April 2024
NISO Training Series
AI & Prompt Design: A 2024 NISO Training Series
Thursday, April 4, 2024, - Thursday, May 23, 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm Noon (Eastern Standard Time, US & Canada)
This course will introduce students to prompt engineering with large language models, or LLMs. It is designed for students with no coding knowledge. It presumes no knowledge about machine learning or large language models (LLMs). Because the course focuses on prompt engineering, or the way in which you design and tailor a message to an LLM to perform a specific task, a basic knowledge of machine learning will be helpful. This course will, therefore, bring students up to speed with all the necessary terminology and concepts.
This course will be hands-on, meaning it will be divided between instruction and hands-on lessons where students will apply the material as they learn it. LLMs are stochastic, meaning they can behave unpredictably and inconsistently due to the randomness inherent in them. This can make it challenging to reproduce results. While this may introduce some inconsistencies for students during the course, it is an opportunity to learn. We will discuss the issues and challenges that surface to understand better how and why these issues occur and how to address them.
When working with students across different operating systems, hardware, and experience, it is challenging to work with open-source software and machine learning models. For this reason, the course will require students to have a subscription to ChatGPT for the duration of the course (2 months). This will ensure that all students are working with the same resources and eliminate potential challenges. That said, this course will devote a week to introducing students to the world of open-source machine learning so that they may explore it independently after the course concludes.
Because the field of machine learning is advancing rapidly, this course outline may change between its construction (January 2024) and its use (April–May 2024). Nevertheless, the core structure is expected to remain the same.
Training Facilitator, William Mattingly, Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Institution's Data Science Lab.
NISO Workshop
Spring 2024 ODI Conformance Statement Workshop for Libraries
Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 1:00pm - 2:00pm (Eastern Standard Time, US & Canada)
Struggling to fill out the ODI Conformance Statement for Libraries? Need some help in determining how to approach this work for your institution? Join ODI Standing Committee Library Representatives for a one-hour presentation to learn more about ODI and library conformance, get tips on how to approach each area of conformance, and use a provided worksheet to create an action plan for next steps in preparing and publishing your institution’s conformance statement.
Confirmed speakers: Teresa Hazen, Department Head, Collection Services, University of Arizona; Geoffrey Morse, Interim Head of Research Services, Northwestern University; and Ken Varnum, Senior Program Manager and Discovery Strategist, University of Michigan.
NISO Open Teleconference
KBART (Knowledge Bases and Related Tools)
Monday, April 15, 2024, 3:00pm - 4:00pm (Eastern Standard Time, US & Canada)
Join NISO's Keondra Bailey on Monday, April 15th, 2024 at 3 PM Eastern for the second Open Teleconference of the year. Keondra will be joined by KBART Standing Committee co-chairs Robert Heaton and Noah Levin, with support from KBART member Jason Friedman to discuss progress on Phase III.
KBART is a NISO Recommended Practice that facilitates the transfer of holdings metadata from content providers to knowledge base suppliers and libraries. The first iteration of the KBART Recommended Practice, which focused on journal holdings, was published in 2010; a 2014 "Phase II" revision extended support to metadata for e-books, conference proceedings, consortial subscriptions, and some open access publications. Starting in early 2020, the KBART Standing Committee has been hard at work on research and actions around elements of its Phase III work with subgroups addressing areas of work such as clarifying the recommendations, revamping the mission statement, determining new fields, and creating a new file guide.
NISO Webinar
Sustainability in Publishing
Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm (Eastern Standard Time, US & Canada
The speakers in this webinar will explore key questions that investigate the publishing and information sharing industry's primary concerns and challenges related to sustainability and, in particular, the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. They’ll share examples of publisher initiatives being undertaken to promote sustainability and address equity, access, and environmental concerns, as well as highlight some of the obstacles and opportunities that are being navigated to create lasting change. You’ll also learn about some of the collaborative programs and strategies being developed in the industry. Join us to explore how we can shape a sustainable future for publishing.
Confirmed speakers include Kaveh Bazargan, Director, River Valley Technologies; Dana Compton, Managing Director and Publisher of Publications & Standards, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE); Dr. Haseeb Irfanullah, esteemed independent consultant on environment, climate change, and research systems; and Charlie Rapple, Chief Customer Officer & Co-Founder of Kudos. The program is being coordinated by Alice Meadows, MoreBrains Communications & Outreach Director and co-founder. She will also serve as the program moderator.
May 2024
NISO Webinar
Indigenous-specific collections development; Indigenous librarianship
Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 11:00am - 12:00pm (Eastern Standard Time, US & Canada
Indigenous knowledge and library practices require cultural sensitivity and respectful, authentic collaboration to build, manage, and preserve collections that honor heritage. This program will discuss best practices, ethical considerations, and the complexities of Indigenous librarianship. The goal is to impart the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure the appropriate representation and protection of Indigenous voices, perspectives, and traditional knowledge in library collections. Learn how to understand intellectual property rights and community-based practices, and how a culturally sensitive approach fosters respect, inclusivity and productive collaboration.
Confirmed speakers include Michelle Chouteau, Collections Manager & Registrar, First Americans Museum, Melissa Stoner, Native American Studies Librarian, UC Berkeley and Allison Waukau, Tribal Liaison & Native Relations Coordinator, Metropolitan Council of the Twin Cities. The Education Program Committee lead and moderator for this program is Katherine Witzig, Library Administrative Assistant, Oklahoma City University. Katherine is also a NISO Plus 2024 Scholarship Awardee.