Prof. Dr. Ir. Umi Laili Yuhana, S.Kom., M.Sc., CRP., Secretary of the ITS Institute (left), spoke with Eva Mursidah, S.I.Pust., an ITS librarian and host, on the ITS Library Podcast titled “The Library Is Not a Warehouse of Books, but a Warehouse of Ideas in the AI Era,” which aired on the ITS Library YouTube channel on Thursday (July 30, 2026).

Surabaya – Di tengah pesatnya perkembangan kecerdasan buatan (Artificial Intelligence/AI), muncul anggapan bahwa perpustakaan mulai kehilangan relevansinya sebagai sumber informasi. Menjawab isu tersebut, Perpustakaan Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) menghadirkan podcast bertajuk “Perpustakaan Bukan Gudang Buku, tetapi Gudang Ide di Era AI” yang disiarkan secara langsung melalui kanal YouTube Perpustakaan ITS pada Kamis (30/7/2026). Podcast ini menghadirkan Prof. Dr. Ir. Umi Laili Yuhana, S.Kom., M.Sc., CRP., Sekretaris Institut ITS, sebagai narasumber dan dipandu oleh Eva Mursidah, S.I.Pust., Pustakawan ITS, sebagai host.

Through this podcast, the ITS Library invites the academic community to view the library from a broader perspective—no longer merely as a place to store collections, but as a space capable of generating ideas, fostering collaboration, and driving innovation amid the flood of information in the age of AI.

In her presentation, Prof. Yuhana explained that AI is not a threat to libraries or humans, but rather a tool that can help speed up the process of finding information. According to her, AI is very useful for brainstorming and identifying an initial direction for information searches. However, the results provided by AI must still be verified through credible scientific sources.

“AI speeds up the process of finding information, but the final decision remains in human hands. The information provided by AI must be verified through reliable sources,” explained Prof. Yuhana.

Furthermore, Prof. Yuhana emphasized that the presence of AI actually further strengthens the role of libraries. The challenge today is no longer the difficulty of obtaining information, but rather how to ensure that the information obtained is accurate, relevant, and reliable. This is where libraries serve as centers of validation through their collections of books, scientific journals, and various trusted information sources.

One of the ideas highlighted in this podcast is the concept of the library as a repository of ideas. According to Prof. Yuhana, libraries should not merely be places for storing books, but must become spaces that bring together knowledge, technology, and people so that they can generate a variety of new ideas. To bring about this transformation, she introduced five pillars of library development: the Knowledge Hub, the Learning Hub, the Collaboration Hub, the Innovation Hub, and the AI Hub.

These five pillars illustrate the library’s role as a center of knowledge, a learning space, a hub for collaboration, a breeding ground for innovation, and a center for AI literacy. Through this concept, the library is expected to connect various stakeholders—from students and faculty to researchers and industry partners—so that the ideas generated do not remain mere concepts but can evolve into tangible solutions for society.

In addition to discussing the transformation of libraries, this podcast also highlights the importance of AI literacy in higher education. Prof. Yuhana emphasizes that students need to understand the ethics of using AI and take responsibility for any results it produces. AI can be used to aid the thought process, enrich references, and refine ideas, but users must still understand the content, verify its accuracy, and be able to take academic responsibility for it.

Toward the end of the session, Prof. Yuhana expressed her hope that the ITS Library would continue to grow as a space capable of meeting the diverse needs of the academic community—not only by providing literature, but also by serving as a place to find inspiration, build collaborations, seek solutions, and foster innovation.

“If you need anything, come to the ITS Library. Whether you’re looking for ideas, solutions to problems, innovation, learning resources, or literature, you’ll find it all at the library,” said Prof. Yuhana.

Through this podcast, the ITS Library reaffirms its commitment to continuously adapting to technological advancements while strengthening a culture of information literacy on campus. In the age of AI, the library is not only a place to seek information, but also a space where knowledge, collaboration, and innovation converge, fostering the emergence of new ideas.