Computers in Libraries — October 2024 (Volume 44, Number 8)

What does responsible technology use look like across today’s libraries? The October 2024 issue of Computers in Libraries brings together practitioner-led coverage of AI research tools, digital access, school library websites, and the day-to-day decisions behind effective library technology.

Putting AI research tools to the test

The issue’s lead feature evaluates six tools used for literature discovery and review: Litmaps, Connected Papers, ResearchRabbit, Elicit, scite, and Consensus. Susan Gardner Archambault and José J. Rincón apply the REACT framework, examining relevance, ease of use, diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, currency, transparency, and accuracy. Rather than treating AI tools as interchangeable, their comparison gives librarians and researchers a structured way to consider strengths, trade-offs, and the need for human verification.

Library service beyond the familiar

Cal LaFountain looks at lessons libraries can draw from distinctive institutions, while Rachel Kinnon describes San Francisco Public Library’s work to bring free electronic resources to county jail residents using hoopla. These pieces turn attention from technology alone to the settings, constraints, and communities that shape how a service works in practice.

Websites, collections, and professional connection

Sarah Cowley’s school-library feature addresses the creation and management of web content tailored to local school communities. Elsewhere, regular columns consider how to make print collections more effective and how library professionals can find personal and professional support online.

AI in the wider library landscape

Additional coverage considers changing patterns of AI adoption in libraries, AI research assistants, and other developments at the intersection of information work and technology. Across the issue, the emphasis is on informed practice: understanding what tools can do, where their limits matter, and how libraries can apply technology in ways responsive to their users.

A focused issue for librarians, information professionals, and researchers following practical developments in library technology and digital services.