~2.5 hours, self-paced
Certificate of completion

GenAI Foundations
for Library Professionals

A practical, beginner-friendly course that builds on the evaluation skills you already use every day — no pressure, no jargon, just confidence with generative AI.

Start the course → See what you'll learn

No experience needed – Finish Modules 1-3 to earn your certificate – Module 4 optional

Why this, why you

When the internet went mainstream, libraries taught it.
Generative AI is that moment again.

You do not need to become a technologist. You need to extend skills you already have, and your community is counting on it.

Trust

When a library teaches AI, it carries institutional trust no tech company can match. Patrons trust you for honest, balanced information — not a sales pitch.

Skills

Evaluating sources, spotting bias, helping people navigate complex information — AI literacy is a natural extension of what you've done your whole career.

Community need

AI is already in government services, healthcare portals, and job applications. For newcomers and others, the AI-fluency gap is a real equity issue. Libraries can close it.

Your learning roadmap

One framework. Four modules. Knowledge that compounds.

The whole course is organized around READ, and each dimension maps to a librarian skill you already have. Every module is the foundation for the next.

THE READ FRAMEWORK
ResearchUnderstand how AI works
EngageMove to active partnership
AnalyzeThink critically about output
DecideUse professional judgment
Understand
1
Core
Research · R

The Building Blocks

Understand the machine.

What GenAI is, how it predicts text, and why it hallucinates — so you can set realistic expectations.

3 lessons · ~30 min

Builds on: reference & information literacy

  • 1.1 · Why librarians & AI literacy
  • 1.2 · Research: Understanding GenAI
  • 1.3 · GenAI at the Library
  • Module 1 Knowledge Check
Direct & Judge
2
Core
Engage + Analyze

Getting It Right

Direct it and judge it.

Write strong prompts with the CRAFT method and evaluate output with the SCAN method.

4 lessons · ~40 min

Builds on: readers' advisory & source evaluation

  • 2.1 · Engage & Analyze: theory & practice
  • 2.2 · Practical prompting with CRAFT
  • 2.3 · AI search literacy & patron scenarios
  • 2.4 · Practical analysis with SCAN
  • Module 2 Knowledge Check
Decide
3
Core
Decide · D

Safe. Ethical. Responsible.

Use professional judgment.

Ethics, policy, intellectual freedom, and patron privacy

4 lessons · ~40 min

Builds on: collections & professional ethics

  • 3.1 · Decide: ethical AI use in practice
  • 3.2 · AI & collections: intellectual freedom
  • 3.3 · Course summary & next steps
  • Module 3 Knowledge Check
Extend
4
Optional
Engage, Extended

Advanced Tools

Go further.

AI agents and AI coding tools — for champions and tech leads.

3 lessons · ~30 min

Optional — not needed for your certificate

  • 4.1 · Advanced AI features & techniques
  • 4.2 · Specialized GenAI tools for libraries

Understand -> Direct and Judge -> Decide -> Extend. Each module unlocks the next, which is exactly why the certificate follows Modules 1-3 in order.

How the certificate works

A clear finish line, and proof of how far you have come

Bookended by a quick before/after assessment, so you and your library can see your confidence grow.

1

Set your baseline

A 5-minute pre-course self-assessment. Not a test — your starting point.

2

Complete Modules 1–3

The core track: watch, reflect, and pass each module's knowledge check.

3

Post-course assessment

Repeat the check + a 30-day plan to apply what you learned.

Earn your certificate

Your Certificate of Completion, plus your confidence-gain score.

By the end, you will be able to

Walk away with judgment, not just vocabulary

✓ Explain what generative AI is, and why it makes things up, in plain language for any patron.

✓ Evaluate AI output for accuracy, bias, and hallucination using the SCAN method.

✓ Apply ethical judgment to AI in collections, policy, and patron privacy.

✓ Write effective prompts using the CRAFT method for real library tasks.

✓ Handle patron AI questions, from newcomers to students to seniors, with confidence.

✓ Start building an AI roadmap for your branch.

Data & Privacy

How your data will be handled

ENGR Solutions handles personal information in accordance with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation.

Ready to start?

Join your colleagues across the library system. It is free, self-paced, and you will have your certificate in about two and a half hours of learning.

Enrol free and begin Module 1