AI for Hospital Librarians

Posted by Margot M on October 5th, 2026 Posted in: Communities of Interest
Tags: artificial intelligence, hospital librarians, hospital library advisory group

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In August 2025, during the annual meeting of the Hospital Library Advisory Group for Region 7, hospital librarians expressed a need for a dedicated forum to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications for library services. In response, Region 7 launched an AI Community of Practice (CoP). The goal was to foster peer learning and resource sharing.

To encourage active participation and shared ownership, the CoP was limited in size, and members committed to contributing a specific deliverable. Early discussions revealed a need for practical training. Participants wanted to explore: the librarian’s role alongside information technology and education departments; instructional opportunities for teaching AI; and core issues such as the evolution of prompt development, AI-generated content evaluation, and the integration of AI tools in library databases. Training needed to be grounded in the realities of hospital librarianship.

The CoP hosted peer exchange discussions, guest blog posts, peer presentations. A subgroup of the CoP created an online resource guide featuring annotated AI resources.

• Region 7 blog posts tagged with artificial intelligence.
• Recorded presentations on the NNLM AI Community of Practice playlist
• Resource Guide on Artificial Intelligence for Hospital Librarians.

Participant feedback led to the development of a training webinar in collaboration with Cushing/Whitney Medical Library that will be hosted in December 2026. Registration is available at this link.

A facilitated discussion of A Giant Leap: How AI Is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future by Robert Wachter will be held in 2027.

These activities provide multiple avenues for hospital librarians to explore AI concepts, exchange experiences, and develop practical skills relevant to their work.

Our heartfelt gratitude to AI CoP members: Adwoa Boateng, Carol Cave-Davis, Tom Cummiskey, Jill Daby, Maureen Dunn, Kate Erwin, Johanna Goldberg, Karen Goodman, Bridget Gunn, Wendy Herman, Anne-Marie Kaminsky, Judy Lee, Melis Lydston, Dina McKelvy, Megan McNichol, Elizabeth Merkle, Robin O’Hanlon, Stacy Posillico, Laurie Regan, Carly Schanock, Mary Shah, Celine Soudant, and Elaina Vitale.