Better Questions

Librarians, AI, and the Ethics We Didn't Plan For

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/palrap.2026.328

Abstract

As artificial intelligence reshapes the information landscape, library and information professionals face a growing tension between their dual obligations to protect intellectual property and provide broad access to knowledge. This essay examines that tension through the lens of Bartz v. Anthropic (2025), a landmark case in which a federal court ruled that using copyrighted works to train large language models constitutes fair use when those materials were legally obtained while simultaneously finding that materials acquired from shadow libraries do not enjoy the same protection. Drawing on the ethical frameworks of the American Library Association and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, this essay argues that AI has not created new ethical dilemmas for the profession so much as it has intensified existing ones, exposing the limits of professional codes written before the age of generative AI. Rather than offering resolution, this essay proposes that the most valuable contribution information professionals can make at this moment is a commitment to open, transparent dialogue and a willingness to ask better questions, even in the absence of clear answers.

Author Biography

Sylvia Orner, University of Scranton

Sylvia Orner is an assistant professor and Collections and Resource Management Librarian at the University of Scranton's Weinberg Memorial Library.

References

(Federal District Court) Bartz v. Anthropic PBC. 3.24-cv-05417, (N.D. Cal. filed Aug.19, 2024). https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69058235/bartz-v-anthropic-pbc/

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Published

2026-05-21

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 1 (2026): Pennsylvania Libraries Research & Practice

Section

Commentary

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Sylvia Orner

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Revised 7/21/2020. Revision Description: Updated to APA 7th style.