From Learning Tool to Teaching Partner: How Librarians Use Generative AI to Support Research Across Disciplines

Abstract

Librarians in academic, public, and school settings frequently encounter reference questions
outside their subject expertise. They also recognize the need for members of the profession to be
arbiters of artificial intelligence (AI) in the information landscape and to be among the first to use
this technology so that they can effectively advise and teach others how to best do the same.1 As
generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools reshape reference services across library contexts,
they offer librarians both a way to address their knowledge gaps and a means to support student
learning through instruction. In these instances, GenAI has emerged as a valuable tool for reference
and instruction, allowing librarians to quickly build foundational knowledge, identify relevant
terminology, and provide more effective research support. Through librarianship training, we have a
responsibility to support library users in bridging knowledge gaps and