Through the Static

By Hannah Saunders

The King County Library System (KCLS) is pushing the use of AI into library operations under the pretense of helping “patrons be more self-sufficient,” according to Instagram activist, Evan Yells At Clouds, who broke the story on May 26. With distrust between library workers and leadership at its peak, staff are pushing back against AI and encouraging community members to do so alongside them, but KCLS denies any plans to use AI.

Evan said public libraries are “one of the last truly public places we have left,” and that workers are experts who hold skills that assist people with navigating the library and the world, with the humanity factor being a feature, not an “inefficiency to be solved.” Workers have informed Evan that patrons have sought out books recommended by ChatGPT, only to find those books don’t exist. He questioned whether possible additions of AI into the KCLS will eventually replace the librarians (as seen within many other occupations) and if books will be replaced with “AI slop.”

“I’ve been pushing back in every forum that I can, but we’re also so tight on staffing that a lot of us can’t attend the Town Halls where IT or leadership talk about this,” a KCLS staff member told TtS. “The divide between library branch staff and leadership is Grand Canyonish. There was an internal survey that came back with only 40% of staff trusting leadership, and they have done literally nothing about it.”

The survey results were delivered during the KCLS regional staff Day in March. The KCLS worker told TtS that the divide and mistrust is similar to that of a frontline worker and corporate leadership; they sit in office and make policy decisions while staff assist with finding books, get threatened, and have endless paperwork to conduct.

“They basically treat us like children and we have almost no transparency towards what decisions are being made. Not to mention, multiple members are known for being retaliatory,” the source said.

KCLS is governed by seven Board of Trustee members appointed by the King County Executive who are to serve no more than two consecutive five-year terms, but only five are currently serving. Board Trustee members are President Laura Valenziano; Secretary Jeffrey Guddat; Harish Kulkarni; Srini Raghavan; and Crystal Goodwin.

TtS’s source said the AI push is part of a larger move corporatizing the library system, and that staff are doing what’s within their capabilities to push back against AI, despite the overall mass distrust, and the help of the public is needed. To make a meaningful impact, the staff member said the community needs to show up to meetings, like the monthly Board of Trustees meeting, which takes place on the last Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. at 960 Newport Way NW, Issaquah, 98027.

“Come share your questions, concerns, and ideas about AI at the library. We are here to listen,” a registration page for the KCLS upcoming Artificial Intelligence Community Listening Session page stated.

The first listening session kicks off on June 1 from 6-7 p.m., with several more in the coming months. A petition to keep AI out of libraries has also popped up, with 5,355 signatures as of reporting. The petition references an email sent out to library staff that said KCLS is “exploring how AI can support KCLS’s mission for patrons and staff.”

Libraries are a community hub, and librarians are key in research, and the personal development of students. Librarians sort through data, specialize in storing archives, and provide crucial support for communities, like searching for jobs and assisting with early childhood literacy. They are also frequently safe spaces for different communities and those of different age groups.

“Given its ability to generate content previously only created via human intelligence, generative AI has also greatly impacted higher education, academic libraries, and academic research,” Brandi Hart, a librarian at the University of Colorado Boulder wrote in an essay for the American Library Association.

“AI is incapable of understanding; it cannot discern right from wrong, truth from falsehood, reality from fabrication, and other concepts that require intelligence. In fact, AI just bypasses these altogether.”

Hart said that AI quietly shapes thoughts and actions through its algorithms, resulting in the loss of autonomy. The overuse of AI for basic daily tasks that humans can accomplish, like summarizing articles, incorporating it into libraries, and using it to write daily emails achieves “no common good” for humanity, and prioritizes convenience above all else. It can impact people’s critical thinking skills and self-determination, according to Hart.

“Hence, from an AI Ethics standpoint, academic librarians should always question their use of AI and, if it is not necessary or morally beneficial, opt out of using it to help stop the erosion of human dignity and work to ensure environmental survivability,” Hart said.

KCLS’s executive director, Heidi Daniel, issued a statement after Evan broke news, and said it has no plans or decisions to offer AI tools, and that the community sessions will allow KCLS to hear people’s requests, needs, and concerns regarding AI.

“KCLS’s position on AI is straightforward. Our role is to ensure every community has access to information and resources, including about AI, so no one is left behind as this technology impacts daily life,” Hart said. “We are not advocates for AI, nor are we opposed to it. We are a library, and our job is to make sure people can learn, evaluate, and decide for themselves.”

But numerous library workers have spoken out to Evan and TtS and claim otherwise. Leftists have learned that giving in ever slightly to the technofascist state, in which the use of AI destroys the environment and profits billionaires, will quickly destroy the sanctity of libraries.

“Library workers are a critical piece of community infrastructure and libraries are the last places we should be looking for “efficiency,” or replacing human creativity, connection, and spirit with fucking chat bots,” Evan said. “AI is not intelligent, chat bots are not your fucking friends, but library workers are both.”

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