Institutional Strategies for Building Comprehensive AI Programs in Academic Libraries

*Presentation 1: From Strategy to Action: Building a Comprehensive GenAI Program in an Academic Library*

Jason Casden, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Amanda Henley, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Rolando Rodriguez, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Over the past two years, the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Library has developed and implemented a roadmap for supporting generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) needs on campus. These internal planning efforts positioned the Library to partner with campus-wide AI and IT leadership to design and deploy GenAI spaces, services, and tools. This project briefing will share the experience of establishing a GenAI portfolio across three themes: staff readiness, internal research, and public-facing services. Presenters will discuss the development of multiple individual projects, including launching the Library AI Studio, developing a GenAI instruction program, establishing a GenAI fellowship for undergraduates, incorporating GenAI into library workflows, and creating PromptLab—a sandbox environment where all UNC affiliates can safely explore and compare multiple large language models. The project-based strategy included both top-down directives from library leadership and bottom-up initiatives such as staff-led pilots. Attendees will leave with concrete examples of ways to respond quickly and strategically to campus needs emerging from this transformative technology.

*Presentation 2: Building AI Readiness: A Multi-Pronged Approach at the University of Toronto Libraries*

Jacqueline Whyte Appleby, University of Toronto
Jess Whyte, University of Toronto

Academic libraries stand at an inflection point with artificial intelligence (AI)—neither early enough to wait and see, nor late enough to rely on established best practices, which are still emerging and contested. The University of Toronto Libraries has developed a practical, multi-pronged strategy for building organizational AI readiness in this ambiguous middle ground in partnership with Scholars Portal, a shared infrastructure provider and digital preservation platform for Canadian academic libraries based at the University of Toronto. This presentation will discuss two complementary initiatives—one focused on collection readiness and one on Model Context Protocol development—that allowed the Library to explore infrastructure development, staff capacity building, and modes of user engagement in this space.

Learn more: https://www.cni.org/mm/spring-2026/project-briefings-s26

Coalition for Networked Information (CNI)
Presented at the Spring 2026 Membership Meeting
April 13–14, 2026

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