“From Books to Bots: AI Tools, Reading Practices, and Physical Books Circulation at Fulton Adventist University Library”

Abstract

This article examines changes in student information behaviour at the Fulton Adventist University Library in Fiji, with particular 
attention to the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) tools, digital research habits, and declining physical book circulation. Using a descriptive institutional case-study approach, the article analyzes library circulation figures reported for 2019–2025 and interprets them alongside current scholarship on generative AI in higher education, digital reading, print reading, cognitive offloading, and academic literacy. The article does not claim that AI tools alone caused the decline in book borrowing. Rather, it argues that AI, electronic databases, post-pandemic study patterns, assignment design, and student convenience together form a changing 
information ecology in which books, databases, and AI tools now compete for students’ attention. The findings suggest the need for a balanced institutional response: students should be taught to use AI critically while continuing to practice deep reading, source evaluation, note-taking, and sustained engagement with scholarly books and peer-reviewed literature. The article proposes practical strategies for lecturers, librarians, and academic support staff to integrate AI literacy with reading development and library engagement.