Theme: “Libraries and the transformation of the research landscape”
Introduction
The IFLA Artificial Intelligence SIG and Digital Humanities/Digital Scholarship SIG are seeking five lightning talk speakers for an open session to be held at the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Busan, South Korea, 10-13 August 2026.
Libraries and the transformation of the research landscape
There is gathering evidence that generative AI is shifting the information landscape of research, with significant implications for libraries.
As well as using LLMs like ChatGPT in their research, some scholars are turning to tools like SciSpace, Consensus and Research Rabbit. Publishers are updating their own sites with generative AI functionality but also tightening up rules about how AI is used and declared in publications. There are potential uses of generative AI throughout the research lifecycle, in ideation and grant capture, literature reviewing, data wrangling and analysis and dissemination. However, there are also on-going ethical concerns, and other barriers to adoption such as skills, cost and accuracy.
This session will be an opportunity to reflect on how libraries are transforming to support or respond to changes in researcher behaviour.
We are seeking five lightning talk speakers with substantive knowledge and experience of how libraries are responding to the transforming research landscape.
Suggested themes are
- AI and Scholarly Communication/Open Science
- AI-enabled Library Services (advisory, data, discovery)
- The evaluation of publisher/ others AI-based services
- AI Literacy and Capacity Building
- Ethics and integrity
- Librarian competencies needed
Important dates & deadlines:
- 04/05/2026: Deadline for submission of proposals/abstracts
- 18/05/2026: Notification to authors about the status of a submission
- 13/07/2026: Submission of the full text of the lightning talk
- 03/08/2026: Submission of accompanying PowerPoint slides for presentation
Submission guidelines
Proposals should include:
- Title of proposed presentation
- Summary of planned content (maximum 300 words)
- Name of presenter plus position and/or title
- Employer / affiliated institution
- Contact information including email address, telephone number
- Short biographical statement of presenter
Send proposals via email to: Andrew Cox, a.m.cox@sheffield.ac.uk
Use subject line: WLIC Libraries and the transformation of the research landscape
Please note:
- At least one of the paper’s authors must be present to summarize the paper during the program in Busan. Abstracts are to be submitted only with the understanding that the expenses of attending the conference will be the responsibility of the author(s)/presenter(s) of accepted papers.
- All papers must use the WLIC Paper template, which will be provided when your paper is accepted
- The language of the session is expected to be English.
- All papers presented at the WLIC 2026 will be available online under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
- All papers must be unpublished and not previously presented.
- Authors must disclose whether they submit this proposal to another WLIC 2026 session.
- Authors of accepted papers must complete the IFLA Authors’ Permission Form.
- Authors and presenters must adhere to the Presenter guidelines provided when your paper is accepted
- All expenses, including registration for the conference, travel, accommodation, etc., are the responsibility of the authors/presenters. IFLA does not provide any financial support.
Congress Participation Grants
A list of opportunities for support is available on the Grants and Awards page of the WLIC website.