Core Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Libraries Interest Group

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Purpose: Provides a forum for researching potential applications of Machine and Deep Learning in library science, including discussions, publications, and outreach to the wider Library community. Its goal is to educate librarians on uses of the complex techniques of machine learning and to provide a space for critically thinking both about new applications, and about the ethical and social impact of these technologies , as the field rapidly expands in the coming decade.

This group is part of Core's Technology Section.

Portraits of three Core members with caption Become a Member: Find Your Home: Core.

 

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Let's introduce ourselves!

  • 1.  Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 01, 2021 07:46 AM
    Hi, y'all! I'm Andromeda Yelton, your chair for this year (I'd love a cochair -- is it you?) Let's take this thread to 1) introduce ourselves and 2) say something we'd like to get out of the IG this year. It's really here for you and your interests, and I'd like to make sure you get what you need out of it.

    1) My introduction! I'm a freelance software developer, currently on contract with the Library of Congress applying machine learning to their collections. In the past I've worked for a variety of library and library-adjacent organizations, including the Berkman Klein Center, the MIT Libraries, and the Wikimedia Foundation, after getting my MLS from Simmons. I'm also an adjunct faculty member at the San José State University iSchool, where I teach a course on AI and libraries. (Reading list here, if you're curious.) I come to Core through LITA, where I was on the Board for six years, including a term as President, where we kicked off the Core merge process. I'm pretty excited to watch Core develop and have the chance to connect to a new and wider set of colleagues.

    2) Again, I want to make sure this IG ends up useful to you! Are we wanting to learn about machine learning, teach it, write code and apply it? Are you into conference presentations, online discussions, giving webinars, writing (blog, articles, books), being part of Interest Group week? I want to make sure this group does a concrete thing that advances your interests.

    Looking forward to getting to know you.

    ------------------------------
    Andromeda Yelton
    Humanistic Machine Learning for Library Data
    Lecturer, San José State University iSchool
    https://andromedayelton.com
    @ThatAndromeda
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 04, 2021 02:37 PM

    Hi all!

    I'm Sarah Houghton, the Director of Discovery and Delivery for the California Digital Library, the digital library services arm for the University of California Libraries statewide. We have a strong in-house development team and have been delving into machine learning and AI use cases over the last two years or so.

     

    In this IG, I'm most interested in hearing what avenues of this topic others are exploring, what we're building, what works and what fails, and the ethics of machine learning and AI in our environments.

     

    Who's next?

     




    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 04, 2021 03:08 PM

    Hi, IG and ML IG folx,

     

    I'm Lisa Horowitz. I work at the MIT Libraries, where we are approaching data-intensive and computationally intensive research as new directions to understand and support in our communities. We are also focused on open and equitable research and open access, all of which have implications from the AI/ML world. In that context, I want to understand AI and ML, and become familiar with some concrete applications of it and how it works. I'd also be interested in discussions of how we in Libraries can influence the info ecosystem re: open and equitable uses of AI and ML (e.g., how can we get involved in metadata for training sets, and more I'm sure I have no idea!). I am also interested in the ethics of ML and AI as products are developed and commercialized.

     

    I'd be interested in online discussions with others who are more expert than I, and maybe some working sessions where we can watch and play. (I really have no idea what I'm talking about though. So far I'm just a dabbler.)

     

    Lisa Horowitz

     

    -- 

    Lisa R. Horowitz • MIT Libraries • 14S-214

    Program Head, Liaison and Information Services

    lisah@mit.edu • @lisahmit • (pronouns: she/her/hers) 

     

    I work flexibly. I'm sending this email now because it suits how I balance my working hours, but I don't expect that you will read, respond to, or take any action on this email outside of the hours that work for you.

     




    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 05, 2021 11:47 AM

    Hi! I'm Richard Dylan Fairfield. I've been a cataloger for some 20 years. I am federal contractor currently working for the National Emergency Training Center, which is part of the US Fire Academy and the Emergency Management Institute, which are part of FEMA.

     

    I'm interested in learning about machine learning and how it will impact cataloging.

     

     

     




    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 07, 2021 11:49 AM
    Hello folks,

    I'm Emily Fidelman, Head of Metadata at West Virginia University, which includes both a Metadata and Data Services Unit.   AI/ML algorithms are the way I see libraries remaining relevant in the age of Google, and how I see both Units' work trending over the next half decade or so.

    Instead of getting precise results by drilling down a traditional hierarchy, deep learning algorithms are able to combine as weighted sums the multiple contexts in which resources may be found in a linked data environment to provide relevancy ranking .  With deep learning algorithms, libraries can continue to provide the content-based filtering that has been our legacy since before that was the term for retrieving resources by their own attributes vs. a users' sometimes private data, and since before hierarchies broke down in relational information architectures.  

    Metadata Units like my own currently spend much time tuning subject and other metadata to opaque, commercial algorithms that may or may not even leverage the best available fields, based on data analyses our Data Services Unit provides to test which fields appear to affect retrieval and display.  Instead, I would like to see us assisting in the scripting of deep learning algorithms directly and by producing accurate, granular, unbiased* metadata to train them.

    *"unbiased" is the really hard part.

    Really looking forward to learning what AI/ML tools are already being used on library metadata and maybe even developing new ones!



    ------------------------------
    Emily Fidelman
    Head of Metadata and Data Services
    West Virginia University
    She/Her/Hers
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 07, 2021 12:07 PM
    Let's goooooooo, Mountaineers!

    I'm enjoying reading everyone's intros, but I was born and raised in Morgantown, so I have to drop everything at the mention of WVU :)




    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 05, 2021 03:33 PM
    I am the coordinator for the automatic materials handlers  (AMH) in the Charleston County Public Library system. While the AMH is more coding than intelligence, it has introduced me to a world of automation, RFID technology,  inventory and logistics. It is fascinating; something challenging every day.

    ------------------------------
    Carole Williams
    AMH, Self Check Coordinator
    Charleston County Public Library
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 06, 2021 07:14 PM
    Greetings--

    My name is Doug Dechow, and I'm the Engineering & Sciences Librarian at Chapman University in sunny Orange, California.

    We have a number of campus-wide and library in-house programs and initiatives that touch upon artificial intelligence & machine learning. At the campus level, an AI/ML brown-bag series was just initiated to bring together interested parties from all of the campus academic units. Inside the library, we increasingly receive faculty requests for support in the areas of AI/ML, particularly text mining and natural language processing. An outside consultant recently suggested that we consider adding an AI unit (though being consultants, they were less specific on exactly what that unit should do).

    I was a computer scientist prior to becoming a librarian, but AI was never a large topic of interest for me. In fact, it's been more than 20 years since I last took an AI class. As such, I'm looking to reacquaint (acquaint?) myself with the subject matter, and I'm excited to learn from others about the uses of the technology in libraries. With use comes the potential for abuse. One of my happiest graduate school experiences was a course that I taught in Information Ethics, and even as I draft this email, mainstream media sources are overflowing with stories about Facebook and algorithmic abuses and biases. I am very interested in AI/ML ethics.

    --Doug

    ------------------------------
    --
    Douglas R. Dechow, MSLIS, PhD
    Engineering & Science Librarian
    Chapman University
    @dougdechow | http://www.generationspace.com | http://douglasdechow.com/
    Generation Space: A Love Story (http://www.stillhousepress.org/leahy-and-dechow)
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 07, 2021 09:04 AM
    1) Hi everyone, I'm Margaret Heller. I'm Digital Services Librarian at Loyola University Chicago, and among many other things I also am liaison to the engineering department so trying to keep a hand in science librarianship. I'm president-elect of Core, so most of my time is spent doing admin and strategy type stuff, so I'm trying to remain involved in a few IGs for the fun of it.

    2) Despite my efforts from time to time I find the code of machine learning a bit beyond me, but it's important to me to stay current with what's happening with it, particularly in libraries. I used to write a lot more about emerging technologies, so I could see research and writing being one way I would want to go.

    ------------------------------
    Margaret Heller
    Digital Services Librarian
    President-elect // Core, a division of ALA
    Loyola University Chicago
    mheller1@luc.edu
    She/Her/Hers
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 07, 2021 09:13 AM
    Hi,

    I am Louis Brooks, the Director of Digital Infrastructure, as the Florida State University Libraries. We are just starting to dip our toes into this area and I am excited by the possibilities that AI and ML offer, especially around library automation. At this point we are exploring projects where we can apply this technology to learn more of what is possible, and what is actually doable.

    Thanks,

    --louis

    ------------------------------
    Louis Brooks
    Director of Digital Infrastructure
    University Libraries, Florida State University
    He/Him/His
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 07, 2021 11:04 AM
    Hi Folks!

    My name is Erin Matas, I'm the library director at Michigan Technological University. I'm also a graduate student in our Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors program, where I have discovered a surprising and passionate interest in statistics, writing code (R), machine learning, and AI. I'm mostly lurking here as I continue my explorations ... AI, etc. in library land is particularly exciting!

    Thanks for the place to be,
    Erin

    ------------------------------
    Erin Matas
    Library Director
    Michigan Technological University
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 08, 2021 02:17 PM
    Dear Colleagues,

    I am Win Shih from University of Southern California Libraries. In the last few years, I have been following researches, development, and applications of AI, machine learning, and voice technology in library and information organizations. My team explored Amazon Alexa app and developed three Alexa skills that allow patrons to query library catalog  and library hours/events verbally, as well as get answers for commonly asked questions. My experiment led to an issue on voice assistants in Library Technology Reports. Attending this year's IDEA Institute on AI, I expand my knowledge of AI further.  I also include some AI content in my course on library and information technology management at the MMLIS program at USC.

    Look forward to learning from everyone.

    Best,

    Win



    ------------------------------
    Win Shih
    Director of Integrated Library Systems
    University of Southern California
    He/Him/His
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Oct 11, 2021 04:08 PM

    Hi All,
    I was thrilled this group was created. Hoping I am sending this reply correctly in this system.


    My intro-- I am Michelle Volesko Brewer, medical librarian for Wolters Kluwer, Learning Research and Practice LRP--  e.g. Ovid & Lippincott, for the past 10 years.  I am the manger of market intelligence and work in the market research department. Previously, I was the director of an statewide health association library for 30 years. I work with some teams at LRP that are involved with AI in one form or another, occasionally provide consultation as a subject matter expert for our AI projects, and obviously monitor the marketplace for all things AI/Machine learning, related AI technologies with regard to clinical, healthcare, including VR/AR/XR that can blend AI technologies.   

    I have taught  short sessions about AI at conferences: 1. About using AI for metadata, at the Charleston Conference 2017 preconference  session: "Without Good Metadata, What is the Cost to Society?  What Discoveries are we Missing?" Summary:  https://tinyurl.com/cx55dsmz and  Slides: https://tinyurl.com/2zmhdxbp with Lettie Conrad, Jennifer Kemp and Maryann Martone. 2. Most recently co-presenting with an LRP IT technologist, at the 2021  SLA annual meeting, for their annual DBIO Division Biomedical & Life Sciences - "Industry Partner Roundtable,"  where our Wolters Kluwer presentation was titled "Driving Purposeful Research with Artificial Intelligence and Contextual Inquiry: Perspective and Librarian Resources." 

    Sincerely, 

    Michelle Brewer, Market Intelligence Manager, Wolters Kluwer - Learning, Research and Practice
    michelle.brewer@wolterskluwer.com, 646-660-5817



    ------------------------------
    Michelle Brewer
    Librarian
    Wolters Kluwer
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: Let's introduce ourselves!

    Posted Jan 14, 2022 07:16 AM
    Hi everyone my name is Patrick and I am a student trying to get a MLIS at Drexel University.  I am currently a QA Analyst for a software company trying to escape that place as soon as I possibly can.  I have been working in IT for over 13 years and wanted to chart a new course.  I saw that CORE was looking for volunteers and thought this might be the best place for me to contribute to the conversation.  It is nice to meet you all.

    ------------------------------
    Patrick Burden
    They/Them/Theirs
    ------------------------------

    Original Message