Decoding Power: AI Literacy as Liberation in Library Communities of Color
Event Type
Presentation
Start Date
25-7-2025 9:30 AM
End Date
25-7-2025 10:30 AM
Description
In these "interesting times" of rapid technological change, artificial intelligence is reshaping our information landscape—often without our input or consent. This workshop addresses the urgent need for librarians of color to position themselves at the forefront of AI literacy, not just as passive consumers but as active, critical participants.
As information professionals serving diverse communities, we face a pivotal question: Will we become architects of how AI serves our patrons, or will we and our communities merely become targets of systems designed without our perspectives?
The workshop examines AI literacy as a critical equity issue, exploring how algorithmic biases and digital divides disproportionately impact communities of color. We'll discuss concrete strategies for:
- Developing personal AI literacy skills that empower you to evaluate AI tools critically
- Creating accessible programming that builds AI competencies among patrons from all backgrounds
- Advocating for diverse representation in AI development and implementation
- Identifying ethical concerns specific to library contexts and marginalized communities
This session creates a counterspace for reflection and resistance, acknowledging that people of color must not only understand AI's implications but actively shape its role in society. By building our collective capacity to engage critically with these technologies, we fulfill our professional mandate to cultivate an informed citizenry capable of navigating—and challenging—the digital landscape of these "interesting times."
Join us in exploring how librarians of color can transform AI literacy from a professional development goal into an act of community advocacy and resistance.
Outcomes
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify specific ways algorithmic bias affects marginalized communities and explain these concepts to library patrons
- Create programming and learning opportunities that build AI competencies among patrons from diverse backgrounds
- Advocate for diverse representation in AI development and implementation
Decoding Power: AI Literacy as Liberation in Library Communities of Color
In these "interesting times" of rapid technological change, artificial intelligence is reshaping our information landscape—often without our input or consent. This workshop addresses the urgent need for librarians of color to position themselves at the forefront of AI literacy, not just as passive consumers but as active, critical participants.
As information professionals serving diverse communities, we face a pivotal question: Will we become architects of how AI serves our patrons, or will we and our communities merely become targets of systems designed without our perspectives?
The workshop examines AI literacy as a critical equity issue, exploring how algorithmic biases and digital divides disproportionately impact communities of color. We'll discuss concrete strategies for:
- Developing personal AI literacy skills that empower you to evaluate AI tools critically
- Creating accessible programming that builds AI competencies among patrons from all backgrounds
- Advocating for diverse representation in AI development and implementation
- Identifying ethical concerns specific to library contexts and marginalized communities
This session creates a counterspace for reflection and resistance, acknowledging that people of color must not only understand AI's implications but actively shape its role in society. By building our collective capacity to engage critically with these technologies, we fulfill our professional mandate to cultivate an informed citizenry capable of navigating—and challenging—the digital landscape of these "interesting times."
Join us in exploring how librarians of color can transform AI literacy from a professional development goal into an act of community advocacy and resistance.
Outcomes
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify specific ways algorithmic bias affects marginalized communities and explain these concepts to library patrons
- Create programming and learning opportunities that build AI competencies among patrons from diverse backgrounds
- Advocate for diverse representation in AI development and implementation
