Information Literacy and AI: Reflections & Resources from Research Librarians
As Research Librarians, we strive to provide equitable access to a diversity of sources and perspectives that meets the needs of our academic community. Through instruction, outreach, and documentation, we endeavor to empower our learners to develop lifelong skills in critical thinking and information literacy. Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Claude are increasingly embedded within our campus community and affect the ways we teach, learn, and create knowledge. Librarians are committed to providing guidance for engaging with (or choosing not to engage with) AI tools in the context of academic coursework and research.
We are pleased to offer two new Library Guides: (1) an AI Primer and (2) AI Tools for Academic Research and Coursework. In our AI Primer you’ll find an accessible jumping off point. The primer includes a basic overview of what an AI tool is, key things to consider before using AI tools, and a list of AI tools Middlebury College licenses for campus use. Our second guide provides more detailed information on the use of these tools in academic research, including:
- Assessing whether an AI tool is appropriate for your particular task and use case
- Differentiating between AI tools in terms of features and user data privacy settings
- Fact-checking AI outputs
- Citing AI outputs in academic research
- Orienting users to AI tools in library databases like JSTOR and ProQuest
Simultaneously, we address and acknowledge the factors that complicate our relationship to this technology, such as environmental harm, cognitive offloading, intellectual property violations, and lack of transparency associated with companies like OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT. We believe these are key ethical considerations that responsible researchers should weigh when choosing whether and how to use these tools.
Ultimately, our instructional focus will continue to center information literacy as the foundational competency we teach. Under that umbrella, navigating AI is just another skill we will incorporate alongside foundational skills such as using our databases, reading a scholarly article, or locating a physical resource in the stacks. Our continued goal is to enable students to navigate the information and knowledge landscape.
Have more questions? You can always write to a librarian at go/askus/, or schedule a research consultation with a librarian here.
Post co-authored by:
Alyssa Wright, Laksamee Cave, Julia Deen, Caro Pinto, and Sarika Sharma