ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE'S APPLICATION IN MODERN REFERENCE SERVICES TO ENSURE THE QUALITY: OPPORTUNITIES AND LIMITATIONS

Abstract

Purpose- Digital technology has revolutionized libraries, and consequently, the services of libraries have been transformed more than ever. This revolution has brought varied changes in the ways of providing services and keeping the patrons satisfied with every possible effort. The purpose of this study is to investigate the application of artificial intelligence in cutting-edge technologies to ensure the quality of services and the pros and cons of merging this technology in conventional reference services.

Methods- The study employed this intention and evaluated the available literature. Relevant studies were searched and identified through the free and commercial bibliographic, citation, and full-text global databases. We have adopted an analytical approach in reviewing previous studies.

Results- This paper shows that to guarantee the modernization of library services and to provide users with easy access to reference materials, library authorities need to embrace artificial intelligence seriously and promptly as it has a lot of opportunities to assure quality services and tackle the barriers such as inherent limitation in answering newly emerged questions, inability in identifying correct questions, expensiveness, and lack of human communication.

Conclusion- The paper justifies that, regardless of technical and organizational challenges brought by the artificial intelligence, it can provide quick and neutral answers remotely and save time for the reader, which fulfills the fourth law of Library Science given by Dr. S. R. Ranganathan, i.e., “Save the Time of the Reader”.