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WU Jianzhong / Re-discussion of ten hot topics in the development of librarianship 027

closely related with libraries. What the library and information community should do is to make
advantage of professional skills to play a role in the development of artificial intelligence instead
of merely following the trend.
In the literature review of the IFLA Trend Report classified artificial intelligence is classified
as one of four technological trends. As to effects of artificial intelligence on libraries, the report
regarded it as: next generation of web browsers to move beyond key word analysis and evaluate
the specific content of websites/pages (the semantic web); networked devices to combine speech
recognition, machine translation and speech synthesis to support real time multilingual voice
translation; and cloud based crowd sourced translation checking of webpage text (IFLA, 2017c).
Libraries can devote themselves to the following aspects. Firstly, libraries can deepen research
on natural language retrieval and explore the way to transplant and realize Library and Information
Science retrieval methods in natural language. In Dialogues: prospect of 21st Century Libraries
(edited by Wu Jianzhong and published in 1996), Professor Zhang Qiyu and Hou Hanqing
all agreed that language naturalized was the most significant characteristics and trend in the
development of modern retrieval languages. Their prediction is proven to be true. In the 1970s
and 1980s authorized language was the core of information linguistics, which is shifting to natural
language. Information linguistics can contribute to the development of artificial intelligence.
Secondly, libraries can improve abilities of intelligent analysis of content. In the 1990s, librarians
had pondered over improving reference services with the help of artificial intelligence. They
proposed that reference services should transform from bibliographical inquiry to problems
solving (Riddick, 1990). At present some artificial intelligence technologies and tools are growing
mature in intelligent analysis application. For example, Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)
and Collaborative Filtering create more opportunities for the precision of reference services. And
Semantometrics (Knoth & Herrmannova, 2014) and semantic scholars have some beneficial trials
in semantics and content correlation. Thirdly, libraries can carry out research and practice to elevate
effectiveness of library services. The Horizon Report 2017 Library Edition (2017) took artificial
intelligence as one of six technological developments in library community. Intelligent robots have
been introduced in some libraries. For example, the Westport Library (2017) in Connecticut (U.S.A)
has had robots provide information services since September, 2014. The Yamanakako Public
Library for the People’s Creativity in Minamitsuru-gun of Yamanashi-ken in Japan also had robots
as employees in September, 2015 (“The future library from the eyes of the Robot librarian called
Pepper”, 2017). These are all helpful to elevate effectiveness of libraries’ services.

5 Digital humanities

Traces of human culture kept until now are quite limited. The excavated antique libraries such as
Dunhuang are only a fragment. In the past archeology gave priority to visible things, but those
invisible things usually lead to greater discoveries such as pollen and insect eggs mixed in the soil