There is a great list of free webinars to dive into this June. Whether you're looking to enhance your technology know-how, explore new approaches to reference services engagement, or design training, there's something here to support your growth. The list, provided by the Maine State Library, includes over 50 webinars and two online conferences.

Have you been thinking about how AI might be able to help with your work in the future? It might be useful to think about the ways AI is already embedded in our daily lives, such as in navigation apps that help us find the best route based on real-time traffic, receiving personalized product recommendations, having email filtered for spam, or using autocorrect when writing messages. These are just a few examples that illustrate the power of AI. It’s also important to acknowledge the trade-offs with these tools, such as the need to review and refine results, the ethical considerations... Read more

As part of our ongoing work on AI, we launched a poll in February’s Crossroads newsletter asking how AI is showing up in your library work. These poll results will inform our upcoming AI content and programming. Let’s dig into what you shared and what we learned!

The two AI topics that are most interesting to respondents are “tools and applications in my work” and “benefits, risks, and ethics.” The poll also asked how often your work involves using AI, and the most popular answer was “rarely” chosen by 27% of respondents. By contrast, the least popular answer was “daily” chosen... Read more

Go to the library and eat a book! The Edible Book is an international event that began in Santa Monica, California in 1999, where people use food to create representations of books, either a specific title or a generic “book.’ Events are usually held at the beginning of April to honor French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), who was born on April 1. Public libraries have hosted Edible Book events in towns as far-flung as Bowdoinham, Maine; Northampton, Massachusetts; Groton, Connecticut; Coconut Grove, Florida; Kirkland, Ohio; and Kearney, Nebraska. 

Judges come up with creative award categories, and after the award presentations,... Read more