In an educational landscape rapidly reshaped by AI, college library spaces are emerging as crucial hubs for equipping students with essential digital literacy skills, thereby preparing them for a workforce increasingly influenced by AI tools. A June 2025 TechTrends study revealed that a staggering 85% of students already use generative AI, yet a significant 80% lack structured guidance on its proper and ethical application. As students navigate a job market where AI-driven tools, from resume scanners to algorithmic job boards, are commonplace, digital literacy is no longer a peripheral skill but a fundamental career necessity.
The reality is that AI is here to stay. Avoiding it rather than integrating it into academia can lead to unintended consequences. Continuing to ban or restrict AI tools, rather than preparing students to use them, will increase the risk of unethical or inappropriate use. Without an education on AI, students will lack the knowledge to engage with it properly.
College libraries are uniquely positioned to guide students through this extraordinary time. They are masters of compiling data and resources for applicable use by students and faculty. Just as they have done through the transition of print to digital, libraries are well equipped to do the same with AI. Academic libraries can offer in-person sessions training on topics such as prompting, analysis of results and what plagiarism looks like. Another way that libraries can use their force to change the landscape of campus AI use is by creating guides that outline the different AI tools and their applicable use. Most libraries already use web-based platforms with hundreds of resource guides already integrated with their library and curriculum services.
Career readiness now requires AI know-how
As students prepare to enter an increasingly competitive job market, it is important that they understand how employers use AI-driven resume screening software to filter candidates. Understanding AI-powered job market tools—such as ATS systems, resume algorithms and algorithmic job boards—is now a non-negotiable aspect of not just digital literacy but career readiness. Gaining insight into these systems enables students to optimize their resumes using strategic keywords and formatting, increasing their chances of advancing through initial screening stages to further rounds of interviewing. In addition to assistance with getting through the resume screening process, there are tools that help prepare for interviews with practice scenarios. In some fields such as data, engineering and research, AI literacy is much more crucial as it is used in many aspects of day-to-day work and is considered an essential aspect of career readiness.
Embedding ethics into AI instruction
Beyond technical skills, ethical AI use must be embedded into digital literacy initiatives, and libraries can make these lessons both practical and accessible. The biggest and most obvious component of ethical AI use is academic integrity. Essentially, students must avoid the use of AI to just simply complete assignments and submission of AI as original work. This doesn’t help students learn and comprehend the material and it violates most academic standards. It prevents the critical thinking skills that remain the central focus of a college education. Another key ethical component is privacy. Most of the AI tools being used store user inputs and other information to be used in continued improvement in the tools.
Students need to understand that AI does pose a potential threat to their personal data and be guided in protecting themselves against nefarious activity. Finally, libraries can help educate students on potential algorithmic bias that exists in AI systems. As AI is trained on existing data collected, it’s important for students to understand ways to combat bias through identification and questioning.
Bridging the digital divide through library access
The risks of digital inequity are significant when institutions fail to provide structured AI education, and this can disproportionately affect students from under-resourced backgrounds. Each student entering college brings a unique set of experiences, including varying degrees of AI knowledge. Things that can contribute to an experience include geographical location, educational background, and access to updated technology. One student could be coming from a well-funded private school in a major city with access to the latest technology, while another could be coming from an under-sourced public school from a rural area with limited access to technology. Those two experiences are vastly different and can contribute to an inequity with AI literacy. An academic library is well positioned to bridge the gap between that inequity by offering proper training and education so that all students, regardless of background, can use AI responsibly.
Preparing students for a future shaped by AI
Looking ahead, academic libraries should strategically broaden their traditional services to include AI outreach, engaging not only students but also faculty and administrators. Librarians can collaborate with campus leadership to create AI policies and data protection guidelines, while also supporting faculty with instructional resources and best practices. Partnering with career services, libraries can offer AI-focused workshops and training to equip graduates with competitive skills for the workforce. Library staff should extend their presence beyond the library walls, meeting students where they are to foster more engagement.
This is a pivotal moment for college libraries to take a leadership role in promoting the ethical and proper use of AI. As AI tools, practices, and ethical considerations vary across fields of study, it is important for libraries to work closely with academic departments to develop field-specific guidelines that reflect the unique needs, standards, and expectations of each area of study. These tailored resources can help ensure that students not only understand the principles of AI but also how to apply them responsibly within their fields. By adding AI literacy into the curriculum, librarians can provide students with both theoretical knowledge and practical, hands-on experience.
These partnerships between libraries and faculty will be key in preparing students with the skills they need to navigate a technology-driven world, while promoting a culture of ethics and critical thinking around AI use. This type of collaboration ensures that graduates are AI literate but also workplace ready.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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