• Graphic with the text Archivists in the Loop and an image of people working in an archival reading room.
  • Graphic with the text Archivists in the Loop and an image of people working in an archival reading room.
  • Graphic with the text Archivists in the Loop and an image of people working in an archival reading room.
  • A graphic in blue and maize colors with the text Archivists in the Loop that is used as a visual identifier of the symposium.

Archivists in the Loop

A symposium on archival reference services in the generative AI moment

 

Archival Reference Services in the Generative AI Moment

The Archivists in the Loop symposium will focus on developing a practical understanding about the implications of generative AI and the work of archival reference services. The symposium will convene in June 2026 for a two-day series of workshops and group discussions on the topics of description, archival reference, access, and technology. The symposium is generously sponsored by the Bentley Historical Library and the University of Michigan School of Information.

A meeting of the minds to develop useful, actionable recommendations for how archivists can provide reference services alongside generative AI tools.

Due to budget constraints, we have opted to make this an invitation-only event, but we welcome questions and input from anyone interested in learning more about or participating in the project! Please reach out to the organizers at jajohnst@umich.edu and megcourt@umich.edu. Read more about our motivating questions on the “about” page.

Following the symposium, we will report on the convening’s key discussions and invite comment from a broad range of archival practitioners and scholars. Reporting activities will be described at this web page, but may also be published externally. Our planned outputs include a guide for reference archivists regarding the impact of generative AI tools and the work of archival reference, analyses or reports on the implications of generative AI for user access services, and potential future research activities.

Symposium Information and Updates

Ann Arbor in June

Picture of people sitting on an outdoor staircase on the University of Michigan North campus

June is a beautiful time in Ann Arbor, so if you have a chance to get out to see the campus, or just a walk around, there’s many things to do.

Preparation

Archivists in the Loop title graphic

We are sharing a few resources with the request that all participants read or review the “pre-reads” in the hopes of developing a shared frame of reference for discussing archival reference and generative AI. Below, we are providing additional resources for those looking for more information, such as overviews of LLM-based, generative AI tools, and other items that may be of interest.

Logistics for Lodging and Travel

Picture of people sitting on an outdoor staircase on the University of Michigan North campus

This update has information about the overall schedule, travel planning, and recommended hotel option for those attending from out of town.