OVERVIEW: The purpose of the session is to introduce archives-appropriate Artificial Intelligence (AI) concepts and tools in a way that is comprehensible to those who are not technical experts. While AI is broadly discussed in our professions, particularly its dangers, there is little information available on what facets of AI might be useful to us and how to access them. This session answers those questions, presenting the results of a year-long study applying 25 AI tools to the William Elliot Griffis collection at Rutgers University Libraries. A cross-disciplinary team conducted the research. The lead researcher is an archivist with 30 years of programming experience. Additional technical expertise was supplied by a computer science professional with AI knowledge, a virtual reality scholar who has experience applying innovative techniques to archives, and a digital humanities faculty member. The AI tools were used on untranscribed handwritten and typewritten documents and photographs, producing narrative descriptions, identifying hidden patterns, and suggesting new ways to organize the material. Session attendees will learn about the types of AI applications available and their comparative strengths and weaknesses. They will see concrete examples of how AI can enhance discovery for information professionals, researchers, and educators.
The session will provide a non-technical introduction and practical guide to AI tools that can be used with NAGARA manuscript and photographic collections. The tools will be discussed in a use case, with three scenarios that focus on different audiences and include tasks, tool evaluations, and possible implementation actions. Scenario One describes how to extract narrative from graphical images; this will be of interest to librarians and archivists, and researchers dealing with historical image material. Scenario Two introduces tools for researchers to analyze text and image data. Scenario Three, showing how to make new connections within collections, would be of interest to repository managers while giving researchers a glimpse of what is possible.
GARA CERTIFICATE CORE COMPETENCY AREA: "Emerging Technologies"
GEORGIA RECORDS ASSOCIATION GRMP CREDIT: 1 Credit in AK5
TARGET AUDIENCE: Federal, State/Tribal, Local, Public Institutions of Higher Learning
FOCUS AREAS: Archives, Records Management, Technology/Tools
PRESENTER: Sonia Yaco, Digital Initiatives and Emerging Technologies Librarian, Rutgers University