PRESENTATION
Presentation Title:
Reimagining Libraries for an Inclusive and Digital Tomorrow
Presenter:
Professor Tina Du, Dr Katherine Howard
Date:
Thursday 14 May 2026 | 2:30pm – 3:00pm
Presentation Description:
In an era of unprecedented technological change, libraries are at a pivotal crossroads. This presentation will explore how digital technologies, particularly generative artificial intelligence (AI), are fundamentally reshaping libraries as inclusive, accessible, AI-ready, and trusted public institutions (Cox, Pinfield, & Rutter, 2019; Balnaves et al., 2025). The session will offer a forward-looking discussion on the professional, practical, and ethical challenges, as well as opportunities, that digital transformation presents across the library sector.
Grounded in the vision of libraries not as passive recipients of technological change, but as proactive leaders in shaping a more equitable and digitally literate society, this presentation will conclude with a dynamic Q&A that invites the audience to join this vital conversation and collectively chart a path for the library of tomorrow.
References
Balnaves, E., Bultrini, L., Cox, A., & Uzwyshyn, R. (2025). New horizons in artificial intelligence in libraries. De Gruyter Saur. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111336435
Cox, A. M., Pinfield, S., & Rutter, S. (2019). The intelligent library: Thought leaders’ views on the likely impact of artificial intelligence on academic libraries. Library Hi Tech, 37(3), 418–435. https://doi.org/10.1108/LHT-08-2018-0105
Professor Tina Du
Head of School at the School of Information and Communication Studies and a full Professor of Information Sciences at Charles Sturt University
Presenter Bio
Professor Tina Du is Head of School at the School of Information and Communication Studies and a full Professor of Information Sciences at Charles Sturt University in New South Wales, Australia. Prior to this, she was a Professorial Lead at the University of South Australia.
Tina’s research interests are interdisciplinary in nature, exploring user-technology interactions, community engagement, information journey, emerging technologies and social impacts, and data governance and privacy. Her research work has been supported by national and international competitive research grants, attracted more than $1.9M in the Australian Research Council, and government and industry research funding, and yielded more than 140 publications. She has supervised 22 PhD students and 8 postdocs and research assistants.
Dr Katherine Howard
Digital Research Analyst, Intersect Australasia and Researcher, Charles Sturt University