Libby, the library's e-book and audiobook app, adds AI to the disappointment of readers and librarians who prefer that AI is not inserted into their favorite apps. The new feature “Inspire Me” allows users to retrieve book recommendations using prompts or previously saved titles.
To use this feature, readers tap the “Inspire Me” option on the Libby homepage. Here you can seek fiction or non-fiction, narrowing down suggestions from other factors, such as age range, content type. For example, you can tap suggestions such as “Spinbow” or “Funny” and tap specific scenarios such as “Dark humor on modern family dysfunction” or “Time Travelers Save Dragons from the Mediabal Knights.”
Image credits: Overdrive/Libby (screenshot)
The app displays five related titles that match the requested inspiration.
Overdrive, the company that manufactures the Libby app, says it points to books offered by the library, as the feature relies on the digital collections of each library. We will also prioritize titles that can be borrowed immediately.
It's a fairly basic use case for AI, but some Libby users and librarians are pushing back the addition via posts on social media sites. Others worry about the potential privacy issues that come with the AI experience.
However, Overdrive will be made clear in Libby's AI Use Policy Document that it avoids collecting “essential personal information” and that when you use your personal information, it is not shared with third parties or artificial intelligence models. The company also said that user details and activities are not shared with the AI model.
Additionally, if you share any of the saved tags with AI to get suggestions, you will only get the title you use for the recommendations for the name or description of your device, your device, or tag.
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Perhaps in anticipation of some pushbacks for new additions, Overdrive highlighted in the announcement that its goal is not to replace “human insights” with generative AI capabilities. Rather, it states that this feature can be used to “complete” librarian-driven discoveries.
“Inspire Me will use responsible AI integration to help them dive deeper into an incredible catalogue curated by their local libraries,” said Jen Leitman, Chief Marketing Officer at Overdrive in a statement. “By surfaced with titles that match what our readers are looking for, it helps me to discover more books that the library has already invested in. It's not to replace human insights, it's to make discoveries easier, smarter and more intuitive,” she said.
The company softly launched the feature earlier this month, allowing users to search and access “#inspireme” on the Libby app. Now, all Libby users officially announced and deployed should be expected to have access to the feature in September.