Vala Conference Day 3
Who is keeping house, tending the garden, and raising the children while AI is out marauding?
Catherine Nicole Coleman – Stanford University, Digital Research Architect
I hoped this presentation would explain some of the ways AI is being used in the Information environment and how it may be utilised by the library.
However, Catherine seemed quite negative about AI technology, she suggested it won’t solve problems, shared a tweet from Elon Musk suggesting a need to be concerned about the safety of AI, and asked at what cost the convenience of AI comes at.
She suggested that much of the Data used in AI is de-contextualised and that this causes problems. Catherine pointed out that there are a lot of issues around bias in AI, and that even when companies try to address this they may run in to issues around the ethical use of data. For example even if people have agreed to the use of there data or photos in the past they may not have imagined how these could be used now, i.e. photos used for facial recognition software.
Catherine briefly described a number of projects that involved AI that have been undertaken at Stanford University Libraries, however it was unclear to me how AI was being utilised in these projects and whether they had been successful in what they were trying to achieve. Mostly it seemed AI was being used to assist with describing and cataloguing large collections that had previously not been well described.
Catherine did suggest that some of the issues with AI stem from the poorly labelled data that is used. She suggested that the knowledge librarians have around clearly and meticulously labelling and cataloguing could be invaluable to AI developers. The information included in library catalogues often helps to bring some context to an item and this context is something Catherine feels is sorely missing in the data used in AI.
Catherine really encouraged librarians to start learning about AI as soon as possible and offered some resources to start learning more.
This presentation helped me to see the importance of the librarians role in the modern world and the impact that careful description and cataloguing can have on AI. This allows a chance to advocate for the role of libraries and librarians in a technologically advanced world. However, I had hoped to gain more knowledge around how AI is currently being used in libraries or how it could be used in the future and I felt this is not something I took away from this presentation.
A league of champions: building staff digital dexterity
Fiona Salisbury – University Librarian, La Trobe University
Heather Jenks – Associate Director Library Services, Australian National University
Kat Cain – Manager, Digital Literacy Programs, Deakin University
Karen Miller – Coordinator, Learning Success, Curtin University
Ashley England – Team Leader, Arts & Social Sciences, University of Technology Sydney
Jaime Royals – Manager, Learning & Teaching Innovation, The University of Adelaide
Jay Glaisyer – Senior Manager, Student & Community Outreach & Engagement, La Trobe University
Hugh Rundle – Manager, Member Services, CAVAL
I chose to attend this session as my role as a digital literacy officer includes ensuring staff have a level of digital literacy needed for their roles. As such, I was interested to see how this team had put together a program to build their staffs digital dexterity.
This presentation covered a program which put together a group of ‘champions’ from Australian University Libraries. These champions created a community of practice around Digital Dexterity. They created a digital dexterity framework and a framework for library professionals outlining the skills and capabilities needed in the digital age.
The ‘champions’ have also organised a number of events and programs around digital dexterity.
They have developed a sense of identity, ownership and connection through this community of practice.
It was useful to discover the existence of the digital dexterity framework and the framework for library professionals as a measurement tool to see if our staff have the skills and capabilities they need. We have a similar ‘champions’ program at ERL with certain staff designated as e-learners at most of our branches. These staff have a role of educating the community as well as their coworkers on all things digital. Encouraging these staff to create a community of practice and giving them the autonomy to come up with their own projects and events is a wonderful idea that I hope to encourage at ERL.
Be the Goose: On Barriers, Roadblocks and Finding Your Way in Library and Information Science
Cecily Walker – Librarian, Social justice advocate
I was not sure what to expect from this presentation but went along interested to see what Cecily had to say about working through roadblocks in libraries.
Cecily spoke about her personal experience as a library professional and a woman of colour. She related a close connection to a librarian in her youth and how all of the librarians she knew growing up were black women, seeing librarians who represent her allowed her to see herself in the profession even from a young age. This was an experience she would never have again.
Having a diploma makes it harder for employers to say you don’t have the right qualifications. Cecily questioned the value of the Library degree, as it is often easier to access for people who have privilege.
Cecily described ‘Vocational awe’ as a set of ideas, values and assumptions that librarians have about themselves and about the profession that result in the idea that libraries are inherently good. When in actuality they’re often deeply conservative spaces that are committed to upholding the status quo. Cecily found racial microaggressions common in the workplace and management wouldn’t take complaints seriously and assume nothing can be done.
People in minority groups often change how they behave or act to avoid stereotypes and microaggressions and feel their narratives have less value.
Although we strive to provide (or claim to strive to provide) services and spaces for marginalised people in the community do we make spaces for them in the workplace?
Accessibility of libraries can limit how people can perform in work environments. Remote work can often allow people the flexibility to be able to perform their work without being present.
Encountering barriers affects mental health. Suggestions that only the person advocating for change is taking a position, nothing about libraries is neutral, not advocating for change and acceptance for all is taking a position.
The idea that libraries are inherently good stops conversations about the issues of marginalised library professionals. Even when people are not intentionally hurtful, being the only one in your workplace who is part of a minority group contributes to stress.
Cecily stated that Black library patrons would gravitate to her and feel less stressed because they don’t have to deal with racism. Racial and cultural representation matters to marginalised people, cultural connection is important.
The language of social justice is co-opted to talk about issues that impact minority groups the most without library leaders giving up space, giving up power or giving up influence to make these changes happen.
Although this was the final presentation of the conference I believe is was the most important. Some of what Cecily was saying was difficult to hear, the fact that the very degree I am working towards could be something that is keeping marginalised people out of the library workforce, it non-the-less forced me to face the lack of diversity currently in the ERL workforce as well as my own ‘vocational awe’. I have spoken with ERL management about the lack of representation in ERL’s workforce and will continue to advocate for this to change.