The popular library e-book and audiobook app Libby is adding AI, much to the disappointment of some readers and librarians who would prefer not to have AI inserted into their favorite apps. The new feature, called Inspire Me, allows users to get book recommendations by using prompts or from their previously saved titles in Libby.
To use the feature, readers tap on the Inspire Me options on Libby’s homepage. They can ask for fiction or nonfiction and then narrow down the suggestions by other factors like age range, type of content, and more. For instance, a user might tap on suggestions like spine-tingling or amusing, or on particular scenarios such as dark humor about modern family dysfunction or time travelers rescue dragons from medieval knights.
The app will then display five relevant titles that match the requested inspiration. Overdrive, the company that makes the Libby app, says the feature relies on each library’s digital collection, so it will point to books the library actually offers. It also prioritizes titles that are immediately available to borrow.
While this is a fairly basic use case for AI, some Libby users and librarians are pushing back at the addition via posts on social media sites. They say they would prefer to get book recommendations without the use of AI technology. Others are worried about the potential privacy issues that come with some AI experiences.
Overdrive clarifies in a policy document about Libby’s use of AI that it avoids collecting inessential personal information. When it does use personal information, it is not shared with third parties or artificial intelligence models. The company also states that users’ details and activity are not shared with the AI model. If a user shares one of their saved tags with the AI to get suggestions, it does not receive any details about the user, their device, or the name of the tag. It only receives the titles to use for recommendations.
Perhaps expecting some pushback against the new addition, Overdrive stressed in its announcement that its goal was not to replace human insight with a generative AI feature. The company says the feature could be used to complement librarian-led discovery.
OverDrive’s chief marketing officer, Jen Leitman, said in a statement that Inspire Me uses responsible AI integration to help patrons dive deeper into the incredible catalogs their local libraries have curated. She noted that by surfacing titles that align with what readers are searching for, the feature helps patrons discover more of the books their libraries have already invested in. She stated it is not about replacing human insight, but about making discovery easier, smarter, and more intuitive.
The company soft-launched the feature earlier this month, allowing users to search for a specific term in the app to gain access. Now officially announced and rolling out, all Libby users should expect to gain access to the feature in September.