions to produce employment-ready graduates is high, and academic libraries can contribute to this goal by collaborating with non-academic departments. The Georgetown University in Qatar library partnered with the Career Services Centre and the Alumni office in launching Careers Library programme that expanded on the idea of the Human Library by creating an online week-long event aimed at empowering senior students with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in professional life after graduation. This practice paper illustrates how the library can engage in broader activities beyond information literacy instruction and leverage alumni relationships to develop students’ competencies. The collaboration proved to be beneficial and it fits well within the framework of library outreach activities. The value to the academic community is that this event can be easily replicated and it offers an easy way to draw on the expertise of alumni willing to give back to their school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since internationally visible scientific productivity is a criterion for state evaluation of Croatian academic and scientific institutions and their scientists, Croatian academic libraries have a key role in quantitative evaluation of scientific productivity using methods such as bibliometrics, scientometrics and the like. The aim of this case study is to identify and illustrate the current situation of library services for evaluating scientific production at the University of Zagreb, Croatia, and to make recommendations for the further development of such services, which could serve as a framework for the systematic implementation of this type of service in all libraries at the University of Zagreb and beyond. More specifically, the purpose of this paper was to identify the existence of the bibliometric services in the libraries of the University of Zagreb (UNIZG), examine the status and involvement of university librarians in the academic advancement procedures and to identify the required competences for bibliometric experts in Croatia. The research was conducted using the content analysis method, the survey method, and the focus group method. The research results show that although UNIZG libraries are integrated into the system of academic promotion and the role of UNIZG libraries is enshrined in Croatian regulations, the bibliometric service is not standardised at the University level. The results also indicate that the service needs to be strengthened in terms of training of professional staff and greater investment in staff capacity and infrastructure. The fact that the study was conducted at a single Croatian university is a possible limitation that could relate to the application of guidelines for further actions and the development of bibliometric services at national level. It would therefore be desirable to conduct future research to identify the situation at other Croatian universities as well. It would also be necessary to determine the open science and open access policies at UNIZG through further research and, in this context, to establish guidelines for possible improvements in the processes of evaluating scientific productivity. The results of this study make an important contribution to the possible future positioning of university libraries and UNIZG librarians in the process of evaluating scientific productivity. In addition, some practical advice is given so that this case study may be a good introductory overview for the wider academic community in relation to this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) now forms a part of various activities in the academic world. AI will also affect how research libraries perform and carry out their services and how the various kinds of data they hold in their repositories will be used in the future. For the moment, the landscape is complex and unclear, and library personnel and leaders are uncertain about where they should lay the path ahead. This extensive literature review provides an overview of how research libraries understand, react to, and work with AI. This paper examines the roles conceived for libraries and librarians, their users, and AI. Finally, design thinking is presented as an approach to solving emerging issues with AI and opening up opportunities for this technology at a more strategic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]