Yogyakarta, 16 April 2026 — The Student Association of the Library Science Study Program (HMPS Ilmu Perpustakaan) at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta organized a seminar titled “Smart Library Ecosystem: Integrating AI and the Human Touch in Automated Information Services”. The event invited Faradina Harumi, S.Kom., M.Eng., an IT professional at the Office of Communication and Information (Diskominfo) of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, as the speaker, with Library Science student Zakia Faradiba serving as moderator. The seminar was held in the Teatrikal Room of the UIN Sunan Kalijaga Library and was attended by lecturers and students of the Library Science Study Program.

Opening remarks and objectives

The program began with an introduction by the moderator, followed by a welcome address from the Chair of the Organizing Committee, Septi Nugrahaeni. In her remarks, Septi emphasized that the seminar was not merely an item on the work program, but a bridge to new insights on how library ecosystems can evolve alongside technological advances and be implemented for sustainable benefit.

The second speech was delivered by the Chair of HMPS Library Science, Ivan Maulana Saputra, who expressed his gratitude to all parties that contributed to the success of the event. Next, the Head of the Library Science Study Program, Muhammad Ainul Yaqin, S.Pd., M.Ed., stressed that the seminar theme was crucial to explore because there are still widespread misconceptions in society about what library science actually is. For this reason, he hoped that this activity would help correct those perspectives.

The Dean of the Faculty of Adab and Cultural Sciences, Prof. Dr. Nurdin, S.Ag., S.S., M.A., used his speech to invite students to make full use of the facilities and spaces provided by the university to develop their competencies. He also suggested that students collaborate with the study program when proposing lecturers as speakers for future events so that lecturers can encourage their students to attend such activities.

Smart library ecosystem and its four pillars

In the main presentation, the speaker explained the concept of a smart library ecosystem by focusing on fundamental issues such as how humans and artificial intelligence can collaborate in forming an intelligent ecosystem and what ethical considerations must be taken into account. She emphasized that “smartness” in the library world does not merely mean adopting technology, but must be built upon four key pillars: technology, information value, sustainability, and public benefit.

According to her, a library that possesses complete data cannot automatically be categorized as a smart library if it has not integrated technology to facilitate various activities, provide long-term benefits for users and librarians, and adapt to changing times. Today’s technological developments bring challenges such as information explosion, rising user expectations, and demands for public accountability. Therefore, libraries are expected to deliver services that are both efficient and trustworthy.

AI as a tool, humans as the core

The speaker further explained that the library ecosystem consists of interconnected elements, including services, technology, collections, spaces, equipment, metadata, and—most importantly—humans as the central entity. As technology advances, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a tool to simplify human work, not as a mechanism to replace human processes entirely without human oversight.

In library services, AI can assist users in searching for information through catalog systems and can function as a chatbot to help overcome limitations in human resources. AI can also be used to summarize documents, perform auto-tagging of collections, and support data and statistical analysis to improve service quality and decision-making. Nevertheless, the speaker stressed that the use of AI must always adhere to ethical principles. While AI can enhance efficiency, the human touch remains irreplaceable, especially in ensuring information accuracy, conducting verification, and providing empathetic service to users. In practice, AI has no emotional relationship with humans, so human involvement is still required to tailor services to users’ needs.

Questions about AI limits and effective prompts

The event continued with a question-and-answer session. One participant asked about the ideal boundary between AI use and the human touch in libraries so that the role of librarians will not be replaced in the future. In response, the speaker reiterated that the relationship between AI and humans is collaborative, meaning that humans must always carry out cross-confirmation from various sources and be able to curate AI outputs. She added that one reason librarians’ roles remain secure is that AI tends to provide template-based answers and cannot distinguish whether it is interacting with children, older adults, or any other specific user group.

Another participant asked how to construct effective prompts so that AI can provide answers that match users’ needs. The speaker offered several tips, including formulating questions based on clear objectives, including relevant data sources, and ensuring that the questions contain the elements of 5W + 1H (who, what, when, where, why, and how).

Encouraging critical and wise use of AI

The seminar is expected not only to provide new perspectives but also to serve as a learning space for Library Science students to use technology wisely. Through this activity, students are encouraged to treat AI as a tool for managing information rather than as a substitute for critical thinking. The speaker underlined that critical thinking skills are essential for students, so that they can improve their digital literacy in facing complex information flows.

Written by:

M. Azky Fuadi Z A (afz), Alfiyya Tsurayya Maulidina (atm)