EDITOR'S NOTES
Digital Tools to Know
by Brandi Scardilli
Everyone has favorite tools that help them do their jobs. Librarians tend to be skilled at finding and implementing the software and online resources that work best for them. They might be already experimenting with AI, or they might be taking a wait-and-see approach before deciding whether or how often to use it. They might have a tried-and-true workflow or file management system, or they might be looking for a better approach. In this issue, CIL’s authors share the tools they believe will help their fellow librarians with various tasks: assisting patrons, sorting digital files, keeping up with a library’s ILS, and AI governance.
Susan McClellan (University of Pittsburgh) lists her top 10 digital tools that help librarians support patrons in doing all kinds of research. Marcella Lees (Art Institute of Chicago) reviews TreeSize, a tool for file management, showing how it can help all types of libraries clear up digital clutter. Katie Townsend (Eastern Oregon University) describes her experiences using documentation and knowledge management to improve her relationship with her library’s ILS. Chris Evjy (Denver Public Library) offers a comparative analysis of generative AI policies in public libraries, exploring how AI governance is implemented and how libraries differ in their tolerance of various AI usage. In addition, Suzanne S. LaPierre’s column provides a guide for jumping into 3D printing, and Marshall Breeding’s column tracks how web search has changed.
This past year, the information industry lost two titans: Online, Inc. founder Jeffery Pemberton in February and Dialog founder Roger Summit in June. You can read their obituaries in the Summer and Fall issues of Information Today. In August, another library champion passed away; you can read Alison A. Trotta’s tribute to Dolly Parton on page 20.
Sincerely,
Brandi Scardilli,
Editor in Chief
bscardilli@infotoday.com
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