Law Libraries Launch Initiative to Prepare for Artificial Intelligence Future
A group of leading law schools, led by the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, has announced an exciting new initiative called the Future of Law Libraries: Artificial Intelligence, Opportunities, and Advancement. The goal of this collaborative project is to prepare law libraries across the country to strategically incorporate artificial intelligence into their operations to enhance collections, instruction/training and services.
The keystone of the initiative is a national series of regional roundtables on Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Law Libraries taking place during the 2023-2024 academic year. Each day-long roundtable event will bring together law library stakeholders, advocates, and community partners to discuss both the risks and opportunities presented by AI technologies.
"Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize how law libraries function and provide value to our communities," said project sponsor Teresa Miguel-Stearns, associate dean for Legal Information Innovation and director of the Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library at University of Arizona Law. "Through insightful discussions at these roundtables, we hope to identify constructive ways law libraries can plan for and utilize AI to improve access to legal information, enhance legal education, and help in our overall mission."
Roundtable participants will use scenario-building methods to consider potential AI impacts on key areas of law librarianship such as collections, services, and staffing. The goal is to uncover mistakes to avoid as well as opportunities to leverage AI for law libraries in the future.
In addition to University of Arizona Law, the initiative is sponsored by Georgia State College of Law, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, Stanford Law School, Suffolk University Law School, and the University of Oklahoma College of Law.
"Law librarians have always been early technology adopters and trainers," said Cas Laskowski, project founder and head of Research, Data & Instruction at the Cracchiolo Law Library. "We are proud to launch this timely project focusing on AI and how libraries can remain responsive, equitable community anchors in our increasingly tech-driven world."
The first of 7 roundtable events will be hosted at the University of Arizona Washington, D.C. Center for Outreach & Collaboration, this October.
To learn more about the Future of Law Libraries initiative visit https://lawlibrary.arizona.edu/special-projects/future-of-law-libraries