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NISO Professional Development Events, March and April 2026

NISO Professional Development Events, March and April 2026

March 2026

March 2026

NISO Webinar

To AI or Not to AI: The Ethics of AI Use
Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 11:00 am–12:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time, US & Canada)

Artificial intelligence is already embedded in many parts of scholarly communication, from editorial screening and peer review support to metadata creation, production workflows, and discovery systems. The question is no longer whether AI will be used, but how it should be used. As organizations move from experimentation to implementation, leaders are grappling with practical decisions about risk, responsibility, transparency, and trust.

This webinar brings together perspectives that span ethical frameworks, institutional policy, governance strategy, and day to day publishing operations. We will explore how to evaluate AI tools thoughtfully, where human oversight must remain central, and how to balance innovation with accountability. What does responsible adoption look like in practice? How can we ensure more transparent processes? And how can shared norms or standards help the community move forward with confidence? This session aims to provide clarity, candor, and practical insight at a pivotal moment as we navigate real operational pressures.

Speakers: Daniel Ayala, Founder and Managing Partner, Secratic; Meredith McFadden, AI Ethics Research Scientist, Institute for Experiential AI at Northeastern University; Sharesly Rodriguez, AI Librarian, San Jose State University; and  Katie Shilton, Professor, INFO Department, University of Maryland and Lead, Ethics & Values in Design (EViD) Lab.

This webinar will be moderated by Rusty Michalak, Library Director, Goldey-Beacom College.
 

New! NISO Training Series

Assessing and Adopting AI: A 2026 NISO Training Series
Thursdays, March 26–May 14, 2026, 11:00 am–12:30 pm (Eastern Standard Time, US & Canada)

From tools that draft emails and summarize articles to systems that support discovery and research workflows, artificial intelligence is moving fast—promising lots of options, if not solutions. How do you know what tool is going to offer real value? It comes from knowing how to evaluate what’s worth using and what’s hype, as well as how responsible adoption happens within the realities of scholarly institutions.

This 8-week training series offers a practical pathway from curiosity to confident implementation. Participants will learn how to assess AI tools, build essential AI literacy grounded in integrity and ethics, and explore how AI is reshaping scholarship—from digital collections and infrastructure to search, discovery, and teaching. The series also addresses copyright, risk, and governance, and culminates in a hands-on “DIY AI” week focused on lightweight tools and actionable strategies you can bring back to your organization.

Assessing and Adopting AI is designed for professionals who need clarity and actionable instruction. It will help you and your organization make smart decisions, develop shared language, and move from experimentation to sustainable practice.

  • Week 1: Approaches for Evaluating AI Tools
  • Week 2: AI for Open Scholarship
  • Week 3: Digital Collections and Infrastructure
  • Week 4: Search and Discovery
  • Week 5: Teaching and Research
  • Week 6: Copyright and Institutions
  • Week 7: Emerging Agents in Research and Scholarship 
  • Week 8: DIY AI: Building Tools, Shaping Strategies

April 2026

NISO Webinar

Deep Dive: Accessibility - Approaching One Year Since the EAA
Wednesday, April 8 2026, 11:00 am–12:00 pm (Eastern Standard Time, US & Canada)

One year out from the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and ahead of US Title II implementation deadlines, we’ll revisit highlights from past NISO accessibility programs to ask what’s changed, what’s working, and where gaps remain. Earlier conversations emphasized standards, shared responsibility, and the importance of accessible design. Now the focus turns to implementation: how accessibility metadata is being embedded into journal workflows, how emerging standards are shaping uniformity and compliance, and how organizations are preparing for regulatory expectations.

We will also explore the operational realities behind accessibility efforts, including the use of AI and automation to scale remediation, the need for quality control and human oversight, and the persistent challenge of backlist and legacy content. The session will examine practical strategies for prioritization, documentation, and workflow improvements, aiming to provide clear next steps for organizations seeking to strengthen their accessibility readiness.

Conversation between:  Rachel Comerford, Senior Director of Accessibility, Macmillan Learning and Simon Holt, Head of Content Accessibility, Elsevier.