Public libraries across the nation are grappling with an unprecedented challenge as artificial intelligence (AI) generated books flood their digital shelves, threatening the quality of their collections and straining their budgets.
The issue primarily affects major digital lending platforms OverDrive and Hoopla, which provide ebook services to public libraries. While OverDrive allows libraries to carefully select their digital collections, Hoopla's model grants unrestricted access to its entire catalog, making it particularly vulnerable to AI-generated content.
"If you're going to say, 'we have 15,000 ebooks on our platform,' and 5,000 of those are low quality, AI generated or stuff that's just put on there without any kind of oversight or selection criteria being followed, what are you actually offering to us?" questions Luca Bartlomiejczyk, a librarian at Edith Wheeler Memorial Library in Monroe, Connecticut.
The problem extends beyond mere volume. Publishers specializing in "vendor slurry" - low-quality, mass-produced content - are utilizing AI tools to generate book summaries and derivative works at an unprecedented scale. For instance, IRB Media has placed hundreds of AI-generated book summaries on Hoopla's platform.
This flood of artificial content creates multiple challenges for libraries. Readers searching for specific titles may unknowingly download AI-generated summaries instead of original works. Libraries pay for each borrowed item, meaning taxpayer money is being spent on potentially worthless content.
Previous attempts to address content quality issues have shown the limitations of both human and algorithmic review systems. Two years ago, when confronted about books promoting hate speech, Hoopla acknowledged that their screening processes had failed to catch problematic content.
While no one advocates for completely banning AI-generated books, librarians are calling for better content labeling and increased accountability from digital lending platforms. As AI technology continues to advance, the challenge of maintaining library collection quality while embracing digital innovation remains a pressing concern for the industry.