“Through the looking glass: envisioning new library technologies” AI is changing what photography means for libraries

Purpose The purpose of this column is to interrogate what it means for photographs as practical storehouses of data, how that interacts with society’s understanding of photography and what all of this may mean for the role of libraries as they relate to photographs. Design/methodology/approach A new generation of camera technology, integrated into phones, is being released. This column examines the implications for society at large, adding libraries in particular. Findings Once it is easy to do dramatic photo manipulation on the device that takes the photos, it will change how users think about photos. This has implications for how libraries plan information literacy, advocate for their users in the creation of standards and manage their collections. Originality/value This column will help information professionals think through the implications of this change for the future of the profession.