An international conference at Dhaka University sent a clear and simple message: librarians need to learn how to use artificial intelligence so they can keep helping readers and researchers. Education Adviser Dr. C.R. Abrar told the audience that AI skills are no longer optional and that library staff who learn new tools will be the ones to shape the future of information services. The event, called “Reimagining Librarianship: Forging the Future with AI Technologies,” focused on practical ways libraries can use AI to improve searching, organising collections, and helping people find trusted information. Speakers showed that basic AI tools can save staff time by sorting records, suggesting useful materials, and making answers easier to find, and they said these tools work best when people are trained and supported. The conference also looked at real concerns, such as keeping user privacy safe and checking that AI does not give wrong or biased results, and it offered simple steps libraries can take to test AI in small projects first. Participants heard from researchers from other countries and a former president of a major library association, and this helped everyone see how other libraries are trying new ideas. Planners urged universities, library leaders, and tech partners to run short training programmes so librarians can practise cataloguing, summarising texts, and answering common questions with AI tools in a safe setting. Attendees left with a hopeful plan: start with pilot projects, watch what works, fix problems, and then roll out successful tools more widely. The talks highlighted new opportunities too, such as creating easy digital guides, helping students in faraway places, and making library collections more searchable for people with different needs. Many librarians said they felt encouraged rather than worried after the sessions, because the message was practical and focused on learning, not on fear. The overall tone was positive: AI can be a helpful partner when staff get training, leaders set clear rules, and libraries keep a focus on reliable service and user rights. The conference closed with a call to action to make AI a part of everyday library work in ways that improve access to knowledge and support learning, and organisers said steady training, simple pilot projects, and international cooperation will help libraries stay central to community learning in a fast-changing world.
