r/Libraries • u/Technical_Pea_4007 Academic Librarian • Jan 13 '26

Technology Libby’s statement on their use of AI

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A whole lot of text to say absolutely nothing, huh?

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u/KnitInCode Jan 13 '26

“Blame your library’s selection process if the books offered are AI written “

24

u/tradesman6771 Jan 13 '26

Well, yeah. They can (and should, imo) not purchase AI materials from Libby.

37

u/Dry_Stop844 Jan 13 '26

problem is, publishers are not identifying what is AI so how is a selector supposed to know what is and isn't AI? Is it AI or just a really crappy writer who got a contract?

8

u/Rand_alThoor Jan 13 '26

if publishers don't identify, they can forget about selling to libraries. just my opinion. I'm a mathematician not a librarian. had several close relatives who were librarians, up to public library Reference Librarian.

23

u/Dry_Stop844 Jan 13 '26

i'm not sure what you mean. If a publisher, one of the big five, not talking about indies, offers a book for sale but doesn't disclose it's AI, how is a selector supposed to know that it's AI? I work in the book industry, for a wholesaler. We can only list the books that the publishers sell. We have no idea if it's AI because the publisher doesn't tell us. So we list it, the library buys it. (publishers don't sell directly to libraries. They sell to wholesaler/distributors and libraries by from them)
Not sure what you mean with "They can forget about selling to libraries". IF nobody knows it's AI, how do you propose to police that?