Lyrasis Learning
Class Series

What should libraries make of the new Artificial Intelligence technologies? What place do they have in the library’s work? And what should libraries keep in mind as the technology moves forward? This series of three classes explores these and related questions in order to help you make the decisions necessary in our modern, increasingly AI-saturated world.

A Tale as Old as Time: Fair Use, AI and the Evolving Landscape of eResource Agreements

This presentation draws on the expertise and research of an experienced negotiator to review just how the law works, why you need to know about it and the overall legal landscape of AI. This presentation also includes a review of completed and pending litigation; the applications of copyright law and fair use of AI for libraries and strategies for licensing AI for electronic resources in vendor/publisher contracts.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Develop actionable strategies for licensing artificial intelligence in electronic resource agreements
• Discuss how new technologies are, or should be, managed through licensing agreements by incorporating

From Search Queries to Smart Prompts: A Librarian’s Guide to Working with AI Tools

This webinar introduces librarians to practical strategies for using AI tools effectively in library work. As generative AI becomes more common in research, instruction and daily workflows, it is increasingly important to know how to communicate with these systems clearly, evaluate their responses, and recognize their limits. Participants will examine how AI-assisted information seeking differs from traditional searching and how to create prompts that produce clearer, more useful results.

The session will cover prompt-writing strategies with live demonstrations and examples drawn from library practice. Attendees will explore how AI can support tasks such as reference work, readers’ advisory, summarization and drafting, while also learning when traditional library sources and professional judgment remain essential. 

The session will also address common concerns, including inaccurate responses, hallucinated citations, bias, privacy and responsible use in library settings. Participants will leave with a stronger foundation for using AI critically and for helping patrons and colleagues do the same.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate between traditional search queries and effective AI prompts
• Write clearer prompts that improve the quality and usefulness of AI responses
• Evaluate AI outputs for accuracy, relevance, bias and source reliability
• Identify practical ways AI tools may support library services and workflows

Libraries and the Risks of AI

Are libraries and AI technology fundamentally incompatible? How does AI fit into our profession’s values? Does it fit at all? Explore these questions in this session that takes a long, hard look at AI’s place in librarianship.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• List at least three areas of tension between librarianship and AI
• Evaluate your library’s use of AI in the context of the values of the profession

As academic library landscapes evolve, librarians must deliver instruction that is scalable, inclusive and deeply integrated into the research lifecycle. The Instruction & Technology in Libraries webinar series equips information professionals with the practical skills needed to build high-impact asynchronous learning objects, cultivate digital accessibility and master essential bibliographic tools. Across three targeted workshops, participants will move from theoretical best practices to actionable implementation strategies, enabling sustainable, user-centered library instruction without requiring advanced technical expertise.

Making Great Video Tutorials: Best Practices and Practical Planning

Well-designed video tutorials have become a cornerstone of effective asynchronous library instruction, supporting students at their point of need while scaling instruction across courses and programs. This session focuses on practical, evidence‑based strategies for creating short, engaging and sustainable video tutorials that demonstrate key research skills rather than merely describing them. Participants will explore instructional design principles such as modularity, clear learning objectives, inverted pyramid structure, accessibility and maintainable workflows. Drawing on real-world examples and production tips, the presentation emphasizes how librarians can produce videos that are pedagogically sound, user‑centered and adaptable over time.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Explain the pedagogical advantages and limitations of video tutorials within asynchronous library instruction, including when and how they are most effective
• Design short, modular video tutorials using clear learning objectives, scripting and visual strategies that support usability and accessibility
• Apply sustainable production and implementation practices, such as workflows, captioning, updating and embedding, to maintain a coherent, programmatic suite of instructional videos

Making LibGuides Work for Everyone: Practical Accessibility Tips 

LibGuides are essential tools for connecting users with library resources, but are they truly accessible to everyone? Ensuring your guides meet current accessibility standards isn't just a best practice; it's fundamental to providing equitable information access for all members of your community, including those using assistive technologies. This session is designed for all librarians, even if you're new to accessibility concepts.

This practical webinar moves beyond theory to provide actionable strategies specifically for the LibGuides platform, starting with the basics. We will explore key principles of web accessibility (WCAG) and demonstrate how to apply them directly within the LibGuides editor. Discover common pitfalls in guide creation, from heading structure and image descriptions to link text and color contrast, and learn straightforward techniques to build more inclusive, user-friendly guides from the ground up or remediate existing ones. We'll cover leveraging built-in features and simple content adjustments that make a significant difference, no prior expertise required.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Recognize common accessibility issues in LibGuides and explain why they matter for equitable access
• Remediate guides using practical techniques in the LibGuides editor (headings, alt text, link text, layouts)
• Evaluate & Plan: Use simple tools to check accessibility and prioritize sustainable improvements for future guides

Zotero for Librarians

Zotero is a powerful, free, open-source tool that supports the full research lifecycle, from capturing sources to creating polished bibliographies. This workshop introduces librarians to Zotero’s core features and workflows while focusing on practical strategies for supporting and teaching the tool in academic library contexts. Participants will explore how Zotero enables users to collect, organize, annotate and cite research materials across platforms, as well as how its browser connectors and word processor integrations streamline citation management This workshop is suitable for librarians seeking both foundational knowledge of Zotero and practical insights for implementing sustainable support and instruction programs.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate core Zotero workflows, including installing the software, capturing citations from the web, organizing libraries and generating citations and bibliographies 
• Design and deliver effective Zotero instruction, integrating the tool into workshops, course instruction and research consultations tailored to different audiences 

Master the art of effective online instruction for libraries. This comprehensive collection of workshops explores best practices for designing, delivering and sustaining instruction in both synchronous (live virtual classes) and asynchronous (scalable, flexible) formats. You will learn how to create engaging, pedagogically sound video tutorials, apply “Plain Language” guidelines for clearer online materials and leverage learning management systems to reach students at scale. Gain concrete strategies for maximizing student engagement in live sessions, ensuring your online content is fully accessible and building a coherent, programmatic suite of instruction that strengthens your teaching and outreach efforts.

Asynchronous Online Instruction 

Asynchronous instruction has become essential for reaching students at scale while meeting their needs for flexible, accessible learning. This session explores best practices for designing, delivering and sustaining effective asynchronous library instruction that goes beyond static tutorials and passive content. Drawing on practical examples from video tutorials, research guides, interactive quizzes and learning management systems, participants will learn how to plan instruction programmatically, balance scalability with personalization and integrate library learning objects into courses where students already are. The presentation emphasizes reusable, modular design, optimized for accessibility and iterative improvement, and offers concrete strategies that librarians and instructors can apply immediately to strengthen their online teaching and outreach.

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify the key advantages, limitations and core characteristics of asynchronous library instruction
• Design scalable, effective asynchronous learning objects that align with course assignments and support student motivation
• Apply practical strategies for integrating and sustaining asynchronous instruction, including planning, communication with faculty and iterative improvement over time

Synchronous Teaching Online

Online classes have become increasingly the norm over the last decade, and more so since the Covid pandemic. This session aims to make these live online classes less daunting for librarian instructors by exploring how to leverage the virtual classroom environment, discussing the pros and cons compared to in-person instruction and maximizing student engagement during your time together.

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify the advantages and disadvantages of synchronous online instruction
• Be able to move from the classroom to videoconference
• Define essential core competencies for online teachers

Teaching Online in Plain Language

“Plain language” is a term from the legal field: federal law requires that government agencies are required to use clear communication that the public can understand and use. As online teachers, we can take advantage of the set of clear guidelines and best practices that has grown up around this requirement. The federal plain language guidelines are fully in line with web usability recommendations, and can help streamline and clarify our online teaching. Whether you’re writing for a library website, a tutorial, a research guide or some other format, you’ll learn how to make your materials more accessible to the widest possible audience without dumbing them down.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand what “plain language” means, what the law says about it and how it affects library users
• Write better and clearer online instructional materials
• Use checklists for assessing online writing
• Design online teaching materials for better reading and comprehension
• Identify common writing pitfalls in online instruction and how to fix them using plain language

Library leaders and staff constantly juggle diverse initiatives, from launching new community programs and digital services to managing facility updates, often with tightly constrained resources. This hands-on, 3-part intensive series is designed to give you the practical tools to turn big ideas into manageable, successful realities.

Over three targeted sessions, participants will work step-by-step with a real-world library project concept of their own choosing. Together, we will map out the project lifecycle, identify key stakeholders, draft realistic scopes and schedules and define clear deliverables. We will also dive into communication strategies tailored for library environments to foster collaboration across departments and community partners, while exploring proactive ways to anticipate and navigate common roadblocks.

Bring your library project idea and exit this intensive with the confidence, clarity and and an actionable roadmap to move your initiative forward.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this series, participants will be able to:

• Navigate the Project Lifecycle: Identify the core phases of a project and pinpoint common pitfalls in library project planning
• Build a Comprehensive Roadmap: Develop a customized library project plan that integrates scope, schedule, communications, quality measures and deliverables
• Maximize Stakeholder Engagement: Apply proven techniques to engage library staff, community partners and stakeholders to improve project outcomes

Design instruction and resources that work for everyone. This course collection introduces powerful, proactive frameworks like Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to help you create teaching materials that are inherently accessible, inclusive, and effective for a diverse student body. You will learn the Essentials of Usability for designing clear, easy-to-understand library research guides and apply "Plain Language" principles to streamline all your online writing. Gain practical, actionable techniques for identifying and remediating common pitfalls, ensuring your LibGuides and other resources meet current web accessibility standards (WCAG) to provide equitable information access.

Universal Design for Learning 

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) offers librarians a practical, proactive framework for creating instruction that is accessible, inclusive and effective for all students, not just those who disclose disabilities. Rather than retrofitting accommodations after barriers appear, UDL encourages instructors to design learning experiences from the outset that assume student diversity in abilities, learning preferences, technologies and circumstances. This session introduces the core principles and guidelines of UDL and translates them into concrete, low‑barrier techniques tailored to library instruction contexts, including one‑shot sessions, tutorials, LibGuides, slides and online learning objects. Participants will leave with realistic, immediately applicable strategies for reducing cognitive and physical barriers, supporting invisible disabilities and improving student engagement without the need for a full course redesign.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the core principles and guidelines of Universal Design for Learning and explain how UDL differs from traditional, reactive accommodation models
• Identify common instructional barriers in library teaching, particularly those affecting students with invisible disabilities, limited access or competing responsibilities, and map them to UDL‑aligned solutions
• Implement practical UDL techniques in library instruction materials and sessions, such as offering multiple modes of engagement, using plain language and making incremental, sustainable design improvements

Essentials of Usability for Library Research Guides 

Web design, in the form of creating online research guides, has become a big part of many librarians’ jobs, but we’re rarely taught how to do it well. Most of us learn the nuts and bolts of how to make guides without learning the principles of how to make them usable — the simple techniques of visual and textual design that can help us design guides that users will understand easily, and stick around to use.

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Understand how usability design affects library users’ experience
• Recognize what librarians don’t know but need to about web usability
• Apply easy to use principles of usability that can immediately improve your research guides
• Get free resources to share with fellow librarians and guide authors to better inform institutional style plans

Making LibGuides Work for Everyone: Practical Accessibility Tips 

LibGuides are essential tools for connecting users with library resources, but are they truly accessible to everyone? Ensuring your guides meet current accessibility standards isn't just a best practice; it's fundamental to providing equitable information access for all members of your community, including those using assistive technologies. This session is designed for all librarians, even if you're new to accessibility concepts.

This practical webinar moves beyond theory to provide actionable strategies specifically for the LibGuides platform, starting with the basics. We will explore key principles of web accessibility (WCAG) and demonstrate how to apply them directly within the LibGuides editor. Discover common pitfalls in guide creation, from heading structure and image descriptions to link text and color contrast, and learn straightforward techniques to build more inclusive, user-friendly guides from the ground up or remediate existing ones. We'll cover leveraging built-in features and simple content adjustments that make a significant difference, no prior expertise required.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Recognize common accessibility issues in LibGuides and explain why they matter for equitable access
• Remediate guides using practical techniques in the LibGuides editor (headings, alt text, link text, layouts)
• Evaluate & Plan: Use simple tools to check accessibility and prioritize sustainable improvements for future guides