What separates libraries moving ahead with AI?

AI adoption is advancing in libraries, but slowly. Only 16% of respondents to the Pulse of the Library 2026 survey report moderate to active implementation, while one-third remain in the exploration and evaluation stage. The findings suggest that the libraries moving ahead differ less in the tools they use than in the structures surrounding them.

Now in its third year, the Pulse of the Library is a global survey of academic, public and national librarians that tracks how the profession is responding to technological change, shifting priorities and external pressures. The 2026 survey gathered insights from 1,876 librarians worldwide.

Structure, Governance and Training Play Key Roles in Implementation

Among libraries already evaluating or implementing AI, 46% have a defined strategic position on AI as an entry point to information and research, while 72% have established a structured decision-making process. Libraries with a defined strategy, governance and staff support consistently report deeper implementation.

Governance is one of the strongest signals in the survey. Among libraries actively implementing AI, 51% report a joint library and institutional IT governance model, compared with 26% of the overall sample. Staff development follows a similar pattern: libraries offering formal training, dedicated learning time or manager support are more likely to report greater confidence and deeper implementation.

Libraries Are Looking For Capacity

Staff productivity is now a leading objective for AI for libraries overall, with 58% of respondents identifying it as a primary goal. However, academic libraries present a slightly different picture when viewed alone. While goals for staff productivity and administrative streamlining have increased sharply since 2024, student learning remains the leading objective for academic libraries.

That result is easy to understand when viewed alongside another theme running through the survey: growing pressure on library staff. Respondents describe increasing workloads, expanding responsibilities and ongoing resource constraints. In free-text responses, librarians spoke candidly about being stretched across multiple roles and asked to take on responsibilities that extend well beyond traditional library work. One respondent put it simply: "There has not been increased importance of my role, just increased workload."

Visit the Pulse of the Library interactive website where you can view results by geography, library type and job role.

The data also suggest that libraries are still working out how to achieve productivity gains. While staff productivity is the most frequently cited objective, libraries are more likely to prioritize user-facing AI services than staff-facing workflows. Only 18% of respondents said their library places its greatest emphasis on staff-facing AI workflows, despite productivity being the sector's leading goal.

The gap may reflect the maturity of the available tools. Libraries may find more established options for user-facing applications such as AI-powered discovery than for specialized, staff-focused workflows.

Concerns Grow Alongside Implementation

In 2025, budget constraints dominated the AI conversation. In 2026, the focus has shifted. Privacy and security, misinformation and bias or discrimination in AI outputs now rank among librarians' leading concerns.

Notably, libraries at the initial implementation stage report more concerns, on average, than libraries with no plans to pursue AI. Yet, concern has not prevented experimentation. Many of the libraries moving forward with AI are doing so while actively grappling with questions of trust, privacy and quality. The survey's governance findings help explain why. Libraries with structured decision-making processes, clearer strategic positions and stronger staff support appear better positioned to evaluate both opportunities and risks.

Beyond AI

AI is only one part of this year's Pulse of the Library survey. The findings reveal a sector balancing multiple priorities at once. Respondents also shared their perspectives on open science, open educational resources, evolving library missions, budget pressures and the changing needs of students and researchers. Together, the results show libraries navigating change while continuing to support teaching, learning and research.

Explore The Findings

Where AI implementation is concerned, the Pulse of the Library report identifies a practical path forward: pair experimentation with clear strategy, shared governance and staff support. Visit the Pulse of the Library site on Clarivate.com to access the full report and complete survey dataset.