Libraries are in the process of defining their organizations’ relationship with artificial intelligence, exploring the utility of the technology and identifying ethical frictions. Let’s explore that relationship as it pertains to marketing.
Generative AI tools can be quite effective at generating copy, revising tone, and search engine optimization. They can produce high-quality graphics in under a minute. These tools are widely available, and often embedded within platforms we are already familiar with (such as Canva). Despite its utility, the unfettered use of generative AI can actually harm a library’s marketing efforts. Why?
Is AI On Brand?
Merriam-Webster defines authenticity as “the quality of being authentic : the quality of being authoritative, valid, true, real, or genuine.” I believe libraries benefit greatly from being authentic; we’re people-powered, trusted institutions staffed from our surrounding communities, providing authoritative information. Artificial intelligence is, well, artificial and suffers a credibility problem! As such, it can be perceived as inauthentic, leading to the next issue.
A Distraction from Your Messaging
In opinion polling, potential voters are sometimes asked “which candidate would you rather have a beer with?,” as a way of measuring authenticity or genuineness. Contrast this with a recent Pew Research Poll, in which 71% of Americans say they would like a political candidate less if they knew AI helped write their speech! In this same poll, 49% of respondents indicated they would like a painting less if they discovered it was AI-generated!
Your advocacy plea could be polished and well-written, your social media graphics on point, but if the vehicle used to deliver your message alienates a majority of your audience, the benefits you gained in efficiency are unlikely worth the cost to efficacy! Any use of AI in a library’s marketing output needs to be light, thoughtful, and preserve the human touch and established library voice.
Authenticity is Your Not-So-Secret Weapon
Earlier this year, I was among a number of library professionals who were asked by Angela Hursh (Super Library Marketing) to provide marketing predictions for 2026. Several of us specifically highlighted authenticity, and ways to recommit to it through:
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Real photos of staff and patrons engaged in library activities.
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Cheesy, but earnest social video.
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Warm, human language.
If this sounds like something we’re already doing, it’s because we are! The age of AI will require libraries to make some adaptations, but we must also recommit to those things that work, and those values which have grown even more precious, chief among them: authenticity!
Items of Interest
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Pre-ALA, I’ll be attending the Library Insights Summit, there as part of the panel “AI in the Stacks and the Supply Chain: What’s at Stake for Libraries and Publishers.”
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I’ll be at ALA Annual from June 25-29, 2026. Hope to see some of you there!
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I was interviewed by Mike McQueen for his new book, The AI Toolkit for Librarians (June 11, 2026). You can learn more about that publication, and view a number of recorded interviews from a slew of library professionals here.