Libraries and AI

Libraries and AI:
Building a Framework for Evaluation and Integration
A Library 2.0 Webinar with Steve Hargadon

OVERVIEW: 

We are at a historic turning point for libraries, where artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a transformative tool that can redefine how they operate and engage with their communities. From automating repetitive tasks like cataloging to personalizing patron experiences with tailored recommendations, AI offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance efficiency, creativity, and accessibility. For libraries—trusted institutions at the heart of knowledge dissemination—this moment demands a strategic approach to harness AI’s potential while preserving core values of equity, access, and intellectual freedom. Yet, integrating AI is not without challenges: ethical concerns like bias and privacy, technical barriers such as legacy system compatibility, and organizational hurdles like staff training and resistance to change. With 68% of libraries planning AI integration but prioritizing ethics (Library Journal, 2025), now is a critical time to evaluate carefully and then plan for thoughtful implementation.

This 90-minute online event is designed for library management and staff seeking to explore the challenges and opportunities AI presents, highlighting critical areas for consideration, and outlining strategies for informed decision-making while navigating the transformative potential of AI in libraries. We will explore a foundational understanding of the key questions to ask and the range of possible answers when considering AI adoption. Rather than prescribing specific solutions, this event will equip attendees with the tools to develop their own AI integration frameworks tailored to their library’s unique needs. We anticipate an active chat dialog and sharing between participants, and the chat log will be included with the recording following the event.

The outline below draws on insights from recent discussions in the library community, and the results of the event's associated survey will be shared and discussed. Whether you’re from a public, academic, or special library, we hope this webinar will provide a clear starting point for addressing AI’s role in your institution.

AGENDA:

This event should help library leaders and staff:

  • Gain a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities AI presents for libraries.
  • Understand the specific key challenges AI poses for libraries and why proactive planning is essential in this transformative era.
  • Identify the critical questions to ask for key areas—ethical, technical, human, policy, and literacy-related—that shape AI adoption for information services.
  • Build practical decision-making strategies for your library’s AI framework.
  • Think about how AI can enhance community engagement, from personalized recommendations to innovative outreach, while addressing patron concerns about automation.
  • Empower your library to lead in patron AI literacy, equipping communities to critically evaluate AI-generated information in an era of rapid technological change.
  • Explore decision-making strategies to create a tailored AI framework that leverages AI’s revolutionary potential.
  • Leave equipped to foster discussions and assign roles for AI evaluation and integration in your institution.

Introduction: Why AI Matters for Libraries

  • Brief overview of AI’s potential to transform library services, such as programming (e.g., event brainstorming), communication (e.g., drafting newsletters), and patron engagement (e.g., personalized recommendations).
  • Discussion of why libraries must address AI now: balancing innovation with ethical responsibilities, meeting evolving patron expectations, and optimizing limited resources.
  • Key challenges: ethical (bias, privacy), technical (legacy systems), human (skills gaps, resistance), policy (compliance), and literacy (patron education).

Exploring Key Areas for AI Evaluation and Integration

  • Ethical Considerations
  • Technical Integration
  • Human and Organizational Factors
  • Policy and Legal Needs
  • Information Literacy
  • Community Engagement and Outreach

Decision-Making Strategies for AI Evaluation and Integration

  • Tasking Specific Individuals
  • Creating an Internal Team
  • Soliciting Outside Help or Consultation:

Community Discussion in the Chat and Closing

DATE: Friday, June 20, 2025 at 2:00 - 3:30 pm US - Eastern Time

COST:

  • FREE - includes any-time access to the recording, the presentation slides, the chat log, and a participation certificate.

TO REGISTER: 

  • Click HERE to register (includes optional survey)

NOTE: Please check your spam folder if you don't receive your confirmation email within a day.

STEVE HARGADON


Steve is the founder and director of the Learning Revolution Project and Library 2.0, the host of the Future of Education and Reinventing School interview series, and has been the founder and chair (or co-chair) of a number of annual worldwide virtual events, including the Global Education Conference and the Library 2.0 series of mini-conferences and webinars. He has run over 100 large-scale events, online and in person.

Steve's work has been around the democratization of learning and professional development. He supported and encouraged the development of thousands of other education-related networks, particularly for professional development, and he pioneered the use of live, virtual, and peer-to-peer education conferences. He popularized the idea of "unconferences" for educators, and for over a decade, he ran a large annual ed-tech unconference, now called Hack Education (previously EduBloggerCon).

Steve himself built one of the first modern social networks for teachers in 2007 (Classroom 2.0), developed the "conditions of learning" exercise for local educational conversation and change, and inherited and grew the Library 2.0 online community. He may or may not have invented an early version of the Chromebook which he demo'd to Google. He blogs, speaks, and consults on education, educational technology, and education reform, and his virtual and physical events and online communities have over 150,000 members.

His professional website is SteveHargadon.com.