CNI Spring 2026 Membership Meeting

Artificial intelligence (AI) has already transformed how people search, read, write, learn, and share information—the very terrain libraries have stewarded for generations. Yet many of the decisions shaping AI policy and adoption on campuses are being made without librarians in the room. In this framing plenary, Rebekah Cummings argues that library values and expertise make librarians essential participants and natural leaders in this critical conversation. Drawing on experiences ranging from a statewide political campaign to co-directing a Summer Institute on Humanities Perspectives on AI, Cummings reflects on her own journey finding a “seat at the table” and shares her conviction that wherever AI touches the information space, librarians must be centered in the conversation. This framing talk will be followed by a panel of library leaders from across the country who are actively shaping campus AI initiatives and demonstrating what it looks like for libraries to lead.

Note: The panel portion and Q&A will not be recorded.