As AI and automation reshape everyday life, it is critical for everybody to understand how AI works, the scope of its potential and its limitations. Libraries are excellent places to familiarize yourself with AI tools and possibilities. Teaching AI in libraries is not about a flashy innovation; it’s about giving people tools to thrive in today’s life. In other words, libraries make AI approachable.
Between the bookshelves, the internet, and the workshops, people are learning how the systems shaping their lives actually work. As artificial intelligence increasingly mediates access to employment, education, healthcare, and information, the ability to understand and interact with these systems is becoming a must. Not just how to use AI, but to question it and learn why critical thinking is so important while using AI. Teaching AI is also about helping people to understand how the invisible algorithms decide what people see, get, or are denied.
The Summit Free Public Library has hosted a number of very popular webinars explaining how to use different AI applications in our daily activities and clarifying the advantages and pitfalls of AI in different industries, such as education, business, and healthcare, to name a few.
Our patrons learned a lot during these webinars and there is a huge demand from the patrons to continue this AI series by inviting leading specialists in AI research to stay informed of the latest developments in this quickly evolving field. So the Artificial Intelligence series continues in 2026. Stay tuned.
— Irene Vershinin, Reference Librarian