Small but mighty group attending August’s CLEL Meet Up on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Here are highlights of our discussion (not written by AI;)
- Does anyone have a firm grasp on AI and what it entails?
-People have an idea, but we agreed that it’s changing so fast and it’s hard to get a grasp on what exactly it entails. We CAN learn about its history and how it started. To do that there are people at the State Library that can present at your library to help you understand AL. One such person is Kieran Hixon, the Rural & Small Library Senior Consultant and Polly Gallagher, Public Library Leadership Senior Consultant Colorado State Library. There are also webinars linked below.
- How does your library use AI?
-Everyone uses it in one way or another personally, but most of the libraries at the meet up don’t actively seek out, train and offer it to their staff and/or patrons.
- Has AI changed what you were already doing in some capacity?
-In the past few years, we have all seen a significant uprise in people (especially youth) using CHATGPT. And many people are using it for communication.
- What are the ethics involved? What are the safety issues involved?
There is a lack of trust surrounding the current information surrounding AI, its impacts and sources. Note this article “Avoiding AI” Workshop,
- Do you have an AI policy? For staff? For the public?
-Many libraries are implementing AI policies. Check to make sure your library is doing so!
RESOURCES:
A Librarian’s Playbook for Agentic AI – The New York Law Institute
Navigating Now: A Practical Toolkit for Information LIteracy in the Age of AI
Workshops for You | Libraries Learn
AI Working Group – DRAFT for ALA Board Council and Members.pdf
Google NotebookLM | AI Research Tool & Thinking Partner
All courses | WebJunction Course Catalog
AI in Libraries: Get the Scoop, Beat the Fear, Make it Work for You (and Your Patrons)
