The 2024 Sino-Foreign Joint Venture University Library Annual Conference was successfully held from November 14 to 16 at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou). The conference gathered professional librarians from Sino-Foreign Joint Venture Universities to exchange ideas and discuss the integration of AI technologies into diverse library services. Ten librarians and staff members from the Duke Kunshan University (DKU) Library attended the conference, and five of them shared their insights and practices under the conference theme “AI & I: Share Your Story”.
Xue Qiu, Senior Coordinator for Outreach and Learning Resources Management, shared strategies for managing and integrating textbook services to support 2,000 students and faculty. Special resources, such as music scores, and integrated platforms like MyLab within Canvas were discussed. The presentation also highlighted future initiatives, including AI chatbots to further support the academic community.
Dr. Andrew Lee, Research and Instruction Librarian, discussed adapting the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) to align with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles. This approach aims to foster a more inclusive cataloging system that serves diverse user needs. His talk emphasized the importance of updating controlled vocabulary systems to promote equitable access to information.
Mengjie Zou and Hongyi Gong, Research and Instruction Librarians, presented a study comparing AI-driven literature search tools and traditional literature search methods, focusing on AI tools like Scite, Consensus, Elicit, and Perplexity. Feedback from trained DKU research fellows and graduate students suggested that AI tools could enhance literature search effectiveness for introductory topics, but traditional research methods are still powerful in terms of in-depth research. The study’s results prompted lively discussions among conference attendees on the potential of AI in research.
Dr. Helen (Hong) Xu, University Librarian at DKU, took part in a panel discussion with four other library administrators regarding “Enhancing Library Services Through AI: Transforming User Experience and Access to Information”. The panel members exchanged their experiences with implementing AI and offered viewpoints on how AI innovations are altering user interactions with services and the acquisition of library resources.
The next Sino-Foreign Joint Venture University Library Annual Conference will be hosted by Wenzhou-Kean University. We look forward to further contributing to the development of library services in the future.
