Abstract
As artificial intelligence reshapes higher education, academic libraries are reimagining their services to meet emerging challenges and opportunities. This article presents a case study of the University of Manitoba Libraries (UML), a Canadian academic library actively integrating AI to improve service delivery, enrich research support, and enhance user engagement while upholding core values of access, equity, and scholarly integrity.
Four key initiatives are discussed: (1) the development of an in-house AI chatbot built on Microsoft Azure services, offering real-time conversational assistance grounded in trusted library content; (2) the implementation of Ex Libris’ Primo Research Assistant to enhance discovery with GPT-based responses; (3) an exploratory research project applying Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to the institutional repository, MSpace, using metadata embeddings to improve access to open scholarship; and (4) the redesign of the science library as a future-ready, AI-enabled space featuring distributed service points, intelligent kiosks, and teaching labs for AI literacy.
Together, these initiatives illustrate how AI can be adopted not as a replacement for human expertise, but as a tool for strategic innovation. The article reflects on the motivations, development processes, and ethical considerations guiding UML’s work, offering insights for libraries seeking to define their own responsible, user-centered AI trajectories.
Keywords
Artificial Intelligence in Libraries, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), Academic Library Innovation, AI Chatbot
Date of this Version
11-2025
Recommended Citation
Wei Xuan and Christine Shaw,
"Reimagining Library Services in the Age of AI: A Case Study from a Canadian Academic Library."
Proceedings of the IATUL Conferences.
Paper 4.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/iatul/2025/breakout/4
Included in
Reimagining Library Services in the Age of AI: A Case Study from a Canadian Academic Library
As artificial intelligence reshapes higher education, academic libraries are reimagining their services to meet emerging challenges and opportunities. This article presents a case study of the University of Manitoba Libraries (UML), a Canadian academic library actively integrating AI to improve service delivery, enrich research support, and enhance user engagement while upholding core values of access, equity, and scholarly integrity.
Four key initiatives are discussed: (1) the development of an in-house AI chatbot built on Microsoft Azure services, offering real-time conversational assistance grounded in trusted library content; (2) the implementation of Ex Libris’ Primo Research Assistant to enhance discovery with GPT-based responses; (3) an exploratory research project applying Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to the institutional repository, MSpace, using metadata embeddings to improve access to open scholarship; and (4) the redesign of the science library as a future-ready, AI-enabled space featuring distributed service points, intelligent kiosks, and teaching labs for AI literacy.
Together, these initiatives illustrate how AI can be adopted not as a replacement for human expertise, but as a tool for strategic innovation. The article reflects on the motivations, development processes, and ethical considerations guiding UML’s work, offering insights for libraries seeking to define their own responsible, user-centered AI trajectories.