Southern Library Support Staff Conference 2026

Algorithms, Influence, and the Library’s New Role in the Age of AI - Charisse Brent
With this lightning talk presentation, I aim to explore how artificial intelligence has transformed propaganda from something visible and centralized into something invisible and personalized. What once appeared in posters or broadcasts now lives in algorithms that predict and manipulate human behavior—deciding what we see, believe, and even feel. This new wave of AI-driven propaganda thrives not on persuasion alone, but on precision—learning from our data, feeding our emotions, and shaping our worldviews without our awareness.
In this talk, I argue that libraries—long defenders of truth, access, and equity—stand at a critical crossroads. As AI becomes embedded in search systems, discovery tools, and metadata, libraries must evolve from being passive providers of information to active mediators of algorithmic influence. The presentation calls on librarians to champion algorithmic literacy, demand transparency in AI systems, and uphold human-centered ethics in technology use. Ultimately, it’s a call to action: in a world where machines increasingly shape what we know, libraries must lead the movement to ensure that knowledge remains a human right, not a data product.

From Archive to Algorithm: Turning Staff Expertise into AI Power - Jim Duran
Library special collections rely on experienced staff and so do effective AI tools. At the Vanderbilt Television News Archive, domain expertise from long-serving staff is helping shape smarter machine learning tools. This session highlights how staff knowledge is translated into AI applications that improve processing, cataloging, and research support.

Troubleshooting AI Requests for Interlibrary Loan - Amanda Hardin, Kathy Foushee
This presentation will focus on Western Kentucky University Libraries’ experience with incorrect citations created by AI and their effect on Interlibrary Loan requests. We will share our experience with actual AI created Interlibrary Loan requests and provide examples to assist others in identifying AI generated citations.