For immediate release | May 17, 2024

Free Event: Generative A.I. supercharging the mission of libraries: risks and opportunities

CHICAGO—The American Library Association United Nations International Relations Committee Sustainable Development Goals Subcommittee invites you to join their online event presented in the days before the AI for Good Global Summit, an event by the United Nations (UN) International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN specialized agency for information and communication technology.

COST: Free

TITLE: Generative A.I. supercharging the mission of libraries: risks and opportunities

DATE and TIME: Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 2:00 pm (Eastern time, USA)

REGISTRATION: tinyurl.com/py88at98

Keynoters and distinguished speakers will present top highlights about AI and the following themes: research, information integrity, open access, library strategy, copyright, privacy, ethics and misinformation, library operations, sustainability, indigenous populations, cyber security, LIS education, library associations, and more.

Last September at the New York Public Library, the US Department of State convened an event focused on AI’s potential to accelerate progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Participants from different countries and organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations Population Fund, and the World Health Organization were part of the group discussing a new commitment by countries, companies, and the multi-stakeholder community to ensure that AI serves the interests of humanity. Libraries have an important role to play. Join us to hear more about how to support sustainability efforts.

Moderator:

Loida Garcia-Febo, Chair, ALA International Relations Committee (IRC) UN Subcommittee; Past ALA President.

Keynotes:

Dr. Leo Lo, President-Elect, Association of College & Research Libraries; Dean and Professor, College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at the University of New Mexico, USA.

Dr. Thanos Giannakopoulos, Chief Librarian of the United Nations Headquarters, UN Dag Hammarskjöld Library.

Distinguished speakers:

Liz Jolly, Chief Librarian, The British Library, UK.

Cindy Hohl, ALA President-Elect; Director of Policy Analysis and Operational Support at the Kansas City Public Library, USA.

Gene Tan, Chief Librarian & Chief Innovation Officer, National Library Board Singapore, Singapore.

Robin Kear, Faculty Librarian, University Senate President at the University of Pittsburgh, USA.

Fiona Bradley, Chair, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Open Access Committee; Director, Research & Infrastructure, UNSW Library, Australia.

Dr. Shaddy Shadrach, Director, Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA), India.

Dr. Anthony Chow, Director and Professor, School of Information San José State University, USA.

Dr. Jonathan Hernandez, Chair, IFLA Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression Committee; Professor at the IIBIS, Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico.

Dr. Reysa Alenzuela, Head Librarian of Oriental Institute of the Academy of Sciences in the Czech Republic and a consultant on Research and Publication at Central Philippine University, Czech Republic.

Sara Benson, Head IFLA Delegation to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO); Copyright Librarian and Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Library and Affiliate Professor of the School of Information Science, European Union Center and the Center for Global Studies at the University of Illinois, USA.

Dr. Anthony Chow, Director and Professor, School of Information San Jose State University, USA.

Dr. Andrew Cox, Chair, IFLA Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group, UK.

Sophia, Sotilleo, ALA Executive Board Member; Freedom to Read Foundation Trustee; Dean of the Thurgood Marshall Library at Bowie State University, USA.

Beth Filar Williams, User Experience Research Librarian, Oregon State University Libraries, USA.

Contact:

Delin Guerra

Program Officer

American Library Association

ALA International Relations Office

dguerra@ala.org