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Reference Chatbots in Canadian Academic Libraries.

Chatbots are "computer agents that can interact with the user" in a way that feels like human-to-human conversation.1 While the use of chatbots for reference service in academic libraries is a topic of interest for both library professionals and researchers, little is known about how they are used i...

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Published in:Information Technology & Libraries Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 1 - 9
Main Authors: Guy, Julia, Pival, Paul R., Lewis, Carla J., Groome, Kim
Format: case study research Journal Article
Published: American Library Association Dec2023
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Dec2023
      vid: 42
      iid: 4
      pid: 55
      pub: American Library Association
      place: Chicago, Illinois
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        10.5860/ital.v42i4.16511
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        atl: Reference Chatbots in Canadian Academic Libraries.
      aug:
        au:
          Guy, Julia
          Pival, Paul R.
          Lewis, Carla J.
          Groome, Kim
        affil: Digital Projects Librarian, GIS, University of Calgary
      sug:
        subj:
          Libraries, Academic Canada
          Library Reference Services Ethical Issues
          Reference Tools
          Chatbot Utilization
          Computer Simulation Utilization
          User-Computer Interface Utilization
          Access to Information
          Canada
          Prevalence
          Privacy and Confidentiality
          Economic Factors
          Professional Identity
          Libraries, Electronic
          Internet-Based Intervention
          Exploratory Research
          World Wide Web
          Integrated Library Systems
          Decision Making, Ethical
      ab: Chatbots are "computer agents that can interact with the user" in a way that feels like human-to-human conversation.1 While the use of chatbots for reference service in academic libraries is a topic of interest for both library professionals and researchers, little is known about how they are used in library reference service, especially in academic libraries in Canada. This article aims to fill this gap by conducting a web-based survey of 106 academic library websites in Canada and analyzing the prevalence and characteristics of chatbot and live chat services offered by these libraries. The authors found that only two libraries were using chatbots for reference service. For live chat services, the authors found that 78 libraries provided this service. The article discusses possible reasons for the low adoption of chatbots in academic libraries, such as accessibility, privacy, cost, and professional identity issues. The article also provides a case study of the authors' institution, the University of Calgary, which integrated a chatbot service in 2021. The article concludes with suggestions for future research on chatbot use in libraries.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        case study
        research
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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