--- title: "In the United States, librarians take a measured approach to AI — Marsanne Studio AI watch" description: "An OCLC survey shows highly uneven use of AI depending on the size of US libraries." url: "https://marsanne.studio/en/ai-watch/in-the-united-states-librarians-take-a-measured-approach-to-d2af5d/" lang: "en" --- [Marsanne Studio](https://marsanne.studio/en/) [← Back to home](https://marsanne.studio/en/ai-watch) [← The AI watch](https://marsanne.studio/en/ai-watch) Data study · 15 September 2026 # 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 →](https://www.archimag.com/bibliotheque-edition/2026/09/15/etats-unis-bibliothecaires-font-usage-raisonne-ia) ## Figures cited - 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.