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Install the app →Learn to use AI critically, responsibly, and practically in academic library work.
A free, self-paced curriculum covering AI literacy, research support, reference, metadata, automation, agentic AI, and AI-powered tool building.
Modules are subject to change as the field evolves.
The free curriculum that turns the ACRL AI Competencies and ALA's AI guidance into skills you can use.
30+
countries. The curriculum has been read in the United States, India, Egypt, Canada, the United Kingdom, Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, and beyond.
Free
and open. No sign-up, no paywall, all 18 modules.
Sub-competency level mapping across all 18 modules
The Need for AI Literacy in Academic Libraries
Library users are adopting AI faster than library instruction can keep pace. The challenge is turning growing interest in AI into practical knowledge, critical evaluation skills, and confident, responsible use.
31%
of students start a research project in a general AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. Just 10% start at the library website. 1% ask a librarian.
Clarivate user experience research, 2026
3.2 / 5
Average librarian confidence in AI concepts and terminology - unchanged since 2025. A third of libraries are still at the exploration and evaluation stage.
Pulse of the Library 2026 (n = 1,876)
30%
of libraries report no institutional focus on AI literacy, and half of librarians are building these skills on their own.
Pulse of the Library 2026 (n = 1,876)
This curriculum is the structured support that most libraries do not yet provide - free, sequenced, and mapped to the ACRL competencies. Data from Pulse of the Library 2026, Clarivate.
Start with your role
The curriculum covers both paths. Pick the one that matches your work and we'll highlight your recommended modules across the curriculum - or browse everything.
Reference, instruction, research support
Practicing Librarian
You sit at a reference desk or teach library sessions. You want AI to help you today - drafting emails, building lesson plans, supporting student researchers.
Your track: 15 modules — 01–07, 10–16, 18
Metadata, cataloging, systems, repositories
Digital Librarian
You work with systems, metadata, digital collections, and institutional repositories. You want to understand where AI integrates with the tools you manage.
Your track: 16 modules — 01–05, 08–18
Role shapes confidence. General librarians report the lowest confidence in AI of any role (3.14 out of 5), while systems librarians report the highest (3.59) - Pulse of the Library 2026. Both paths here start from the same foundations, so the gap is a starting point, not a ceiling.
Not sure? Browse the full curriculum and choose what interests you.
Level 1: Foundations
Five modules. Both audiences. Available now.
Level 2: Applied
Eight modules. Practical workflows for daily library work.
Level 3: Advanced
Five modules. Automation, vibe coding, agentic AI, and systems integration.
What changed recently
AI guidance, vendor tools and professional standards change fast. Every module is reviewed against new sources, and each change is logged here so you can see the material is current.
Last content update
October 9, 2026
18 of 18 modules reviewed since August 2026
Each module page also shows its review date under the title.
Latest
AI Literacy for All framework
Modules 01, 04, 05 and 18 now draw on Leo S. Lo's five-component AI literacy framework, including its self-assessment rubric as a starting point for your twelve-month roadmap.
Revised ACRL Framework for Information Literacy
Modules 05 and 07 now reflect the AI language in the revised Framework (September 2, 2026), with direct quotations and updated references.
Show 4 earlier updatesHide earlier updates
AI tools and pricing refreshed
Module 03 now describes the current AI assistants and what their consumer plans do with your data, and Module 16 lists current pricing for the vibe coding tools it uses.
September source audit
Corrections and additions across seven modules, including ALA's adopted AI guidance (CD#44.2), Bartz v. Anthropic, admin controls for vendor AI in discovery tools, and new references.
ARL/CNI Futurescape 2026 report
New sections on agentic AI governance, vendor AI that arrives without a procurement decision, funder AI disclosure rules, informed refusal, and collections as training data.
ALA AI guidance alignment
Four modules strengthened with ALA's AI guidance, a new section on the environmental cost of AI in Module 01, and AI, labor & the library worker added as Module 13.
Contact Us
For questions, speaking inquiries, or collaboration opportunities, please send a message.
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