Chatbots

The authors discuss their experience with using artificial intelligence and chatbots to enhance their existing web sites and information services in public library settings. The chapter describes their budget driven motivations for embarking on this project and outlines the development and implementation of the bots in their library settings. They show how the bots are positioned to enhance existing services and describe the various reactions to the bots from their patron base, and staff. Different implementations of the bots are highlighted (text only, animated talking avatar, mobile site, desktop help icon) as well as the differing levels of complexity of these different implementations. They address the oft posed question “Does AI spell the end of Reference?” and describe the InfoTabby code sharing project.