Libby App Introduces AI-Powered Book Recommendation Feature, Sparking Debate in Library Community
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Libby is adding an AI book recommendation feature
Overdrive's digital book lending app Libby is adding -- you guessed it! -- AI. The new Inspire Me feature is an AI-fueled discovery tool tuned to your local branch's collection. Following a soft launch this month, it will be officially available in September. To avoid the pitfalls of a full-on chatbot, Overdrive is limiting the discovery process of the feature. Instead of typing freely into a prompt box, you'll start by answering several canned preference questions. These include categories (such as fiction and biography), age groups (adult or child) and preset adjectives (like "clever" and "silly"). You can also let it make recommendations based on your previously saved titles. The AI will then spit out five suggestions from your local library. Overdrive says Inspire Me prioritizes ebooks and audiobooks that are immediately available. Each recommendation will include a brief explanation of how it aligns with your stated interests. Some in the library community reacted sharply to the feature. "Smoke is pouring out of my ears," librarian Rachel Storm posted on Bluesky (via TechCrunch). "I'm honestly surprised it took this long for them to enshittify Libby," Orion Kidder responded. Libby's AI privacy policy states that Inspire Me only sends tags connected to "a random selection of titles you have saved" to the model. The policy says it only sends the book titles, not any other details about you or your device. Overdrive says it designed the feature to minimize energy impact and will monitor its footprint over time. As long as there isn't anything sneaky tucked in beyond that, this sounds like a relatively tame (and potentially handy) use of AI. Then again, I sometimes spend my work hours writing about the truly disturbing shit, so take my perspective as you will. Regardless of your perspective, the feature will roll out broadly in September. You'll find it by tapping the Libby icon in the app menu.
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Libby introduces 'Inspire Me' to beef up your reading list
Set us as a preferred source in Google Search to support us and make sure you never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. In theory, the tool should streamline skimming your Libby app for book ideas. But not everyone is ready to hand over their reading list to an algorithm. Libby hopes Inspire Me will complement librarian-led discovery, but some users have already raised red flags. First, about the privacy concerns, but secondly, about the role of generative AI versus real, human experts. As one Redditor bluntly put it: "Thanks, but I'll stick with my local librarian's recommendations." The skepticism reflects a broader hesitation about whether AI belongs in the library experience at all.
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Overdrive's digital book lending app Libby is launching an AI-powered book recommendation feature called 'Inspire Me', set to roll out in September. The new tool aims to enhance book discovery but has raised concerns among librarians and users about privacy and the role of AI in library services.
Libby's New AI-Powered Book Recommendation Feature
Overdrive's popular digital book lending app, Libby, is set to introduce an artificial intelligence-powered book recommendation feature called 'Inspire Me'. The new tool, which has been soft-launched this month, will be officially available to users in September
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Source: Android Authority
How 'Inspire Me' Works
Unlike open-ended AI chatbots, Libby's 'Inspire Me' feature employs a structured approach to book discovery. Users initiate the process by answering a series of predefined questions about their preferences, including:
- Book categories (e.g., fiction, biography)
- Age groups (adult or child)
- Preset adjectives (e.g., "clever", "silly")
The AI can also make recommendations based on users' previously saved titles. After processing these inputs, the system generates five suggestions from the user's local library collection, prioritizing immediately available ebooks and audiobooks. Each recommendation comes with a brief explanation of how it aligns with the user's stated interests
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.Privacy and Data Usage
Libby has addressed potential privacy concerns in its AI policy. The 'Inspire Me' feature only sends tags associated with "a random selection of titles you have saved" to the AI model. The policy explicitly states that only book titles are transmitted, without any additional personal or device information
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.Environmental Considerations
Overdrive, the company behind Libby, claims to have designed the feature with minimal energy impact in mind. They have committed to monitoring its environmental footprint over time
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Reactions and Concerns
The introduction of 'Inspire Me' has sparked a debate within the library community. Some librarians have expressed strong opposition to the feature. Rachel Storm, a librarian, posted on Bluesky, "Smoke is pouring out of my ears," while another user, Orion Kidder, commented, "I'm honestly surprised it took this long for them to enshittify Libby"
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.The skepticism extends beyond privacy concerns to questions about the role of AI in the library experience. Some users prefer human expertise over algorithmic recommendations. As one Redditor stated, "Thanks, but I'll stick with my local librarian's recommendations"
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.Potential Benefits and Limitations
Proponents argue that 'Inspire Me' could streamline the process of finding new books within the Libby app. Overdrive positions the feature as a complement to librarian-led discovery rather than a replacement
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Source: engadget
However, critics question whether AI belongs in the library experience at all, reflecting a broader hesitation about the integration of artificial intelligence into traditional human-centric services
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.As the 'Inspire Me' feature prepares for its full rollout in September, the debate surrounding its implementation highlights the ongoing challenges of integrating AI into established systems and the importance of balancing technological innovation with user trust and traditional expertise.
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