China leads library AI adoption, says Clarivate report
Mainland Chinese libraries are adopting artificial intelligence at a faster rate than their counterparts elsewhere in the world, according to research from Clarivate.
The company’s Pulse of the Library 2026 report found that 28% of respondents in Mainland China reported moderate to active AI implementation. This is more than double the level recorded in 2024 and compares with 16% globally.
Now in its third year, the global survey examines how libraries are responding to technological change, changing priorities and growing demands on staff and resources. Clarivate said the findings point to an emerging divide between libraries moving beyond experimentation with AI and those that remain in the earliest stages of adoption.
Governance appears to be one factor separating the two groups. Among libraries actively implementing AI, 51% operate under joint library and IT governance, compared with 26% across the overall sample.
The findings suggest that closer collaboration between libraries and institutional IT teams could play an important role as organisations move from experimentation towards more established uses of AI.
Oren Beit-Arie, Senior Vice President, Strategy & Innovation, Academia & Government at Clarivate, said: “For libraries, AI marks a continuous shift along with a set of hard choices about when to adopt, when to hold back and how to protect academic integrity and library core values. What stands out in this year’s research are the differences between libraries choosing to experiment, learn and build confidence with AI and those taking a wait-and-see approach, whether by choice or because resources are limited.”
Productivity emerges as key AI objective
Staff productivity is becoming one of the principal motivations for libraries exploring AI. Some 58% of respondents identified improving staff productivity as a primary goal for their AI initiatives, as institutions contend with increasing workloads and expanding responsibilities.
Academic libraries continue to place a strong emphasis on supporting student learning, but the survey also identified growing interest in using AI to deliver operational efficiencies.
At the same time, greater adoption does not necessarily mean fewer concerns about the technology. Privacy and security, misinformation and bias in AI outputs emerged among librarians’ leading concerns.
Libraries already pursuing AI implementation frequently reported more concerns than non-adopters, which Clarivate said could indicate that greater experience with the technology increases awareness of both its risks and potential benefits.
Wider pressures on libraries
AI is only one of a number of issues competing for libraries’ attention. Respondents also highlighted challenges surrounding open science, open educational resources, library funding, research support and changing user needs.
Clarivate said the findings illustrate the pressures facing a sector attempting to accommodate technological change while continuing to support teaching, learning and research.
The Pulse of the Library 2026 report includes guidance intended to help libraries assess potential AI applications, manage associated risks and progress from experimentation towards responsible implementation.
The survey was conducted online in partnership with Library Journal and promoted to academic, public and national libraries worldwide. It was available in English, Mandarin, Korean and Japanese.
Data analysis was carried out in partnership with TBI Communications, while Clarivate conducted additional qualitative interviews.
The full Pulse of the Library 2026 report is available from Clarivate, with the survey demographics and quantitative dataset also published separately on Zenodo.