How Could Public Libraries Empower Communities to Participate in Government AI Initiatives?

A Practical View of Benefits and Challenges

Abstract

Public libraries hold significant potential for advancing inclusive civic engagement in government Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives. Drawing on interviews with 34 staff members from three public libraries across the United States—Palo Alto Public Library (PAPL) in California, Queens Public Library (QPL) in New York, and Schaumburg Township District Library (STDL) in Illinois—this study examines the AI-related programs offered by these libraries, along with the benefits, costs, and challenges associated with designing and implementing these programs. Built on the purposes of increasing awareness of patrons about AI and fostering competencies of patrons in using AI tools, public libraries offer various AI-related programs that create notable benefits for their patrons and the libraries themselves. Moreover, when designing and implementing AI-related programs, challenges such as insufficient staff expertise and limited staff engagement, as well as the lack of a unified and comprehensive strategy to promote AI-related programs to the public, must be addressed. This study also discusses that public libraries currently focus on informing citizens rather than higher levels of civic engagement, such as collaboration and empowerment. However, we argue that public libraries already provide a strong foundation for promoting civic engagement in government AI initiatives by informing citizens about the fundamentals of AI and enabling them to explore specific AI tools and applications. Future studies can build on this foundation to develop actionable strategies that public libraries can use to achieve more advanced levels of civic engagement in government AI initiatives.