OLA Events

Did you miss out on a popular in-person presentation at OLA Super Conference 2026? In the Super Conference Callback series, OLA invites a curated selection of presenters to replicate or reimagine their in-person conference session in the form of a webinar as part of its summer programming. We hope that the sessions provided will improve accessibility for those who were unable to attend or for whom in-person conference is not a good fit. Tune in live to a virtual session on its scheduled date, or sign up for on-demand access (available until August 31st, 2026)! View all offerings of this program here.

In this session:

Generative artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming knowledge work, and libraries are not immune. While new technologies can bring efficiencies, they also pose profound risks to the library workforce—potentially displacing tasks traditionally performed by librarians, technicians, and staff. This conversation invites participants to explore how AI intersects with library labour, focusing on which roles may be most vulnerable, the ethical stakes of automation, and how collective agreements and labour law may protect—or fail to protect—workers. Together, we will debate whether AI offers meaningful opportunities for innovation or whether the profession faces a future of devaluation and de-skilling. Participants will share their perspectives, surface common concerns, and collaboratively generate strategies to safeguard professional expertise, advocate for ethical practices, and envision more resilient futures. This is not a presentation but a dialogue: attendees’ insights and experiences will shape the direction of the session.