Data study ·
In the United States, librarians take a measured approach to AI
Original title, in French: “Aux Etats-Unis, les bibliothécaires font un usage raisonné de l'IA”
- Publication
- Archimag (France)
- Author
- Bruno Texier
- Published on
- 15 September 2026 · read in the publisher's feed
Summary
OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) surveyed 698 directors of academic and public libraries in the United States about their use of artificial intelligence. According to the study, 24% use it daily, 40% occasionally and 36% rarely or never. The gap between institutions of different sizes is marked: 67% of research library directors use AI every day, compared with only 14% in small public libraries, where 26% do not use it at all. The community is cautious: 39% say they are as excited as they are concerned, and 33% are more concerned than excited. The most frequently cited benefits are time savings and increased efficiency. OCLC highlights a cautious approach to change management, attentive to ethics and dialogue.
Summary based on the full text of the article.
Read the article on Archimag →Figures cited
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24 %
share of library directors using AI every day
698 academic and public library directors, United States, March 2026
« 24 % d'entre eux y recourent tous les jours, 40 % de façon occasionnelle et 36 % rarement ou pas du tout. »
Source: OCLC
-
40 %
share of directors using AI occasionally
698 academic and public library directors, United States, March 2026
« 24 % d'entre eux y recourent tous les jours, 40 % de façon occasionnelle et 36 % rarement ou pas du tout. »
Source: OCLC
-
36 %
share of directors using AI rarely or never
698 academic and public library directors, United States, March 2026
« 24 % d'entre eux y recourent tous les jours, 40 % de façon occasionnelle et 36 % rarement ou pas du tout. »
Source: OCLC
-
67 %
share of research library directors using AI daily
research libraries, United States, March 2026
« Parmi les bibliothèques de recherche, 67 % des directeurs utilisent l'IA quotidiennement. »
Source: OCLC
-
14 %
share of small public library directors using AI daily
small public libraries, United States, March 2026
« À l'autre bout du spectre, seulement 14 % des directeurs de petites bibliothèques publiques déclarent utiliser l'IA quotidiennement, et 26 % ne l'utilisent pas du tout. »
Source: OCLC
-
26 %
share of small public library directors who never use AI
small public libraries, United States, March 2026
« À l'autre bout du spectre, seulement 14 % des directeurs de petites bibliothèques publiques déclarent utiliser l'IA quotidiennement, et 26 % ne l'utilisent pas du tout. »
Source: OCLC
-
39 %
share of directors as excited as they are concerned about AI
698 academic and public library directors, United States, March 2026
« Une majorité relative (39 %) se dit autant enthousiaste qu'inquiète lors que 33 % déclarent l'inverse. »
Source: OCLC
-
33 %
share of directors more concerned than excited about AI
698 academic and public library directors, United States, March 2026
« Une majorité relative (39 %) se dit autant enthousiaste qu'inquiète lors que 33 % déclarent l'inverse. »
Source: OCLC
-
13 %
share of directors more excited than concerned about AI
698 academic and public library directors, United States, March 2026
« Aux extrémités du spectre, 13 % se disent plus enthousiastes qu'inquiets et 15 % se déclarent indécis. »
Source: OCLC
-
15 %
share of directors undecided about AI
698 academic and public library directors, United States, March 2026
« Aux extrémités du spectre, 13 % se disent plus enthousiastes qu'inquiets et 15 % se déclarent indécis. »
Source: OCLC
Classification
- Country
- United States
- Company size
- All sizes
- Industries
- Government and local authorities · Education and training
- Companies
- OCLC (study author)
- Keywords
- libraries, AI adoption, survey, public sector, ethics
Entry written by Marsanne Studio from the cited article, with the help of an AI model (claude-sonnet-5). The rights to the article and its illustrations belong to Archimag and its author. Entry translated from French by Claude Sonnet 5.5.