About

While the implications of AI on society have been a major topic of discussion across disciplines, the impacts and potentials of AI tools in archival reference have not been fully explored. Anecdotally, we know that reference staff already have plenty of inquiries and, often, in-person reference services to provide. So what happens when users arrive (or more likely send inquiries by email) and expect ChatGPT-style answers but encounter collections described at the series level? What do reference archivists need to know about AI in order to support user access in the current technology moment? The Archivists in the Loop convening will discuss challenges and opportunities that AI tools raise in the context of archival reference. Participants will address questions such as: How do users’ expectations and archival practices continue to diverge, and can we bring them together through archival reference services and using technology? How is generative AI affecting archival reference services? What do reference archivists need to know about AI in order to support user access?

The Archivists in the Loop symposium will convene a small and interactive group of participants with various perspectives on AI research in archives for a two-day series of panels and group discussions on the topics of description, archival reference, access, and technology. As a second phase, following the symposium, we will report on the convening’s key discussions and invite comment from a broad range of archival practitioners and scholars. This phase will focus publishing a guide for reference archivists regarding AI tools, implications for user access services, and potential future research steps.