AI-Driven Digitalization in Västra Götaland Libraries: Implications for Learning, Ethics and Sustainability.

Sammanfattning

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in library services transforming learning processes and the ways in which information is supported and mediated. Thus, libraries are positioned as pivotal institutions in advancing digital transformation and sustainable learning. However, the implications of AI for educational quality and equity remain insufficiently understood. This study explores this gap in empirical knowledge by examining how librarians perceive, adopt, and integrate AI technologies in everyday professional practice. The research is based on an online survey of 40 libraries across 19 municipalities in Västra Götaland, Sweden, with the aim to investigate librarians’ familiarity with AI, perceived risks and attitudes. The analysis is informed by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) enabling an integrated evaluation of individual perceptions alongside the dynamic interplay between technologies, institutional contexts, and professional practices. Findings reveal moderate familiarity with AI but limited systematic integration into library services. While AI tools are employed experimentally, adoption is influenced by perceived usefulness, digital literacy initiatives and organizational support. Respondents identify both opportunities and risks: AI enhances information access but raises concerns regarding misinformation, impact on critical thinking, and potential educational inequalities. Moreover, AI emerges not as a “neutral” tool but as a sociotechnical system shaped by shaping library practices. Therefore, integration of AI raises important questions about learning inequality and sustainability: the study concludes that AI’s effectiveness in supporting learning depends on its sociotechnical capacity as the human actors to guide its integration in a critical, and socially responsible manner positioning Västra Götaland librarians as key mediators of ethical and inclusive knowledge ecosystems.