MD Tech Connect 2024
The Universities at Shady Grove, 9638 Gudelsky Dr., Rockville, MD 20850
Location Details
8:45 – 9:30 a.m.: Coffee, Pastries, and Networking
9:30 – 9:40 a.m.: Welcome and Opening Remarks
9:45 – 10:45 a.m.: Opening Keynote
Lee Rainie, Director of the Imagining the Digital Future Center at Elon University (NC)
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Breakout Session 1
Luddites Unite!
Thomas Vose, Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County; Sam Eddington, Lyrasis Learning
This session will examine the potential use cases for generative AI and explore the ethical considerations and potential impacts of the technology on the fabric of society. It will ultimately demonstrate that the harms inherent in such a technology and the unequal benefits it will provide to an already heavily unequal society should cause libraries – while instructing patrons on it – to reject it as antithetical to our profession and mission.
Thomas Vose has been director of the Ruth Enlow Library since 2017, and was previously a librarian in California. He received his MLIS from UCLA (2006), as well as an MA in history (2003) from UC Riverside, and was a Eureka! Leadership Institute alumnus (2009). Thomas is active in the ALA’s Games and Gaming Round Table, as well as in the MLA Futures of Libraries Interest Group and the Grantsville Lions Club.
Sam Eddington is the Program Leader for Lyrasis Learning. He holds an MLS from Southern Connecticut State University, and a BA in English (Creative Writing) from the University of Houston. His work experience includes time spent in academic, public, school, special, regional, and correctional libraries. He has presented widely to information professionals on topics such as unconferences, job searching and hiring, programming for adults, library history, and performance evaluations.
AI in Selection and Cataloging
Katie Marley, Southern Maryland Regional Library Association; Laura Bandoch, Harford County Public Library
At this session you will learn some background on generative AI, how it may impact copyright, current scams impacting selection, cataloging best practices and talking points for vendors. A Q&A will follow the presentation. (This is an updated version of the MLA 2024 presentation.)
Katie Marley is the Catalog Librarian for SMRLA. She has worked in Maryland Libraries for nine years. Laura Bandoch is the Materials Assistant Director for Harford County. She has experience in both public and school libraries.
Activating Our Intelligence: A Common-Sense Approach to AI
Dorothy Stoltz, Stoltz Creative Consulting/Waldo Publishers
We can sometimes become our own worst enemy by becoming trapped in a mindset of either AI-save-the-world excitement or its doom-and-gloom fear. If the library profession either ignored the internet thirty years ago or embraced it by discarding all printed books, many libraries would be closed today. Worry about AI or excessive enthusiasm for it can interfere with one’s capacity to grow in insights, comprehension, and inspiration. Join us for this interactive workshop to explore and ponder seven tips for discerning how to redefine the role of libraries and technology through curiosity and discovery. Please bring a device to this session.
Dorothy Stoltz is a professional librarian, author, and consultant having served as programming and outreach manager and community engagement director. Dorothy advocates for the quality of our thinking and our love of learning as being incomplete without the support of each other.
Safety and Privacy concerns in the use of AI tools to help students with learning challenges
Naija Thomas (Doctoral student in Biomedical Data Science, Meharry School of Applied Computational Sciences)
Akbar Ali (MD student in Medicine, Marshall University)
M. Nicole Belfiore (Professor of Social Work, UMBC-Shady Grove)
Muhammad A. Yousuf (Professor of Data Science, UMBC-Shady Grove)
Modern AI tools show significant potential in enhancing the experience of students with learning challenges. These tools, some of which are already available, and others actively in development, leverage the power of AI to address a wide range of challenges. However, these also pose risks as such systems need to collect large amounts of student data to function and this, very personal data, can be misused without the student’s knowledge or consent. AI systems are only as unbiased as the data they are trained on, and if this data is biased, it can lead to discriminatory outcomes for disabled students. After showing a few sample tools, we’ll discuss current regulations in place to protect such knowledge and what future directions we must follow. A brief presentation will be followed by a group discussion on the limitless possibilities and associated risks.
AI: Assistive Intelligence for Libraries – Enhancing Digital Literacy Services and Capacity
Uhjin Sim, Yewon Kim, Mega Subramaniam, University of Maryland College Park; Regina Paige, Enoch Pratt Free Library
Join us to explore innovative strategies for scaling library services and promoting digital literacy using AI. We propose a train-the-trainer curriculum that leverages AI to address challenges in technology assistance and digital skills training that will potentially enhance librarians’ competence and attitudes towards AI. This session will explore how AI can improve digital navigation services, including assisting with language barriers and disabilities. We will discuss examples of AI as a digital navigator itself, helping to update librarians’ skills to teach new technologies, along with a practical demo of using AI search engines for staff training.
Uhjin is a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland’s College of Information, specializing in digital technologies and human-centered design to enhance digital literacy education. As a former instructional designer for the Marylanders Online project and now a graduate research assistant, she applies her expertise in curriculum design and human-computer interaction to drive educational innovation.
Yeweon Kim, Ph.D. (PhD in Communication, University of California Santa Barbara) is a postdoctoral researcher at the College of Information, University of Maryland College Park. As a member of Marylanders Online, she is currently devoted to studying digital/AI divide issues as they manifest in our society.
Regina Paige, MS-LDT, is a Training Manager at Enoch Pratt Free Library, where she drives digital transformation and fosters continuous learning. A doctoral candidate at Franklin University, her research explores using Appreciative Inquiry to enhance diversity in executive leadership within higher education.
Dr. Mega Subramaniam is a Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty at the University of Maryland’s College of Information, focusing on enhancing digital literacies in young adults and empowering librarians through initiatives like the ConnectedLib Toolkit and the Ready NOW project
12 – 1:25 p.m.: Lunch and Tech Expo/Poster Sessions
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.: Breakout Session 2
Demystifying AI Instruction: A Byte-Sized Case Study
Jessica Seipel and Sahana Callahan; Howard County Library System
Libraries are uniquely positioned to stem the flow of misinformation, alleviate fear, and provide classes, tools, and resources that aid in skill development around new technologies. Want to create library classes that render Generative AI approachable and accessible, while helping customers navigate the minefield of mis/information? We’ll discuss the process of researching, planning, and instructing our biannual AI class at the Howard County Library System. Then, we’ll share how we refresh our research to ensure we are staying accurate and up to date, while demystifying artificial intelligence so that it is accessible to all.
Jessica Seipel (she/her) and Sahana Callahan (they/them) are Adult Instructors and Research Specialists at the Savage Branch of the Howard County Library System and are early adopters of emerging technologies. They share an interest in making innovative technologies accessible to the Savage community, with classes about 3D printing, social media, or other overarching digital inclusion topics. As AI enthusiasts, they have worked to make complex concepts understandable to patrons across the library community.
We Didn’t Use AI: Using Emotional Intelligence to Revisit Agile Practices at UMD Libraries
Kate Dohe and Ben Wallberg, University of Maryland Libraries
Agile is an iterative approach to software development that is widely adopted by the tech industry and library technology departments, including UMD Libraries. However, Agile is not an inherently easy fit with the more deliberative demands of the librarians who partner with our developers, and we undertook a reflective realignment of our development teams’ roles and self-organization into a more structured Scrum framework with the librarians in the Digital Programs & Initiatives department. This presentation will provide an overview of our considerations, how we co-managed changes with our teams, and the benefits we’ve seen from increased collaboration and formalized practices.
Kate Dohe is the Director of Digital Programs and Initiatives at the University of Maryland Libraries, where her team is responsible for digital content lifecycle activities, digital applications management, and web presence and discovery services.
Ben Wallberg is the Senior Manager for Software Systems Development and Research. He manages a team of DevOps Engineers and Software Developers who work on deployments, applications, integrations, and original software development in support of University of Maryland Libraries services.
“Eat at least one small rock per day”: Information literacy in the age of generative AI
Franklin Ofsthun, Universities at Shady Grove, Priddy Library
Finding out what is true and what is false has become very complicated. Generative AI tools can help filter and deliver information, but as unreliable information generators, they have been a major player in facilitating the difficult information landscape of today. Librarians and other information professionals need to adjust their information literacy sessions to account for the abundance of low-quality info built on generative AI hallucinations. This session will take a look at our muddled information landscape, provide librarians with tools to help sort fact from hallucination, and discuss solutions on the horizon.
Franklin Ofsthun is a librarian at the Universities at Shady Grove. He is passionate about supporting students through the development of career competencies and critical thinking skills.
Artificial Intelligence for Small Businesses: A Guide for Librarians Supporting Local Entrepreneurs
Greta Ober, Universities at Shady Grove, Priddy Library
Can artificial intelligence (AI) work for the small businesses in your community? With so many AI tools available, which ones should you recommend? This session will help librarians understand how AI can benefit small businesses. You will explore the use of AI chatbots to improve customer service and discover a selection of free, user-friendly AI tools for small business owners and entrepreneurs. Gain the knowledge you need to support your local business community with cutting-edge technology.
As the Entrepreneurship/Business Librarian at USG’s Priddy Library, Greta provides consultation services and training to students; and in alignment with USG’s community wealth building initiative, also to local small business owners in Montgomery County. Previously a Research Librarian at the International Monetary Fund in DC, Greta has extensive experience searching business databases (company, industry), and in addition has real-world experience as a small business owner.
2:45 – 3:45 p.m.: Closing Keynote
Dr. Mila Gasco-Hernandez, Research Director for the Center for Technology in Government at SUNY Albany, and Brooks Rainwater, President and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council