Operationalizing AI literacy: A checklist-based action framework for academic libraries

With the increasing use of AI-embedded tools, especially generative AI tools in higher education and other domains, AI literacy has become an important concept. For academic libraries, AI literacy as a concept is an extension of their traditional roles in information literacy and digital literacy. Many studies attempted to conceptualize AI literacy through defining it, building frameworks for evaluation and assessments, while resources such as institutional regulations and policy developments served as guiding resources. An academic library’s role in this context is multidimensional: from integrating AI into their workflows and services, upskilling themselves, educating users, and acting as advocates of ethical AI use. The paper attempts to develop a checklist in this direction as an action-focused tool, aimed at serving libraries in planning, implementing and reviewing libraries toward the AI literacy initiative.