Month: April 2023

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AI and Schools Workshop at Texas Library Association

Friday, April 21, 2023

9:30 am – 11 am

Room 615AB at Hilton Austin

Join us for a workshop where we’ll be delving into the crucial topic of AI literacy. Together, we’ll be designing an educational program for high school students to help them learn about the future of AI and its impact on their lives and careers. Topics include algorithmic bias, generative AI, disinformation, and self-driving cars. School librarians attending the TLA 2023 Conference are invited to join us for an exciting and enriching experience!

RSVP Google Form https://shorturl.at/eirGJ

About the IMLS LADDER Project

This workshop is funded through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services for our project, “Training Future Faculty in Library, AI, and Data Driven Education and Research (LADDER).” The goal of this project is to prepare future LIS faculty who have hybrid expertise in leveraging libraries and AI and data science to benefit libraries.
LADDER Fellows conduct collaborative research with school, academic, and public librarians as well as the principal investigators, Soo Young Rieh, Ken Fleischmann, and David Lankes.

Here is a flyer on the workshop:

SchoolLibrarianWorkshopDownload
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Jeff Penka named Bowden Advisor

Jeff Penka, President/CEO, LittleSeed, Inc. (https://littleseed.io) has been named as an advisor to the Bowden Professor joining Roosevelt Weeks, Angela Craig, Lorraine J. Haricombe, and Jim Neal. The informal advisory board gives the Bowden Professor advice, keeps him apprised of opportunities, and helps connect the work of the professorship to the greater library community.

Penka brings a background in library services, and extensive experience in entrepreneurship. His bio:

ENTREPRENEURIAL TECHNOLOGY LEADER
Strong innovative, executive leader and senior product management professional with over 20 years proven experience in:

  • characterizing market needs across a variety of industries and the consumer web
  • defining product vision, portfolio and product roadmaps, market introduction and launch plans
  • creating and managing web-based, multisided businesses
  • leading product development efforts and organizational process transformations
  • deploying and supporting information services globally

Offers a unique blend of exceptional communications, project and business management, product development, and technology expertise. Skilled in developing technology-based services, managing geographically distributed and matrixed teams, and leading organizational, cultural, process, and business transformations.

Specializing in lean business and product practices; utilizing outcomes-focused processes to rapidly validate and evolve market appropriate solutions.

Veteran public speaker, recognized author, trainer, and facilitator.