What Students and Researchers Think of the Relevance of Academic Libraries in the Age of AI?:

A Survey-Based Study

Abstract

Post the introduction of Large Language Models as better substitutes for traditional search engines and as great support for researchers, many critics began to question the very purpose of the continuation of academic libraries in Higher Education Institutions. Certainly, academic libraries have lost the sheen of their yesteryears, where the resources they hosted in the form of printed books and periodicals were considered indispensable for academic pursuits—education and research—thanks to the advent of revolution in information and communication technologies since the 1990s. Search engines, digital databases, institutional repositories, online translation services, etc., have opened access to resources that were once beyond the reach of learners or researchers. But setting aside the critics, what do major, influential organizations around the world think about the future of academic libraries in the AI age? And how do students and researchers look at the usefulness of academic libraries in the digital age? This paper presents a review of the perspectives of major global organizations and the results of a ground survey of postgraduates and doctoral researchers to understand the future of academic libraries in higher education.