(via Nicole Swanson, CARLI)
The Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois is pleased to share these upcoming Professional Development Alliance offerings.
Racial & Gender Bias in Search Engines
Many library users believe that when they use a search engine, they are always getting factual, unbiased, and objective results. But search engines and the algorithms that power them are not neutral. This session explores some of the racial and gender biases found in search and looks at how these biases impact search results. By examining the idea of search neutrality, we can gain a better understanding of how human beings influence, for better or worse, the creation and ongoing maintenance of search algorithms. Through examining bias in search, we can help our patrons improve their search and online information literacy.
Wednesday, July 12, 1:00-2:00 PM CDT
The Road Less Taken: Communication and Collaboration vs. Perspectives and Assumptions
In recent times, a spotlight has been placed on how we in the library world do business on a daily basis. Spending time thinking of how we can change our ideas and habits, how we interact with each other, and ways we have exchanges with patrons have led to many changes in workflow and thought processes. Let’s go down a few paths into where we were, where we went due to the pandemic, and where we need to go in the future as well as what happens with communications, collaborations, perspectives, and assumptions.
Thursday, July 27, 1:00-2:00 PM CDT
Join us for a thought-provoking panel discussion on the impact of ChatGPT on libraries and higher education. Our panelists will begin by providing a foundational overview of what ChatGPT is, the basics of language models, and how these models are trained. They will explore the implications of this technology as well as the need to educate students and faculty on what this tool does. Special attention will be paid to the opportunities and ethical considerations surrounding the use of AI in higher education. As this technology rapidly evolves, it will be critical for libraries to get ahead of the discussion and understand how AI will shape conversations about information privilege and access in the years to come.
Tuesday, August 1, 1:00-2:30 PM CDT