Foundations of Integrating AI in Libraries

Who should take this course

This course is for people with new or emerging knowledge about AI. It is open to all levels and types of library staff, but it will be most relevant to librarians who are involved with programs, services, or instruction.

This is an online course with a half-day of live, online speaker presentations and an asynchronous 3-week workshop and will include:

• Live Sessions: Guest speaker presentations by leaders in their field. (All sessions are recorded for on demand access for six months after the course ends.)
  
  
• Facilitated discussions: Audience participation in Q&A and discussion with guest speakers.
  
  
• Asynchronous workshop: Project-based weekly assignments to connect what you’re learning to your professional life. Includes written feedback from an expert in the field who functions as the workshop facilitator, as well as peer conversation via discussion forums. 

• Early access on-demand resources: Access to a series of past live session archives from Library Journal and School Library Journal courses to explore at your own pace.
  
  
• Online Classroom: The virtual learning platform that holds all course content and is accessible for six months after the course ends.

*Note: You do not have to complete the asynchronous work during these three weeks; it will be open to you for six months. However, the feedback from facilitators will only be available from September 9-30. 

Expected time commitment

If you attend or watch the recordings of all live sessions and participate fully in the asynchronous workshop, you'll spend approximately 4 hours per week on this course. You'll earn 12 hours of PD credit and a Library Journal certificate of completion.

On-demand access

All live guest speaker sessions are recorded and available on-demand for six months following the initial broadcast as a part of your purchase.

Certificate of completion

Complete the course and earn 12 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.

Accessibility

All guest speaker sessions feature auto captioning and are made available on demand after the initial broadcast. Please email course-support@libraryjournal.com upon registration if you require any special accommodations and we will make our best efforts to facilitate them.

Support

For support with online courses, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.

Tuesday, September 9

Course & Workshop Introduction | 12:00-12:20 pm ET
An introduction to the weekly assignments, an overview of what to expect from the online workshop in this course, and a chance to complete the course pre-assessment.

Session 1 | 12:20-1:05 pm ET
The What and Why of Artificial Intelligence
What exactly is artificial intelligence? How did we get here? Will it affect my job? In this session, you will learn about the history of AI along with an overview of the current landscape of chatbots and other generative AI. You will also consider the positive implications of experimenting with AI as a means of enhancing your daily work.

Session 2 | 1:05-1:50 pm ET
How ChatGPT and Other ChatBots Can Help with Communication
Learn when chatbots can be helpful in your library work, along with other AI tools that help get your message across to your colleagues and community members. Learn tips for constructing effective chatbot prompts and apply them to your own communication needs.

Break | 1:50-2:00 pm ET

Live Working Session | 2:00-2:30 pm ET
This live, moderated working session will give you an immediate opportunity to process and apply the skills you’ve learned. You will be divided into smaller working groups and presented with an activity related to content shared. You are encouraged to join on camera and audio to discuss ideas, ask questions, and hear from other participants in class. If you can't join live, all discussion prompts will be shared in the online classroom.

Session 3 | 2:30-3:15 pm ET
Ethical Implications and Gotchas of Generative AI
Can AI lie? What about bias? Who owns the copyright for generated AI? In this session, you will uncover potential problems that come with using AI tools, along with ideas for mitigating those risks and helping your community grapple with the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI.

Break | 3:15-3:25 pm ET

Session 4 | 3:25-4:10 pm ET
Employing AI as Your Personal Aide for Teaching, Programming, and More
Whether you’re new to teaching or library programming, or have years of experience, sometimes the most difficult aspect of creating new experiences for your community is getting started. Learn how AI can jumpstart your creativity for improving past go-to lessons or programs, as well as how you can introduce students and patrons to AI pitfalls and possibilities. You will also discover practical ways AI can enhance other types of library work tasks.

Closing Remarks | 4:10-4:15 pm ET

From participants of our previous AI courses:

"I think more of these classes/workshops should be available to inform more people who work with the public. I have been in this field for over 10 years and learned about AI tools that I didn't enough know about."

"The course gave me an overview of some of the most commonly used AI tools and forced (well, prompted) me to actually try them out in the first assignment."

"I appreciated getting to try the various chatbots in a hands-on way in both the live and asynchronous parts of the course. That really helped me learn more about what different bots had to offer in a concrete and memorable way!"

"It relates directly to what I do on a daily basis and allowed me time to actually try out specific situations and projects that I can use right in my LMC."

"This was an amazing course that Crystal put together! I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to participate in this session! Thank you so much for the engaging way the material was presented, and the way the course was organized. I loved that we had the opportunity to try new tools before discussing the ethical implications. The weekly assignments were very beneficial to my personal practice/situation. Having a slideshow template to start sharing out the information learned was incredibly valuable. Thank you again!"

"This class was extremely informative! I have already recommended it to others."

"This was a fantastic course on a topic that used to fill me with a sense of dread. While I still have mixed feelings about AI, I feel more confident in my ability to use it to help me brainstorm ideas and revise document drafts, and in explaining how to use it responsibly to other staff."

"Thank you for breaking AI down so well and in a way that allowed me to immediately apply my learning."

"The presenter was fantastic! She covered a lot of ground at a good pace, and she was fun to listen to! Her examples were SO helpful, especially the written prompts she shared to generate results from various AI tools. I liked how the information was broken up into four sections, with visuals along the way. The assignments were manageable and helpful for my daily work, and I've already been using what I learned and sharing with colleagues!"

"This course has been so helpful in providing a foundation for my understanding of AI in general and its potential in a library setting. I am set to explore further!"

Discounted rates are available for a limited time only. Secure your tickets now to lock in the best price.

Group Rates

We offer discounts for groups of 3 or more.

For larger groups of 15 or more, we offer the option to apply group rates across multiple courses to receive significant discounts. For more information, select “Bulk Course Credits Packages” in the form below.

Request Discounted Group Pricing

For support with group purchases, please contact groupsales@libraryjournal.com.