Libby’s library app adds an AI discovery feature, and not everyone is thrilled

Library e-book and audiobook app Libby is adding AI, much to the disappointment of some readers and librarians, who would prefer not to have AI inserted into their favorite apps. The new feature, “Inspire Me,” allows users to get book recommendations by using prompts or from their previously saved titles in Libby.

To use the feature, readers tap on the “Inspire Me” options on Libby’s home page, where they can ask for fiction or nonfiction, then narrow down the suggestions by other factors, like age range, type of content, and more. For instance, you might tap on suggestions like “spine-tingling” or “amusing,” then on particular scenarios, such as “dark humor about modern family dysfunction” or “time travelers rescue dragons from medieval knights.”

The app will then display five relevant titles that match the requested inspiration.

Overdrive, the company that makes the Libby app, says the feature relies on each library’s digital collection, so it will point to books the library offers. It also prioritizes titles that are immediately available to borrow.

While a fairly basic use case for AI, some Libby users and librarians are pushing back at the addition via posts on social media sites, saying they’d prefer to get book recommendations without the use of AI technology. Others are worried about the potential privacy issues that come with some AI experiences.

Overdrive, however, clarifies in a policy document about Libby’s use of AI that it avoids collecting “inessential personal information,” and when it does use your personal information, it’s not shared with third parties or artificial intelligence models. The company also says that users’ details and activity aren’t shared with the AI model.

Plus, if you share one of your saved tags with the AI to get suggestions, it doesn’t receive any details about you, your device, or the name or description of your tag — it only gets the titles to use for recommendations.

Perhaps expecting some pushback against the new addition, Overdrive stressed in its announcement that its goal was not to replace “human insight” with a generative AI feature. Rather, it says the feature could be used to “complement” librarian-led discovery.

“Inspire Me uses responsible AI integration to help patrons dive deeper into the incredible catalogs their local libraries have curated,” Jen Leitman, OverDrive’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “By surfacing titles that align with what readers are searching for, Inspire Me helps patrons discover more of the books their libraries have already invested in. It’s not about replacing human insight, it’s about making discovery easier, smarter, and more intuitive,” she noted.

The company soft-launched the feature earlier this month, allowing users to search for “#InspireMe” in Libby’s app to gain access. Now officially announced and rolling out, all Libby users should expect to gain access to the feature in September.