OCUL

AI is touted as a way to make work easier and more productive. But getting these tools to function consistently and helpfully requires major human labour.

Our new @heqco.bsky.social blog w/ @scholarsportal.bsky.social shares what we're discovering is possible when using genAI tools: oculsp.ca/h1hgt

📍Mark your calendars!
GIS Days 2025 is coming Nov 17-19!

Discover the science of where with us: virtual presentations, demos, tutorials & an in-person open house Nov 19 at Weldon Library. Whether you're new to GIS or an expert, all are welcome! lib.uwo.ca/gisdays #WesternU

A brown background with the text "Beyond the Algorithm Reading Club – November topic: AI literacy, values and affect.” Under the text is the OCUL logo. To the right of the text are white over-ear headphones resting on a row of three colourful books.

The Nov. installment of our Beyond the Algorithm reading club is coming up!

TOPIC: AI literacy, values and affect.

Sign up for 1 of 2 online drop-ins to discuss the month’s readings and topic. Drop-ins are open to all academic library workers.

Learn more and register: oculsp.ca/emei1

A white background with the texture of paper. In the centre of the background is a bright green paint smear and a quote in black text: "A library was nothing without its people...without them, all the sacredness was gone. It was just a building with books." The quote is credited to Scott Douglas.

It's #CanadianLibraryWorkersDay 🎉

Today (and truly, every day!) we celebrate the incredible dedication, knowledge and passion of academic library workers. Thank you for championing access to information and creating spaces where everyone belongs.

A dark green background with a bright green single large quotation mark positioned to the right of the background. Down the middle of the quotation mark is black text: "214 consortial e-resource licenses managed; OCUL Annual Report 2024-2025." To the left of the quotation mark is the OCUL logo.

We manage 200+ e-resource licenses and with the USD exchange curtailing member library purchasing power by nearly 30% last year, consortial licensing helps ensure access to scholarly research.

Read “The Power of Consortial Licensing: A Case Study in Value” in our annual report ➡️ oculsp.ca/1dmu5

Thank you for including our latest AI Tools for Academic Libraries blog post!

Will Libraries Survive AI? It seems that every new technology has given rise to predictions that libraries will soon fade into irrelevance. And yet with every new wave of technology, libraries adapted, expanded, and deepened th...

Will #libraries survive #AI?

ARL Executive Director @andrewkpace.bsky.social says, “The answer is not only yes, but that libraries are more important than ever.”

Read more in this @libraryjournal.bsky.social article: www.libraryjournal.com/story/will-l...

@cni-org.bsky.social

Internationally recognized artist Ken Lum—Order of Canada recipient & Governor General's Award winner—speaks on reading & creative practice. Nov 13, 3-5pm | Weldon Community Room, Western Libraries. Free & all are welcome! Register today! www.westernconnect.ca/site/Calenda... #WesternU

With so many coding and programming AI tools to explore, selecting a best-fit tool for your library's use depends on many factors.

Read our latest blog post for a developer's perspective on a dozen AI coding tools and their pros and cons.

⬇️⬇️⬇️

A dark green background with a large bright green single quotation mark covering most of the background. Down the middle of the quotation mark is black text: "$10 M saved on e-resource spending for members; OCUL Annual Report 2024-2025". To the left of the quotation mark is the OCUL logo.

By leveraging collective buying power to bring vital research resources to Ontario university communities, in the past year, OCUL member libraries saved $10 million on e-resource spending.

Read more about the Power of Consortial Licensing in our annual report: oculsp.ca/1dmu5

There’s still time to take part in the Sept. installment of the Beyond the Algorithm reading club! (And it's open to any academic library worker.)

Join us online Sept. 24 or 29 to discuss this month’s readings on human rights and AI.

Learn more and sign up for a discussion: oculsp.ca/3v471

This week's #ElertCyberavis features recent news and publications relevant to Canadian research libraries from @ocul-libraries.bsky.social @erudit.org @ouvrirlascience.bsky.social @clockssarchive.bsky.social @arl.org @cni-org.bsky.social and more!

mailchi.mp/499da88f3a22...

There's still time to register for CARL's 2025 Canadian Library Assessment Workshop! Reserve your spot by September 26th!
www.carl-abrc.ca/mini-site-pa...

🚨CARL and CFLA Release New Guide on the Canadian Copyright Act for Accessible Content

🚨L’ABRC et la FCAB publient un nouveau guide sur la Loi canadienne sur le droit d’auteur pour les contenus accessibles

🔗 www.carl-abrc.ca/news/carl-an...

A dark green background, with two rounded rectangular shapes that are magenta and lime green, centred on the background and stacked on one another. Text reads: "OCUL's Latest Efforts in Academic Library Innovation through AI." Below the text are five small white and green icons, each representing a different aspect of AI and library technology. To the right of the icons, text reads "Read the update on ocul.on.ca/news".

Curious what AI and machine learning tech we're exploring?

❇️ A genAI-OCR gov docs project supported by @heqco.bsky.social

❇️ An AI-assisted chatbot to potentially improve virtual reference services

❇️ And more!

Read our latest update: oculsp.ca/l3m9s

Now on #TIEBlog
Learn how academic libraries can embed library resources within an LMS to foster #infolit skills among students from librarian Jamia Williams ow.ly/VUMl50WV9xf #LibrarianLife #StudentSuccess

Blue graphic with white and yellow text that reads "Scholars Portal Newsletter".

The September Scholars Portal Newsletter is here! Highlights from this edition include:
🔷New journals, books & Odesi datasets
🔷Updates on Scholaris & the GeoPortal redevelopment
🔷A Spotlight on perpetual access & journal entitlements
🔷Bug fixes & new features

Catch up here: oculsp.ca/459pm

Staying within the lines: a colouring book helps students de-stress - The Queen's Journal Stress may be a constant companion for students, but tucked away in the University’s library is a book that promises relief.The Ol’ Medical Colouring Book was designed by Carolyn Kane, ArtSci ’25, a H...

What a great story from the Queen's Journal about how libraries play an important role in university students' well-being: www.queensjournal.ca/staying-with...

Who doesn't love a good colouring session to de-stress?

ICYMI - we've launched a new book club on AI ethics and librarianship that's open to any academic library worker.

Join us later this month at one of 2 online discussion groups as we explore readings on human rights and AI.

Get access to readings and discussion sign-up: ocul.on.ca/ai-ethics-re...

A collage of 9 Ontario university libraries. At the centre of the collage is a green rectangle and white text that says "Wishing our Ontario university library colleagues a great start to the new academic year!"

📚 Back to the stacks! 📚

Wishing all our academic library colleagues a fantastic first day of fall term!

☀️ Summer may be over, but the party goes on! 🎉

Catch the recording of our first Article Release Party presentation from the Canadian Repositories Community of Practice: youtu.be/I-GsaFp_elE

A brown background with the text "Announcing 'Beyond the Algorithm' - a reading club on AI ethics and academic librarianship'. Under the text is the OCUL logo. To the right of the text are white over-ear headphones resting on top of a stack of three books.

Looking for a space to talk about the intersections of AI ethics & academic librarianship?

Join our new "Beyond the Algorithm" reading club!

Hosted alternating months starting in Sept., this reading club is open to any academic library worker.

Learn more & sign up: ocul.on.ca/ai-ethics-re...

This week's #ElertCyberavis features recent news and publications relevant to Canadian research libraries from @arl.org @ocul-libraries.bsky.social @ala-acrl.bsky.social @libraryleadpipe.bsky.social @rluk.ac.uk and more!

mailchi.mp/aeb63384bf5a...

A dark green background and at the top of the image is the OCUL logo. Below the logo is white text that says "Survey Report - New report shows how Ontario library professionals are using AI tools in their day-to-day work." Two donut charts show examples of the survey results. The chart on the left shows that 72% of professionals "Use AI in their library work." The chart on the right shows that 28% of professionals "Don't use AI in their library work." A call-to-action at the bottom of the image has a green box with the text "Download the report" next to an arrow pointing to a second green box with the URL "oculsp.ca/aiml-report".

A new report from OCUL shows how and why Ontario library professionals use AI tools in their day-to-day work — and their perspectives on these evolving technologies.

Download the report and dive into our findings ➡️ oculsp.ca/aiml-report

Carleton University Library Careers | Director, Library Administrative Services | Ottawa, , Canada Responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of the library’s finances, human resources and facilities. The incumbent ensures the effective and efficient use of resources to support the lib...

The library @carleton.ca is seeking a Director of Library Administrative Services to join the library's executive team.

Job details: carleton.njoyn.com/CL2/xweb/XWe...

#LibraryJobs

💡Looking to make a lasting impact in Canada’s research library community?

CARL is hiring its next Executive Director—a bilingual leader based in Ottawa to guide strategy, advocacy, and collaboration nationally & internationally.

👉 Apply by Oct 1, 2025
🔗 www.carl-abrc.ca/news/job-opp...

AI Tools for Academic Libraries: AI Research Assistants - Choice 360 The Ontario Council of University Libraries evaluates five AI research tools for library workflows, including Elicit, Perplexity, and more.

Our first blog in a new series on AI Tools for Academic Libraries is live!

This #LTIblog partnership with @choicereviews.bsky.social offers a practical look at AI tools so library professionals can make informed, confident decisions about AI tech.

Check it out: www.choice360.org/libtech-insi...

Il vous reste encore du temps pour postuler ! La date limite pour soumettre votre candidature a été repoussée au 21 août.

Copyright as an ethical dimension of visual research: preserving ownership across the research process Visual research methods require researchers to consider ethical concerns around the ownership of visual artefacts created by participants like drawings or photographs. While previous research has c...

This morning's read is "Copyright as an ethical dimension of visual research: Preserving ownership across the research process" that explores the dilemma of research participant copyright ownership and scholarly publishing.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

A screenshot of the Western Association of Map Libraries Geospatial Data Management Interview Series landing page, featuring an interview with Alicia Urquidi Diaz from the Scholars GeoPortal Redevelopment Project.

Our Metadata & Data Services Librarian, Alicia, recently did an interview with the Western Association of Map Libraries about the GeoPortal Redevelopment Project.

Read the full interview to learn more about key project tasks, new infrastructure, metadata enhancements, and more: oculsp.ca/gkuag