Exploring AI Literacy in Health Science Libraries – ALHeLA Meeting

Upcoming course will be held at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Alabama Health Libraries Association.

Our current era of artificial intelligence is one characterized by intense debates, strong emotions, and a large amount of complexity. It can be overwhelming to keep up with the news, discussions, and debates surrounding things like generative AI, and even making sense of how generative AI works can be a challenging endeavor. Given the ways in which AI is impacting our information ecosystems, it is worth asking how information professionals and librarians can contribute to the debates surrounding AI and navigate this new information landscape in their own work. And certain kinds of libraries and library environments are facing unique and complicated challenges thanks in particular to the advent of generative AI.

This workshop will explore the challenges, issues, and opportunities for navigating AI in health science library environments. In this interactive workshop, we will focus on how health science librarians can respond to the rise of AI, particularly generative AI, and develop the skills needed to manage the unique challenges posed by AI in healthcare environments, embrace opportunities presented by AI, and critically reflect on AI in their work. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in discussion, reflection, and hands-on activities and exploration to help them gain a deeper understanding of generative AI.

In the first part of this workshop, we will gain a better understanding of what AI is and how it works, with a focus on generative AI. Next, we will examine and discuss some of the issues posed by AI, from ethical considerations to concerns around mis/disinformation to debates surrounding the potential impacts AI will have on labor and the economy. After this, we will examine some of the trends and issues of AI within healthcare environments, including AI-driven diagnostics and AI assistants for patient care, and will explore the trends and issues that health science librarians are seeing in their libraries and places of work. Finally, we will spend time considering what AI literacy might look like in health science libraries and will develop action plans for steps health science librarians can take in further exploring AI in their work

Resource URL: [Pending]

Learning Objectives

1. Describe how AI, including generative AI, works and how AI tools are developed.
2. Critically evaluate major issues surrounding the development and use of AI, including ethical and social issues.
3. Examine the unique issues posed by AI in health care environments and in health science libraries.
4. Develop strategies and approaches for addressing, navigating, and responding to AI in libraries.

MLA CE Credits: 1