AI for librarians

A practical course for librarians and library staff on using AI for reference support, program planning, collection descriptions and patron communication, while teaching patrons about fake citations and protecting reader privacy.

For: Public, school, academic and special librarians and library staff, in any country, who want to use AI well and help their communities do the same.

Start lesson 1

When you finish

You can sort library tasks into AI-drafts, AI-assists-you-decide, and stays-human.
You can write prompts for program plans, handouts, finding-aid summaries, newsletters and reference follow-ups.
You can help patrons spot AI errors such as invented sources and confident but wrong answers.
You can protect patron privacy and follow your library's policies and professional ethics.
You can plan 30 days of practice and describe your AI skills honestly to your library director and community.

Lessons

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Final exam and certificate

8 questions. Score 7 or more for a free certificate of completion you can share and add to LinkedIn. Unlimited tries.

Take the final exam

Prompts you can use today

Copy one, replace the [brackets] with your details, and paste it into the AI tool you use. Leave out anything private.

Plan a patron workshop

Plan a 60-minute workshop for [audience, e.g. older adults new to computers] titled '[title]'. Include learning goals, a timed outline, a short hands-on activity, a one-page handout in plain language and three questions to check understanding. Keep examples free of any personal data.

Handout on checking AI answers

Write a one-page handout in plain language that teaches library patrons how to check an AI answer: look for sources, check that each source exists, compare with a trusted reference, watch for confident tone, and ask a librarian. Use short sentences and a simple checklist.

Reader's advisory ideas

A patron enjoyed books about [themes, e.g. small-town mysteries with gentle humor]. Suggest types of books and reading themes to explore, and how to search our catalog for them. Do not give specific titles; I will check the catalog myself.

Summarize a finding aid or long report

Summarize the text below for a library staff meeting. Use headings: purpose, main points, items that affect our services, questions to follow up. Quote page numbers where possible. Do not add anything not in the text. Text: [paste public text]

Draft a collection or display description

Write a short, welcoming description for a display titled '[title]' featuring [topic]. Keep it under 80 words. Make it inclusive of different ages and backgrounds. Do not make claims about the books' content that I did not provide. Details: [details]

Reply to a patron email

Draft a friendly reply to a patron who asked about [general topic, no personal details]. Use the library information below. Include hours, how to reach a librarian and one next step. Do not promise availability of items. Library information: [info]

Plain-language policy explanation

Rewrite this library policy at an 8th-grade reading level, keeping every rule, fee and date the same. Add a short 'What this means for you' box. Policy: [paste]

Verify a list of sources

Below is a list of sources produced by an AI tool. For each, tell me what to check to confirm it exists (author, title, publisher or journal, year) and suggest which library database or catalog I should search. Do not say whether any source is real. List: [paste]

Ask the AI tutor

Ask anything about this course, in any language. The tutor is an AI: it can be wrong, and it never needs your personal details.

AI-drafted. Checked by an automated validator and a separate AI reviewer; a person has not read every lesson. Translations and tutor answers are AI-made. Found a mistake? Tell us. Tool facts last checked November 2026; features change, so check the product's own help pages. AI can be wrong. General information, not professional advice. Product names identify the tools taught; no affiliation or endorsement. Current University is not accredited; certificates of completion are not degrees, credit or licenses.