Serviço de referência de bibliotecas universitárias e inteligência artificial: usos e perspectivas

Abstract

The study analyzes the applications of artificial intelligence in the reference services of Brazilian university libraries, identifying challenges and librarians’ perceptions of this innovation. It is an exploratory and descriptive study that combines bibliographic and field research as methodological approaches. A questionnaire is used as the data collection instrument, while content analysis and simple descriptive statistics are employed as analytical techniques. A qualitative and quantitative approach is adopted to discuss the results. Contextualizes reference services by addressing their historical evolution and their progressive integration with emerging technologies, in addition to presenting the theoretical foundations of artificial intelligence and its applications in the field of librarianship. It explains that the adoption of artificial intelligence in libraries is a trend highlighted in reports from organizations such as the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and is expected to grow in the coming years. The findings indicate that Brazilian librarians already use artificial intelligence technologies, such as recommendation systems and virtual assistants, although on a smaller scale compared to the international context. However, specifically in reference services, this adoption remains even more limited. There is interest in adopting these technologies, but challenges persist, including the lack of specific training and the absence of institutional standardization. The study also notes a scarcity of case studies and experience reports on the use of artificial intelligence in reference services in Brazil, indicating the need to expand the discussion. It concludes that artificial intelligence can play an important role in transforming reference services by facilitating more agile and adaptive interactions between librarians and users in the digital era.