Preparation

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.

Pre-Reads

Everyone should read or review these:

• Duff, Wendy M., Elizabeth Yakel, and Helen Tibbo, “Archival Reference Knowledge,” American Archivist 76 (2013):68–94. DOI: 10.17723/aarc.76.1.x9792xp27140285g.
• Jesse A. Johnston and Meghan Courtney, “Archival Reference Services in an Age of AI,” Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, online first. DOI: 10.1177/15501906261439244.
• Ed Summers, “Some things to consider when deciding whether to start building with ‘AI’ in libraries and archives.”, 12 March 2024, available at https://inkdroid.org/2024/03/12/ai/.
• Emilie Hardman, “Like It or Not, AI Has Arrived in Archives,” Katina Magazine (March 2026), available at https://katinamagazine.org/content/article/open-knowledge/2026/like-it-or-not-ai-has-arrived-in-archives.

Additional Resources - Generative AI

For those who want to catch up or refresh about what we’re talking about when we talk about “generative AI” and LLMs, here are a few additional resources:

• Andrej Karpathy, “Intro to Large Language Models,” 1-hour talk (November 2023), available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjkBMFhNj_g.
• AI4LAM (AI for Libraries, Archives, and Museums), community list of “Introduction to AI” resources.
• MIT Management Teaching & Learning, Glossary of Generative AI Terms.
• AI Fatigue Bibliography (May 2026), shared at Michigan Academic Library Association 2026 Conference; provides a range of articles and resources that discuss critical approaches to AI adoption and tools.

Additional Resources - AI Projects & Policies of Interest to Archives

There are already many resources discussing the intersection of AI and collections, resource management, and implications for policy and management. Here are a few that we’ve noted, in no particular order:

• Carolyn Caizzi and Amy Deschenes, “From Card Catalogs to Semantic Search: Building a Human-Centered Discovery Platform Powered by AI Technologies,” Information Technology and Libraries (2026). doi: 10.5860/ital.v45i1.17511.
• Mannheimer, Sara, Doralyn Rossmann, Jason Clark, Yasmeen Shorish, Natalie Bond, Hannah Scates Kettler, Bonnie Sheehey, and Scott W. H. Young, “Introduction to the Responsible AI Special Issue,” Journal of eScience Librarianship 13 (2024, no. 1): e860. DOI: 10.7191/jeslib.860.
• Library of Congress Labs, LC Labs AI Planning Framework, available at https://libraryofcongress.github.io/labs-ai-framework/.
• Mia Ridge, “Hold steady: centering the human in the hype of AI,” keynote at the Swedish National Heritage Board in Gothenburg (November 2024), available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voDWMB-903k.
• Running list of RAG projects in libraries/archives, collated by Tom Cramer & AI4LAM group
• ALA Center for the Future of Libraries, “Artificial Intelligence,” at https://www.ala.org/future/trends/artificialintelligence.
• ALA Artificial Intelligence Policy Working Group, “Guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Libraries” (April 2026 DRAFT), PDF available here.
• Thomas Padilla, “Responsible Operations: Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI in Libraries,” OCLC Research Report (2019). DOI: 10.25333/xk7z-9g97.
• Claire Kelley, “Solidarity in Action: Labor, AI, and the Future of Libraries,” Library Journal (July 2025), available online.

Additional Resources - Archival Access and Reference

• Digital Library Federation Born-Digital Access Working Group (DLF BDAWG), “Access Values,” (2020), available at https://osf.io/dzhcp.
• Yakel, Elizabeth, and Deborah A. Torres. 2003. “AI: Archival Intelligence and User Expertise,” American Archivist 66. DOI: 10.17723/aarc.66.1.q022h85pn51n5800.