ChatGPT & Libraries: Applications and Implications for Teaching and Learning
September, 20 2023
ChatGPT & Libraries: Applications and Implications for Teaching and Learning, Online
This sponsored webinar from JoVE featured an expert librarian panel discussion on preparing libraries for the AI era, implications for teaching and learning, user education and responsibility, and future trends and technologies.
Fostering AI Literacy: The good, the bad, and the ugly in ChatGPT
April, 17 2023
Academic Librarian Perspectives on ChatGPT, Online
There is a plethora of resources available to discover more about machine learning and Large Language Models (LLMs). When ChatGPT was released on November 30, 2022, there was an absolute storm in publications related to higher ed in which they mourned the death of the essay, predicted mass cheating, and other big claims. Some went as far as to ban the technology. As a first-year librarian, I see that this technology is undoubtedly going to shape my career; therefore, I have approached ChatGPT with a cautious curiosity. Shunning ChatGPT entirely is not the answer, but neither is an uncritical embrace. This talk will go over some basics, the potential use cases of ChatGPT, and ethical considerations we must think about as academic librarians. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Literacy as a concept will also be touched upon, so that we can help our students navigate this new technology not only in higher ed, but in their lives moving forward.
Supervisor at a distance: supporting undergraduate reference workers
February, 23 2023
North American Virtual Reference Conference, Virtual
Salisbury University is a public university that serves about 8,000 students. As a former student employee in libraries (both in undergrad and graduate school), I try my best to support my current undergraduate student workers at the Research Help Desk. Even though they often do not go into libraries, the skills they gain and develop over their employment are easily applicable to most fields. They are trained to be adaptable, flexible, and calm under pressure – all things that they’ve been working towards already in these past few pandemic years. They are primarily responsible for staffing the desk on Sundays and evenings, with a few working Thursday and Friday mornings. Students are by themselves at the Research Help Desk, though staff and other students are next to them at the Circulation desk. Their job is not to know every answer under the sun; their job is to know where to look to find it, or who to contact for more help. In addition to taking in-person questions, they are the first line on chat when librarians aren’t available. They are also expected to log their interactions online via Gimlet. This lightning talk will detail my procedures in training, reviewing their work, and helping them develop professional skills to take with them after college when I do not work with them directly during their shifts.
