Conference Call? Or Conference Proceedings.

Hello Colleague,

I’m back from an intense few days at the ACRL 2025 Conference in Minneapolis Minnesota. If you didn’t know, ACRL stands for Association of College and Research Libraries and it is a division of the ALA (American Library Association).

While there I made friends, learned a fair bit about the state of librarianship with this current administration and had a bunch of coffees. I have come to some revelations about me in the world of librarianship as well and am exploring my sense of belonging.

So lets get into it.

ACRL 2025 had a number of sessions that were geared toward AI. Most Specifically Generative AI. Bring on the tech. What many of the information sessions discussed was how we integrate generative AI into academia and the various prompts that we create. Also using Generative Ai is a “co-creative” experience not just the input and response that we deem it to be.

This co-creation has many different paradigms and modalities that can disrupt the mechanistic routine of using generative AI. I went to a panel on the Queering of Modalities(?) of Generative AI. Talk about mind blown.

Traditionally the information lenders or sources for the information that generative AI pulls from is that of those behind the creation models and datasets that it uses. Many of these people if not most are White, and male. This can create immanent biases in the information that Generative AI prioritizes for the end user.

The AI stuff cooks my brain like a pancake (mmm with butter) but essentially if we are to develop truly intelligent AI we have to diversify the models and datasets that it pulls from and CREDIBLE non traditional sources should be brought to the forefront as well.

I also went to a series of Panels, Talks, Roundtables, and Poster sessions concerning Black library workers. We showed up and did not disappoint in the slightest. The PoC numbers were few compared to the general population in the storied halls of the Minneapolis Convention Center but the group settings were intimate and still took up space. We discussed things that we’re the topic of the day like why library workers typically don’t make the jump to full time librarian, or why library workers don’t receive the same educational benefit of attending professionally development (e.g. the ACRL conference). There were talks about justifying our presence in library spaces, and i even got some advice on navigating Co-workers who mean well but don’t when to trust my experience to substantiate what I’m saying. What I most took away is that black folx are not a monolith. What I feel may be correct for entreating black library staff for the proper way to provide unbiased conversation may not be the way others want to be spoken to or about. Again black folx are not a monolith, we are as varied as the sand in front of the shore of the ocean of eclecticism.

I also got a chance to connect with black library workers who may be in a higher position than myself, at the director level or associate university librarian level. What I learned from that is that the same issues persist just with more responsibility. I got to network and connect with many leaders at their colleges and hope to get to know them in the future.

Its tough to remember everything that happened but to close this post here some fun facts:

I Went to an Black Owned Bookstore and Got 50% percent off

I Took a Picture next to an Artist formerly known as Prince Mural

I Took My Wife to Ruth’s Chris Steak House and they surprised us with a cheesecake

I Walked about 3 miles each day in the Downtown Minneapolis Area

Lastly, I have been reading some interesting things that have been developing my writing, (not seen in this post) and I am fleshing out an idea about the root of my politics. So the next post will be a banger about Feminism and being in a Feminist Space. Keep watch for that one, it may get deep!

enjoy your time with this spring of renewal and

remember that it always gets better

best,