OVERVIEW:
Our first Library 2.025 mini-conference (and our third mini-conference on AI and Libraries), "AI and Libraries: Literacy, Ethics, and Responsible Use," will be held online (and for free) on Thursday, March 13th, 2025, from 12:00 - 3:00 pm US-Pacific Time.
We invite librarians, educators, technologists, and thought leaders to explore the critical role that libraries can play in addressing both the opportunities and ethical challenges of AI. From encouraging digital literacy and ethical awareness to guiding the responsible use of AI, libraries are potentially at the forefront showing how emerging AI technologies can be used equitably and responsibly in their communities.
We will explore actionable insights to help navigate the complex ethical questions relating to AI and the unique role of libraries and librarians in addressing them. We will discuss practical strategies for integrating AI tools into library and education settings using ethical best practices while empowering users with the knowledge and skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven world. And we’ll focus on how libraries can not only adapt to this rapidly changing landscape but can also act as catalysts for knowledge diffusion, shaping a more informed, and innovative future for all of our users.
Our special conference chair is Chad Mairn, an Information Services Librarian, Assistant Professor, and founder of the Innovation Lab at St. Petersburg College.
We look forward to gathering online with you for this event!
REGISTRATION:
This is a free event, being held live online and also recorded.
REGISTER HERE
to attend live and/or to receive the recording links afterward.
Please also join the Library 2.0 community to be kept updated on this and future events.
Everyone is invited to participate in our Library 2.0 conference events, which are designed to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing among information professionals worldwide. Each three-hour event consists of a keynote panel, 10-15 crowd-sourced thirty-minute presentations, and a closing keynote.
Participants are encouraged to use #library2025 and #
CONFERENCE CHAIR:
Chad Mairn
Professor and founder of the Innovation Lab at St. Petersburg College
OPENING KEYNOTE PANEL & SPECIAL ORGANIZER
Chad Mairn is a Professor, and founder of the Innovation Lab at St. Petersburg College. While an undergraduate studying Humanities at the University of South Florida (USF), Chad was awarded a Library of Congress Fellowship helping archive personal papers and other items in the Leonard Bernstein Collection. During his Library and Information Science graduate work, also at USF, Chad became a technology liaison between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Florida public libraries. Chad is also a faculty member in the School of Information at San José State University. Here is a link to Chad's SJSU faculty page.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS:
Proposals for 30-minute concurrent presentations are now being accepted. Proposals will be evaluated and accepted in the order received. The link to submit proposals is HERE.
We encourage conference session submissions that:
- Provide a foundational understanding of literacy, ethics, and the responsible use of AI in libraries and beyond.
- Apply strategies to foster AI literacy among library staff, patrons, and students, empowering them to critically assess and effectively use a variety of AI tools.
- Communicate ethical issues surrounding AI, including privacy, bias, and transparency, and understand the libraries' role in addressing these challenges.
- Share ways for libraries to serve as hubs for public discourse on AI, facilitating inclusive and informed community conversations, while maximizing the benefits of AI for their community.
- Demonstrate how to build partnerships with educators, thought leaders, technologists, and community organizations to address literacy, ethics, and responsible use issues in your community.
- Provide examples of how to create and advocate for policies that guide ethical and equitable AI use in libraries and other educational settings.
- Promote the unique opportunity libraries have right now to lead in our AI-driven world by fostering critical thinking, ethical awareness, and equitable access to technology.
To see the currently submitted proposals, you can go here.
SPONSORS:
The School of Information at San José State University is the founding conference sponsor. Please register as a member of the Library 2.0 network to be kept informed of future events. Recordings from previous years are available under the Archives tab at Library 2.0 and at the Library 2.0 YouTube channel.
