Amid the rapid rise of artificial intelligence that is transforming the way people access and manage knowledge, the Librarians’ Forum of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) held a national webinar titled “The Future of Library: Human, Machine, and Knowledge” on Wednesday (October 29). The event served as a reflective forum on the future of libraries in the era of human–machine synergy, engaging hundreds of librarians, academics, and information professionals from across Indonesia.
The UGM Librarians Forum serves as a platform for collaboration and professional development among librarians within Universitas Gadjah Mada. It functions as a space for sharing knowledge, experiences, and innovations in
the field of librarianship. Through various activities such as seminars, training sessions, and webinars, the UGM Librarians Forum strives to strengthen the capacity of librarians as strategic partners in the academic and research ecosystem.
The webinar, conducted via Zoom Meeting, attracted 398 participants from various institutions nationwide. The event was officially opened by Maniso Mustar, S.I.Pust., Chair of the UGM Librarians’ Forum, who emphasized the need for libraries to remain a space of wisdom amid the tide of digital automation. “A library is not merely a place to store books, but a space where humans and machines must work together to shape the future of knowledge,” he said in his opening remarks.
Two keynote speakers, Arif Surachman, S.IP., MBA (Head of UGM Library and Archives) and Luluk Tri Wulandari, S.S., M.Hum. (Head of the University of Indonesia Library), took center stage in the session moderated by Lilik Kurniawati Uswah, S.E., M.Si.
Arif presented a paper titled “The Future of Academic Libraries: Empowering Knowledge Through Human–Machine Synergy,” highlighting the crucial balance between human intelligence and machine learning in managing academic knowledge. He stressed that technology can never replace human wisdom in the pursuit of truth. “Technology will continue to evolve, but the role of librarians as guardians of knowledge and ethical values will never be replaced,” Arif asserted.
Meanwhile, Luluk Tri Wulandari, in her presentation “The Future of Library: Human, Machine, and Knowledge (Library Perception),” shared how the University of Indonesia has integrated artificial intelligence into its academic services. She underscored the importance of librarians mastering the DIKW framework (Data–Information–Knowledge–Wisdom) to transform raw data into institutional insight and wisdom. “Today’s librarians are no longer just collection managers — they are data curators, user experience designers, and digital literacy educators,” she explained.
The discussion grew lively as participants from various institutions raised questions on current issues surrounding AI implementation in libraries — from the concern over losing the human touch in services, the challenge of maintaining scholarly integrity amid the abundance of machine-generated information, to strategies for building ethical digital literacy within academic communities. The atmosphere became both warm and reflective as the speakers responded with grounded and practical perspectives, reaffirming that behind every technological advancement lies the irreplaceable role of librarians as stewards of knowledge and human values.
This event also reflects the commitment of UGM Library and Archives to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG
17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Through this webinar, UGM promotes digital literacy and technological competence among librarians (SDG 4), strengthens the role of libraries as centers of innovation and digital transformation within academia (SDG 9), and fosters collaboration among librarians, academics, and professional partners (SDG 17).
The national webinar reaffirmed one essential message: amid the sophistication of artificial intelligence, human wisdom remains the cornerstone of building the future of knowledge.
Contributor: Wasilatul Baroroh