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About This Course
Teach students to use AI to support their research, not replace it.
On-Demand Materials:
Available starting October 15, 2025
How do we teach students to use AI tools ethically in their research assignments? This self-paced online course empowers librarians and educators to cultivate ethical research skills in an AI era. Explore AI tools that students can use to identify information needs, search effectively, evaluate critically, and credit sources appropriately.
You’ll practice using these AI tools, explore how to model ethical decision-making, and create engaging lesson plans that help students stay grounded in good research habits. Through guided hands-on activities, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to support research instruction that is informed, thoughtful, and aligned with academic integrity.
 This course was developed in partnership with Elissa Malespina, author of the AI School Librarians Newsletter.
This course is part of a 3-course certification series, AI Literacy in Schools. You may register for each course in the series individually, or register for the full series with a $100 discount
click here to enroll
NOTE: This course is hosted on our new learning platform. At checkout, you'll be prompted to log in or create an account. If this is your first time using the new platform, you'll need to register a new account. For more information about Library Journal's new learning platform, check out our FAQ.
Return to Full Course Catalog
After you attend this course, you’ll be able to:
- Clearly define ethical considerations related to AI tools in educational and research contexts.
- Utilize multiple AI-powered tools strategically within the student research process
- Critically evaluate AI-generated and traditional information for accuracy, bias, and credibility using information literacy practices.
- Create inclusive, accessible, and ethically sound instructional materials and lesson plans integrating AI.
- Guide students to ethically acknowledge AI contributions and cite information properly in their work.
- Support students in applying ethical AI practices beyond research, including presentations and creative projects.
This course consists of 4 on-demand modules:
Module 1: Understanding the Research Process in the Age of AI
Build a foundational understanding of how AI intersects with the research process. Explore the ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy and examine how ethical considerations influence the way students find, use, and apply information.
Module 2: Using AI Tools to Define Topics and Locate Information
Learn how to help students use AI tools to develop research questions and locate sources effectively. Examine how to teach strategic searching while emphasizing the ethical use of generative AI tools.
Module 3: Evaluating and Synthesizing AI-Generated and Traditional Sources
Explore how to teach students to critically evaluate AI-generated content alongside traditional sources. Discuss common ethical dilemmas and build skills for synthesizing information into original work.
Module 4: Citing Sources and Teaching Ethical AI Use
Understand how to guide students in properly citing all sources, including AI tools. Create instructional materials that emphasize responsible, inclusive, and accessible research practices supported by AI, and explore how to extend these practices to creative and presentation-based student work
Who should take this course
This course is designed for K-12 school librarians and educators with basic AI-prompting skills.
This will be a self-paced, asynchronous online course.
Expected time commitment
This course includes 4 modules, each designed to take approximately 4 hours to complete. You can move through the content at your own pace and on your own schedule. You'll earn 16 hours of PD credit and a School Library Journal certificate of completion.
On-demand access
You’ll have access to all course materials for 6 months from your enrollment date or from the official course launch date, whichever is later.
Certificate of completion
Complete the course and earn 16 professional development credit hours. We provide a certificate that is emailed to you.
If you complete all 3 courses in the AI Literacy in Schools series, you will earn your AI Literacy in Schools certification from School Library Journal.
Support
For support with online courses, please contact course-support@libraryjournal.com.
Elissa Malespina, B.C.A.S.E.,
Teacher Librarian in New Jersey and Author of The AI School Librarians Newsletter on Substack
 Elissa Malespina is an award-winning school librarian, educational consultant, former school board member, and author who specializes in helping educators and librarians integrate AI into teaching and learning. She is the author of AI in the Library: Strategies, Tools and Ethics for Today's Schools and writes The AI School Librarians Newsletter, a Substack publication focused on practical AI tools, ethical guidance, and instructional strategies.
Outside of her work, she's a proud mom, wife, and a fierce advocate for intellectual freedom and educational equity.
Discounted rates are available for a limited time only. Secure your tickets now to lock in the best price.
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Rate
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Early Bird
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Standard
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Deadline
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October 15, 2025
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Ticket Price
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$239
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$261
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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.
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Available starting September 15, 2025
On-Demand Online Course Series
48 Credit Hours
Recommended for K-12 school librarians and educators
