Refusal as Instruction: Talking to Patrons About AI
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Frame generative AI in ways that are aligned with library values.
Hannah Cyrus covers how to frame generative AI in ways that are aligned with library values, including tips for reference, programs, and instruction.
Generative AI is being pushed by big technology companies through forced adoption by design, resulting in purple sparkles appearing everywhere you look and plenty of questions from frustrated and confused library patrons.
In this webinar, Hannah Cyrus will cover how to frame generative AI to patrons in ways that are aligned with library values, including tips for reference interactions, passive programs, direct instruction, and teaching classes.
From quickly explaining to low-digital-literacy patrons how this technology works and why it is not a reliable information source, to finding opportunities to correct misunderstandings among enthusiasts, to providing directions for how to turn the darn things off, attendees will come away with strategies for pushing back against a technology rife with labor, environmental, and social concerns that library workers can take a stand against.
Join us on Wednesday, Sept 30, 2026
at 2:00 pm US Eastern, 11:00 am US Pacific
Fill out the form to register for the webinar
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If you're interested but not able to attend the live webinar, go ahead and register. We'll send a recording to all registrants after the event.
About Hannah
Hannah Cyrus (she/her) works as a reference librarian in Bangor, Maine, with a focus on technology instruction and digital privacy. She enjoys working with patrons of all ages from all backgrounds, especially those experiencing homelessness, and survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault.
Her work often centers around patrons concerned about their accounts or devices being compromised, falling victim to predatory schemes, or simply overwhelmed with junk email and spam phone calls, as well as those concerned by the ubiquitous creepiness of online surveillance capitalism. She is a member of the Library Freedom Project, and her article “Refusal as Instruction: Equipping Patrons to Resist AI, Data Brokers, Big Tech, & More” was published in Information Technology and Libraries in March of 2026.
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Join us
Learn how to frame generative AI in ways that are aligned with library values.