NISO Plus Baltimore 2025

Join us for a two-part exploration of the state of Artificial Intelligence in the world of scholarship and research. In the first half of the session, we will have a moderated discussion with a group of technical experts from publishers, vendors, and others actively working on products that use AI in the marketplace now. We will explore the strengths of each approach to using AI and the possibilities and limitations moving forward, and give the audience a chance to participate in conversation to learn more about these emerging tools.

In the second half, we will use the ARL/CNI Artificial Intelligence Scenarios (https://www.arl.org/resources/the-arl-cni-2035-scenarios-ai-influenced-futures-in-the-research-environment/) to examine the potential of these tools. We will work to find areas where libraries, publishers, vendors, and researchers have a need for collaboratively developed best practices and standards around the development, use, and evaluation of AI tools. Join us to advance the conversation around responsible use of AI in scholarly communications!

Participating in this session will be:

Karim Boughida, Dean of Libraries at Stony Brook University
Anita Dewaard, VP Research Collaborations at Elsevier
Judson Dunham, Senior Director of Product Management at Elsevier
Matthew Hayes, VP and Managing Director of Technology from Sage
Hong Zhou, Director of Intelligent Services & Head of AI R&D at Atypon
Michael Napoleone, VP of Product Management at EBSCO
Cynthia Hudson Vitale, Associate Dean, Johns Hopkins University
Dr. Leo S Lo, President of ACRL, University of New Mexico
Beth LaPensee, Principal Product Manager, Ithaka

Collaborative Notes

As the prevalence of open access grows in the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) book publishing, digital usage metrics become increasingly important for measuring impact. Publishers, scholars, and university administrators all have their own specific interest in being able to accurately assess impact. The challenges, however, in HSS book publishing are significantly different than those in scientific journal publishing. Whereas it is standard for an article to have one DOI that points to a single version of record (VOR), digital books typically live on multiple platforms (e.g. JSTOR, Project MUSE, OAPEN, IRs, etc.) with their own unique digital object identifier (DOI) and no real equivalent to a “VOR.” It’s also not uncommon for a platform provider to “chunk” books into their constituent chapters and assign chapter-specific DOIs. Again, each platform might assign its own DOIs, which means that a single book might have ten or more DOIs associated with it (not to mention 3 or 4 ISBNs, which publishers continue to assign to books for the trade). Further complicating the situation is the fact that there is no agreed-upon terminology for defining usage. Terms such as “downloads,” “views,” and “reads” can vary from one platform to the next. And while COUNTER has helped to rein in some of the terminological variation, there is still no consensus, especially among publishers, that achieving COUNTER compliance is the solution to all of the problems that OA books pose.

The goal of this event is to bring together representatives from across the OA book publishing sector (including publishers, aggregators, librarians, and platform providers) to engage in a robust, collective conversation, bringing all perspectives of the community. Through conversation and breakout activities, a map of the initial contours of a shared set of standards for OA eBook usage may emerge, preparing for a charted a path toward achieving such a set of standards.

Panelists
Tasha Mellins-Cohen
Wendy Queen
Laura Ricci
Dean Smith

Collaborative Notes

The rise of openly available and organizationally licensed generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools have signalled a paradigm shift in higher education and scholarly publishing. Over the past two years, the consistent point of needing to disclose the use of GenAI, but largely leaving guidance on how to do so in a consistent manner to the discretion of the individual.

This session addresses the current state of recommendation and policy around generative artificial intelligence disclosure in learning and research contexts and introduces the Artificial Intelligence Disclosure (AID) Framework. The AID Framework is a tool that provides a transparent, consistent, and targeted approach to attribute the use of artificial intelligence in teaching and research work. In addition to the introduction of the AID Framework itself, participants will have the opportunity to review sample AID statements, discuss where such disclosure is best integrated in learning and research tasks, and brainstorm potential missing or future criteria for the AID Framework.

Collaborative Notes

Ready for a wild ride through the publishing technology world? Join us for an electrifying NISO session where two publishing execs, a consultant, and an accessibility expert square off in a no-holds-barred debate! As the publishing technology and AI landscape evolves at lightning speed, our panel will tackle the tech hype cycle—sorting the breakthroughs from the buzz. From standards and regulations to content formats, platforms, and user-friendly products, they’ll dive deep into what’s trending and what’s just a flash in the pan. Expect fast-paced discussion, fiery opinions, and a lightning round that’s sure to spark some surprises. Don’t miss out on the fun, controversy, and insights!

Collaborative Notes

The rapid advancements in Generative AI (GAI) have profound implications on the landscape of higher education and it is imperative that these implications are considered through an inclusive lens. Careful and thoughtful examination of GAI's most impactful applications for teaching, learning and research in the academic environment is necessary to ensure equitable access and outcomes for all students. Many institutions globally have recognized this need. In the Summer of 2023, Ithaka S+R launched a research and consulting project, “Making AI Generative for Higher Education” that assists 18 higher education institutions in identifying ways and areas GAI is poised to revolutionize educational practices, yet these areas are not receiving sufficient attention from our institution or the higher education sector at large. This panel discussion aims to explore the preliminary findings of our ongoing project, which investigates the potential impacts of GAI on research and teaching within the higher education environment, with particular attention to issues of equity and access. Representatives from Stony Brook University and Ithaka S+R will share insights on navigating the evolving educational landscape shaped by generative AI technologies, with a focus on ensuring that these technologies are leveraged to promote inclusivity and reduce barriers to success.

Collaborative Notes

This two-session event will examine the intersection of cultural heritage, digital preservation, and metadata. Across the globe, archives hold ephemeral treasures—images, recordings, manuscripts, oral histories, and similar—that define our shared humanity and connect us across times and places. UNESCO has advanced standardized metadata and outlined a program on cultural and digital technologies to strengthen action around heritage. From digital mapping of diverse practices to 3D modelling of World Heritage sites, projects embody and harness the potential of technologies for the new chapter of culture for all. Building on this, the panel discussion adds metadata as an important layer for digital safeguarding and preservation processes. Laying the groundwork, the first session will focus on ethical practices in metadata creation, preserving and amplifying underrepresented voices, and addressing the challenges of safeguarding metadata. Building on this, the second session will feature distinct case studies on approaches to metadata from community practitioners. Together the Humanities Roundtable will offer an in-depth exploration of the critical role metadata and digital preservation play in protecting the legacies of cultural heritage, and the transformative potential of digital preservation of cultural heritage with emerging technologies.

Collaborative Notes

This two-session event will examine the intersection of cultural heritage, digital preservation, and metadata. Across the globe, archives hold ephemeral treasures—images, recordings, manuscripts, oral histories, and similar—that define our shared humanity and connect us across times and places. UNESCO has advanced standardized metadata and outlined a program on cultural and digital technologies to strengthen action around heritage. From digital mapping of diverse practices to 3D modelling of World Heritage sites, projects embody and harness the potential of technologies for the new chapter of culture for all. Building on this, the panel discussion adds metadata as an important layer for digital safeguarding and preservation processes. Laying the groundwork, the first session will focus on ethical practices in metadata creation, preserving and amplifying underrepresented voices, and addressing the challenges of safeguarding metadata. Building on this, the second session will feature distinct case studies on approaches to metadata from community practitioners. Together the Humanities Roundtable will offer an in-depth exploration of the critical role metadata and digital preservation play in protecting the legacies of cultural heritage, and the transformative potential of digital preservation of cultural heritage with emerging technologies.

The first half of this discussion can be seen here: https://nisoplusbaltimore25.sched.com/event/1olIW but you can attend this without having attended the first. 

Collaborative Notes

As AI continues to redefine digital information practices, libraries face new challenges and opportunities in managing, curating, and enhancing the discoverability of resources. This proposal presents two case studies from Goldey-Beacom College that illustrate how libraries can strategically employ AI to enhance both creative and informational collections through metadata improvements.

In the first case study, "From Canvas to Quartex: The Evolution of Art in the Age of AI and Digital Archives," we examine the inaugural Common Reading Program at Goldey-Beacom College. Using the themes in Kristen Radtke's Seek You, students explored loneliness by creating posters, some AI-generated, which were digitally archived in Quartex. This initiative emphasized the importance of metadata standards to ensure both human- and AI-generated art are accessible, accurately categorized, and preserved.

In the second case study, "Enhancing FAQ Systems with Generative AI: A Case Study on Improving Metadata and User Discoverability," we outline how generative AI transformed Goldey-Beacom College Library’s FAQ system, consolidating overly specific metadata into broader, discoverable categories that enhance the user experience.

Together, these case studies provide practical insights and methodologies for leveraging AI in digital collections, underscoring the necessity of evolving metadata frameworks to accommodate both traditional and AI-driven content. Aside from the listed speakers, the presenters would like to recognize Devon Ellixson, Library Intern, for their work on this project.

Collaborative Notes