Potential Uses of Expert Systems and Artificial Intelligence in Research Libraries and Their Effect on Administration and Job Descriptions (Abstract Only)

Expert systems promise to revolutionize many aspects of library functions and services from technical processing to reference and administrative procedures. The first generation expert systems, which are already appearing, have the potential for replacing many of the repetitive tasks which now p1ague many library positions. In order to cope more effectively with the advent of these changes and help give them direction, it is necessary to understand what functions will be affected and how librarians, especially those without strong programming backgrounds, can best utilize expert systems. The use of expert system shells will be discussed in conjunction with demonstrations of applications developed within the Northwestern Science and Engineering Library.