Clarivate’s Alethea is a noteworthy example of how artificial intelligence (AI) can be harnessed to enhance the student experience beyond traditional academic settings. Alethea offers various features aimed at improving student support and engagement through data-driven insights.
One of the primary ways Alethea supports students outside the classroom is through its predictive analytics capabilities. By analysing historical data and current trends, Alethea helps institutions forecast student needs and challenges before they arise. For instance, the tool can predict patterns in student retention, identify at-risk students, and highlight areas where additional support may be needed. This proactive approach allows institutions to implement targeted interventions that can enhance student retention and success.
Alethea’s data analytics also extend to understanding student engagement and well-being. The tool analyses data related to student activities, participation in extracurriculars, and overall engagement. By examining this data, Alethea helps institutions identify students who may benefit from additional support or opportunities to get involved. This can lead to more personalized recommendations for extracurricular activities, support services, or academic resources, fostering a more engaging and supportive campus environment.
Some key features of the AI research coaching tool are:
Chat-Based Interaction – Alethea offers a chat-based support system where students receive guidance rather than direct answers. This approach encourages students to engage more deeply with their readings and think critically as they work through their assignments.
Blending state-of-the-art AI with solid academic principles – The tool fosters critical, systematic, and reflective thinking, providing support within an environment designed to encourage student growth and self-reliance.
Enhancing students’ interaction with course materials – Promoting class discussions and ensures students are well-prepared and actively engaged in their learning.
Another significant benefit of Alethea is its role in enhancing research opportunities for students. By analysing collaboration patterns and research interests, Alethea can identify potential research opportunities and connections that students might not otherwise discover. This can encourage students to engage in research projects, internships, and collaborative efforts, enriching their academic experience and professional development.
Zayed University Library in Dubai has recently developed Aisha, their new conversational AI agent. Initially launched as an experiment, Aisha has evolved into a powerful tool, showcasing how AI can enhance library services.
Using OpenAI’s ChatGPT API, Aisha offers 24/7 support, multilingual capabilities, and even voice interactions. Integrated into the library’s website, Aisha provides accurate, real-time assistance and interacts with users in innovative ways, including image analysis and access to external tools.
Despite challenges such as AI “hallucinations” and API limitations, Aisha has significantly improved library services.
Clarivate’s Alethea is a noteworthy example of how artificial intelligence (AI) can be harnessed to enhance the student experience beyond traditional academic settings. Alethea offers various features aimed at improving student support and engagement through data-driven insights.
One of the primary ways Alethea supports students outside the classroom is through its predictive analytics capabilities. By analysing historical data and current trends, Alethea helps institutions forecast student needs and challenges before they arise. For instance, the tool can predict patterns in student retention, identify at-risk students, and highlight areas where additional support may be needed. This proactive approach allows institutions to implement targeted interventions that can enhance student retention and success.
Alethea’s data analytics also extend to understanding student engagement and well-being. The tool analyses data related to student activities, participation in extracurriculars, and overall engagement. By examining this data, Alethea helps institutions identify students who may benefit from additional support or opportunities to get involved. This can lead to more personalized recommendations for extracurricular activities, support services, or academic resources, fostering a more engaging and supportive campus environment.
Some key features of the AI research coaching tool are:
Chat-Based Interaction – Alethea offers a chat-based support system where students receive guidance rather than direct answers. This approach encourages students to engage more deeply with their readings and think critically as they work through their assignments.
Blending state-of-the-art AI with solid academic principles – The tool fosters critical, systematic, and reflective thinking, providing support within an environment designed to encourage student growth and self-reliance.
Enhancing students’ interaction with course materials – Promoting class discussions and ensures students are well-prepared and actively engaged in their learning.
Another significant benefit of Alethea is its role in enhancing research opportunities for students. By analysing collaboration patterns and research interests, Alethea can identify potential research opportunities and connections that students might not otherwise discover. This can encourage students to engage in research projects, internships, and collaborative efforts, enriching their academic experience and professional development.
AI tools have integrated themselves into our cultural awareness and daily lives, prompting librarians to question how they can incorporate AI into their librarianship and encourage students and researchers to use tools ethically.
At Technology from Sage we believe that the right technology can remove barriers to knowledge. We’ve launched an AI in Libraries feature to round-up the latest AI developments for academic librarians.
Read on for September’s edition, collated by Rajeh Shaikh, Product Manager at Sage.
Libraries are embracing the future with AI, and the University of New Mexico’s College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences is at the forefront with its GPT-4 Exploration Program. This initiative, driven by Dean Leo S. Lo and Victoria Anderson, aims to reskill library staff, integrating AI into their daily operations to boost productivity. The program provides hands-on experience with GPT-4, starting with basic AI understanding and advancing to practical applications like drafting emails and generating reports.
Anderson’s experience highlights significant productivity gains, showcasing the potential of AI in administrative tasks. Importantly, the program also emphasizes the responsible use of AI, ensuring staff are aware of ethical considerations and data privacy. This initiative not only enhances individual efficiency but also sets a precedent for libraries worldwide, illustrating the necessity of reskilling programs in preparing staff for a future where AI is integral to library functions.
Libraries, long seen as repositories of knowledge, are now pioneering the adoption of new technologies. The GPT-4 Exploration Program is a prime example of how libraries can lead the AI revolution, equipping staff to navigate and thrive in this new technological landscape. This effort not only modernizes library operations but also ensures that the human element—enhanced by AI—remains at the core of library services, driving forward innovation and efficiency in managing information and supporting research.
Zayed University Library in Dubai has recently developed Aisha, their new conversational AI agent. Initially launched as an experiment, Aisha has evolved into a powerful tool, showcasing how AI can enhance library services.
Using OpenAI’s ChatGPT API, Aisha offers 24/7 support, multilingual capabilities, and even voice interactions. Integrated into the library’s website, Aisha provides accurate, real-time assistance and interacts with users in innovative ways, including image analysis and access to external tools.
Despite challenges such as AI “hallucinations” and API limitations, Aisha has significantly improved library services.
Clarivate’s Alethea is a noteworthy example of how artificial intelligence (AI) can be harnessed to enhance the student experience beyond traditional academic settings. Alethea offers various features aimed at improving student support and engagement through data-driven insights.
One of the primary ways Alethea supports students outside the classroom is through its predictive analytics capabilities. By analysing historical data and current trends, Alethea helps institutions forecast student needs and challenges before they arise. For instance, the tool can predict patterns in student retention, identify at-risk students, and highlight areas where additional support may be needed. This proactive approach allows institutions to implement targeted interventions that can enhance student retention and success.
Alethea’s data analytics also extend to understanding student engagement and well-being. The tool analyses data related to student activities, participation in extracurriculars, and overall engagement. By examining this data, Alethea helps institutions identify students who may benefit from additional support or opportunities to get involved. This can lead to more personalized recommendations for extracurricular activities, support services, or academic resources, fostering a more engaging and supportive campus environment.
Some key features of the AI research coaching tool are:
Chat-Based Interaction – Alethea offers a chat-based support system where students receive guidance rather than direct answers. This approach encourages students to engage more deeply with their readings and think critically as they work through their assignments.
Blending state-of-the-art AI with solid academic principles – The tool fosters critical, systematic, and reflective thinking, providing support within an environment designed to encourage student growth and self-reliance.
Enhancing students’ interaction with course materials – Promoting class discussions and ensures students are well-prepared and actively engaged in their learning.
Another significant benefit of Alethea is its role in enhancing research opportunities for students. By analysing collaboration patterns and research interests, Alethea can identify potential research opportunities and connections that students might not otherwise discover. This can encourage students to engage in research projects, internships, and collaborative efforts, enriching their academic experience and professional development.
Student Perspectives on the Academic Workflow September 3, 2024
We were delighted to have Maizie Ellis, a final year student at University of Lincoln, join us over summer 2023 as a student intern in our Product department. Whilst working with us, Maizie conducted research on the ways in which students approach their coursework and compiled these findings into a report. Maizie’s work complements and expands on some of the findings from our second Librarian Futures report, further developing our understanding of key themes around resource discovery, academic skills, and training and engagement.
This project explores Maizie’s work and examines where this new data fits in with our Librarian Futures series. Matthew Weldon (Library Patron Consultant at Technology from Sage) offers his thoughts on some of the key insights from our data.
Download the findings of the project here: Student Perspectives on the Academic Workflow.
Celebrating Innovations: Meet the Winners of the 2024 Technology from Sage Innovators Award September 3, 2024
Librarian: Sonali Sugrim, Queens College, CUNY
Overview: The Electronic Resources Status Dashboard was developed using Springshare’s System Status Management system to communicate changes efficiently. Updates are shared via email, MS Teams, and the dashboard, benefiting both internal and external users. It links to library pages, informing users about resource changes promptly. Explore it here: Electronic Resources Status Dashboard.
Read on for our interviews with the 2024 winning projects…
Rebecca Y. Bayeck: Winning the award was a great encouragement and also a validation of the importance of this initiative. I started this project in 2020 with the goal of advancing AI literacies among archivists. The initial support for this initiative came from the Council on Library and information Resources (CLIR). This award serves as another grant that will help to continue this initiative, which big perspective is democratizing AI so many, and particularly archivists can have a seat and a say at the table where AI tools are being developed, and even after they get developed and deployed.
Rebecca Y. Bayeck: As of now, the plan is to use the prize to expand this project by developing collaboration with other scholars and experts in this area. I think such collaboration with increase the impact of this project.
Jill Locascio: I am honored and grateful to be named a finalist for the Technology from Sage Innovators Award. As a librarian who primarily works with systems and eresources, I dedicate a lot of my time to the development and implementation of creative, practical, low-to-no cost solutions to address our library’s evolving needs. It has been extremely encouraging to discover that my approach to creating a Library Data Dashboard may be useful to others in a similar position.
Jill Locascio: Working on the Data Dashboard not only provided me the opportunity to solve an issue facing our library, it also provided me a hands-on opportunity to develop coding skills. Doing so has opened a floodgate of ideas for potential projects which will use code to improve workflows and library services. I plan to use the prize money to take professional development courses that will help continue my growth as a coder, enabling me to implement and share new innovations.
Sonali Sugrim: I’m very pleased to have been selected as a finalist for the Technology from Sage Innovators Award. It means a lot to me and the work I do. As an E-Resources Librarian, I’m always looking for ways to improve access and discovery while meeting the needs of our users and this award has helped me highlight the work I have done and engage with other professionals on how to improve and engage users.
Sonali Sugrim: I’m no longer at the institution where I implemented this feature. I hope to discuss and implement the same feature or variant feature at my current institution. If this feature may not be top priority at my current institution then I plan to use the prize money to advance my learning of various coding or software technologies to help me improve the way I approach some of my responsibilities.
Congratulations again to the 2024 winners of the Technology from Sage Innovators Award! Have you spotted any exciting technological innovations in librarianship or Higher Education? Give these innovations a shout out on X and LinkedIn.
Librarian: Jill Locascio, SUNY College of Optometry
Overview: The SUNY College of Optometry utilized Google Colab to execute a Python script that imports data from Alma Analytics into a Google Sheet via Alma’s Analytics API, which is then used to create self-updating visualizations that can be embedded on a web page, allowing librarians to build their own library data dashboard. This allows librarians to share their data to a wide audience in a clear and concise manner.
Librarian: Sonali Sugrim, Queens College, CUNY
Overview: The Electronic Resources Status Dashboard was developed using Springshare’s System Status Management system to communicate changes efficiently. Updates are shared via email, MS Teams, and the dashboard, benefiting both internal and external users. It links to library pages, informing users about resource changes promptly. Explore it here: Electronic Resources Status Dashboard.
Read on for our interviews with the 2024 winning projects…
Rebecca Y. Bayeck: Winning the award was a great encouragement and also a validation of the importance of this initiative. I started this project in 2020 with the goal of advancing AI literacies among archivists. The initial support for this initiative came from the Council on Library and information Resources (CLIR). This award serves as another grant that will help to continue this initiative, which big perspective is democratizing AI so many, and particularly archivists can have a seat and a say at the table where AI tools are being developed, and even after they get developed and deployed.
Rebecca Y. Bayeck: As of now, the plan is to use the prize to expand this project by developing collaboration with other scholars and experts in this area. I think such collaboration with increase the impact of this project.
Jill Locascio: I am honored and grateful to be named a finalist for the Technology from Sage Innovators Award. As a librarian who primarily works with systems and eresources, I dedicate a lot of my time to the development and implementation of creative, practical, low-to-no cost solutions to address our library’s evolving needs. It has been extremely encouraging to discover that my approach to creating a Library Data Dashboard may be useful to others in a similar position.
Jill Locascio: Working on the Data Dashboard not only provided me the opportunity to solve an issue facing our library, it also provided me a hands-on opportunity to develop coding skills. Doing so has opened a floodgate of ideas for potential projects which will use code to improve workflows and library services. I plan to use the prize money to take professional development courses that will help continue my growth as a coder, enabling me to implement and share new innovations.
Sonali Sugrim: I’m very pleased to have been selected as a finalist for the Technology from Sage Innovators Award. It means a lot to me and the work I do. As an E-Resources Librarian, I’m always looking for ways to improve access and discovery while meeting the needs of our users and this award has helped me highlight the work I have done and engage with other professionals on how to improve and engage users.
Sonali Sugrim: I’m no longer at the institution where I implemented this feature. I hope to discuss and implement the same feature or variant feature at my current institution. If this feature may not be top priority at my current institution then I plan to use the prize money to advance my learning of various coding or software technologies to help me improve the way I approach some of my responsibilities.
Congratulations again to the 2024 winners of the Technology from Sage Innovators Award! Have you spotted any exciting technological innovations in librarianship or Higher Education? Give these innovations a shout out on X and LinkedIn.
At Technology from Sage we believe that the right technology can remove barriers to knowledge. That’s why, back in 2022, we launched the Technology from Sage Innovators Award in partnership with ER&L.
The award commends examples of technological innovations in e-resources librarianship, especially in support of pedagogy and/or research workflows across university libraries. The winning innovator received a $2,000 prize, with an additional $500 award to 2nd and 3rd place, to be used to advance future technological innovations and/or professional development.
We’re proud that the Award has been running for three years, and you can read about the prior Award winners here. Find out what winning the award meant to them, and their plans for the cash prize.
Librarian: Rebecca Y. Bayeck, Utah State University
Overview: HAIRA is a platform educating archivists about AI’s role in archives, stemming from prior research. It emerged from a popular webinar series, highlighting the demand for AI education. With funding from CLIR, it offers a website and introductory course, attracting 300 participants in its first module. HAIRA aims to foster AI literacy among professionals at all career stages.
Librarian: Jill Locascio, SUNY College of Optometry
Overview: The SUNY College of Optometry utilized Google Colab to execute a Python script that imports data from Alma Analytics into a Google Sheet via Alma’s Analytics API, which is then used to create self-updating visualizations that can be embedded on a web page, allowing librarians to build their own library data dashboard. This allows librarians to share their data to a wide audience in a clear and concise manner.
Librarian: Sonali Sugrim, Queens College, CUNY
Overview: The Electronic Resources Status Dashboard was developed using Springshare’s System Status Management system to communicate changes efficiently. Updates are shared via email, MS Teams, and the dashboard, benefiting both internal and external users. It links to library pages, informing users about resource changes promptly. Explore it here: Electronic Resources Status Dashboard.
Read on for our interviews with the 2024 winning projects…
Rebecca Y. Bayeck: Winning the award was a great encouragement and also a validation of the importance of this initiative. I started this project in 2020 with the goal of advancing AI literacies among archivists. The initial support for this initiative came from the Council on Library and information Resources (CLIR). This award serves as another grant that will help to continue this initiative, which big perspective is democratizing AI so many, and particularly archivists can have a seat and a say at the table where AI tools are being developed, and even after they get developed and deployed.
Rebecca Y. Bayeck: As of now, the plan is to use the prize to expand this project by developing collaboration with other scholars and experts in this area. I think such collaboration with increase the impact of this project.
Jill Locascio: I am honored and grateful to be named a finalist for the Technology from Sage Innovators Award. As a librarian who primarily works with systems and eresources, I dedicate a lot of my time to the development and implementation of creative, practical, low-to-no cost solutions to address our library’s evolving needs. It has been extremely encouraging to discover that my approach to creating a Library Data Dashboard may be useful to others in a similar position.
Jill Locascio: Working on the Data Dashboard not only provided me the opportunity to solve an issue facing our library, it also provided me a hands-on opportunity to develop coding skills. Doing so has opened a floodgate of ideas for potential projects which will use code to improve workflows and library services. I plan to use the prize money to take professional development courses that will help continue my growth as a coder, enabling me to implement and share new innovations.
Sonali Sugrim: I’m very pleased to have been selected as a finalist for the Technology from Sage Innovators Award. It means a lot to me and the work I do. As an E-Resources Librarian, I’m always looking for ways to improve access and discovery while meeting the needs of our users and this award has helped me highlight the work I have done and engage with other professionals on how to improve and engage users.
Sonali Sugrim: I’m no longer at the institution where I implemented this feature. I hope to discuss and implement the same feature or variant feature at my current institution. If this feature may not be top priority at my current institution then I plan to use the prize money to advance my learning of various coding or software technologies to help me improve the way I approach some of my responsibilities.
Congratulations again to the 2024 winners of the Technology from Sage Innovators Award! Have you spotted any exciting technological innovations in librarianship or Higher Education? Give these innovations a shout out on X and LinkedIn.
What we Learned from Harnessing the Power of Collaboration September 3, 2024Back in April we hosted a roundtable discussion, in partnership with OpenAthens, to explore how academic librarians and IT professionals can work together and meet emerging challenges for patrons head on. Our panel consisted of:
Matthew Weldon, Library Patron Consultant, Technology from Sage
Adam Snook, Technical Consultant, OpenAthens
Craig Amos, Associate Dean of Library Access and Delivery, Broward College
Emma Adamson, Director of Learning Services, University of South Wales
In case you missed the discussion, you can catch up below:
Read on to discover our 9 key takeaways from the roundtable discussion with our panel:
Speakers emphasized that librarians and IT professionals working together can help overcome challenges such as upskilling and institutional barriers, leading to more effective and innovative solutions in higher education.
“The end result was that we achieved more by doing it together than by working separately. So that’s my view, it doesn’t mean it’s always easy. And I think there’s recognition that sometimes there may be competing priorities, and, and different sort of understanding around what the challenges and the solutions are.” – Emma Adamson
The discussion highlighted that while 53% of librarians feel somewhat competent in advising patrons on AI, there is a significant need for further upskilling. The third Librarian Futures report revealed that many librarians are less confident in their ability to answer questions on generative AI, indicating a gap in knowledge that needs to be addressed.
Despite the acknowledged benefits of collaboration, only 14% of institutions report daily or weekly collaboration between librarians and IT professionals. This statistic underscores the need for more structured and frequent communication channels between these departments.
Librarians face several barriers to upskilling, including a lack of time and resources. Additionally, the third Librarian Futures report pointed out that IT departments are often not involved in librarians’ skill development, which creates a gap that needs bridging for more cohesive growth and technological competences.
“I know that AI is the huge buzzword that comes up every single webinar and every single event these days, but there were things beyond that as well that I thought were worth drawing attention to here. There are challenges in the way of librarians looking to upskill themselves, we found that there was a real appetite for upskilling and for development.” – Matthew Weldon
The webinar showcased successful collaboration models, such as the implementation of single sign-on (SSO) systems. These systems have made it significantly easier for students to access library resources, demonstrating the practical benefits of effective collaboration between IT and library teams.
“When we onboarded with OpenAthens, we worked with the systems office with the state consortium, but our IT team were heroic, and they made us a priority. And we worked with our networking team, and we’re able to get directly under the secure single sign on for the institution.” – Craig Amos
One notable example of successful collaboration is the partnership between higher education institutions in Wales and the National Health Service. Together, they developed a cloud-hosted library management system that saved money and enabled open research access, showcasing the power of cross-institutional collaboration.
Executive leadership buy-in is critical for the success of collaborative projects. The speakers highlighted the importance of having librarians involved in decision-making processes and explaining their roles clearly to other departments to foster understanding and support.
The integration of AI in academic research requires a collaborative approach. IT and library professionals need to work together to address AI concerns, ensuring quality assurance and ownership of work. The speakers stressed that no single department has a monopoly on AI skills, making inter-departmental collaboration essential.
The shift towards hybrid and online courses is transforming how libraries deliver information. The speakers discussed the need for agility and understanding emerging needs as technology evolves. Tools like SpringShare were praised for allowing libraries to access various resources affordably, highlighting the need for flexible and adaptive library services.
“Modern librarianship is often now getting even more technical than ever with a lot of systems librarians out there, not just whatever the traditional librarian is. I think going back to the danger, different people, different teams generally have different goals. That’s inevitable that there’s going to be different strategies. But I think it’s by communicating with one another understanding each other’s different goals, you can see where things align, and also try and avoid where they clash.” – Adam Snook
Our roundtable discussion highlighted the critical role of collaboration between librarians and IT professionals in navigating the future of higher education. By addressing barriers to upskilling, leveraging executive leadership, and embracing innovative solutions, institutions can enhance their library services and better support their academic communities.
Congratulations to our Library of the Month, University of Phoenix! September 3, 2024Launching this September, each month we will select a Library of the Month. We are honouring libraries who have been using our library technologies in interesting and innovative ways, from creating well-curated reading lists with Talis Aspire to encouraging uptake of the Lean Library browser extension amongst their students. We are also appreciating the intensive work of librarians in curating these technologies and improving learning outcomes for their students.
The winning library will be awarded a prize to share amongst their team or a donation to a charity of their choice as a way for us to say thank you.
University of Phoenix is an online college that is accredited and has degrees that align to careers. We love working with University of Phoenix and awarded them our inaugural Library of the Month Award for September, as they are a great advocate of Lean Library! The library also has an engaging and creative social media presence – we love their ‘Keeping up with the Librarians’ series. We admire their ability to promote their library in an innovative way.
We asked PJ Purchase MLIS, MBA, MSDS, University Librarian and Director of University Library, at the University of Phoenix to tell us more about the university library and what winning Library of the Month meant to them:
“The University of Phoenix Library is a fully digital library serving students worldwide. By utilizing advanced technology, we connect users with a vast array of information and resources, no matter where our students are located. Our commitment to continuously improving the library experience drives us to eliminate barriers and ensure that all our constituents have equitable access to the information they need.
We recognize that this work would not be possible without the innovative support and cutting-edge tools provided by our partners. Their contributions enable us to push the boundaries of what a digital library can achieve, making our services more efficient, user-friendly, and comprehensive.
We are honored to be recognized as the Library of the Month by Technology from Sage. This prestigious award is a testament to the strength of our partnership and our relentless drive to serve our community with excellence.” – PJ Purchase, University of Phoenix.
As University of Phoenix are a fully digital library, this is the view of the library students and researchers will experience.
Could your library be next?
Join us next month to see who’s won.
