The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) first launched its AI and Machine Learning Initiative in 2024. One year remains in the initial phase centred on four exploratory projects and a capacity building program for librarians and library workers.
Project Progress
The four pilot projects, including the completed Government Documents and Audio to Text projects, have helped OCUL and its digital service arm, Scholars Portal, better understand:
- How to generate faster, higher quality transcription and optical character recognition (OCR) to directly support accessibility, research, and discoverability.
- How to build evaluative tools and processes to assess precision, quality, and usefulness of AI outputs within academic library workflows.
- How to compare different models and prompting techniques to identify fit for purpose and enable model fine tuning.
Lessons learned through the projects highlight the need for human quality assurance, whether due to ambiguous or incomplete source materials or to confirm the accuracy of the end-product generated through an AI-enabled process. From a technical perspective, adequate hardware investment, iterative parameter tuning, and clear documentation are critical to achieving anticipated outcomes at scale.
The Government Documents project most recently wrapped up and generated AI-supported metadata for 51,000 documents. Now, the project team is turning its attention to post-process options for clean-up and batch editing, plus a workflow for ingesting PDFs and metadata into Scholars Portal Books. Key learnings from this project will help inform the work of the ACE Remediation project.
Work is accelerating on the ACE Remediation project. OCUL and Scholars Portal are refining procedures for handling marginalia and developing evaluation rubrics for a test corpus of 75-100 digitized academic books. Following preliminary testing of the corpus, expected deliverables include sample OCR outputs, alt-text examples, and structured document files set for volunteer review.
The Enhancing Virtual Reference project continues to test the Libraryh3lp chatbot for use in the Ask a Library service. The Libraryh3lp tool supports both a staff- and user-facing experience built on a shared knowledge base that draws from submitted library website content as well as FAQ articles authored by staff. The second of this three-phase project is slated for the summer and tests the staff-facing chatbot to gauge the accuracy of responses to queries using information pulled from the knowledge base.
Capacity Building
Three capacity-building streams help foster OCUL member engagement and learning across academic libraries. Since August 2025, more than 6,500 participants, registrants, and viewers have taken part in the learning opportunities offered through the capacity building program.
The AI Exchange launched in March, showcasing real-world applications of member-developed training and tools. Seven online installments of the series have been confirmed through January 2027, including a bilingual offering in June.
The Beyond the Algorithm Reading Club continues bimonthly, with four installments so far, each featuring a topic selected based on OCUL member feedback. The curated readings, recorded conversations with guest experts, and discussion questions can all be repurposed so libraries can host a local version of Beyond the Algorithm at their institutions.
Lastly, the AI Tools for Academic Libraries blog with Choice’s LibTech Insights remains a popular resource to learn about practical uses for AI tools in library contexts. Due to strong readership, OCUL and the LibTech Insights editorial team have extended the blog series to the end of the year.
Knowledge Sharing
Building off a May 2025 survey, OCUL held a series of focus groups to further explore how library workers view AI and machine learning in their work and in consortial contexts. Eleven focus groups were hosted in early 2026, with 54 participants from 15 member libraries as well as OCUL and Scholars Portal staff. A report is expected this summer, and a member drop-in session is being planned for the fall to share findings.
OCUL and Scholars Portal staff continue to be invited to present on the initiative’s projects and AI use in library contexts, raising the profile of libraries’ vital role in supporting teaching and research with AI in responsible ways. Upcoming presentations include the Cutting Through the AI Noise: Practical Pathways for Academic Libraries webinar and multiple sessions as part of the Ontario Library Association’s Digital Odyssey conference.
For More Information
Visit the AI and Machine Learning section on SPOTDocs, the OCUL wiki, for detailed information about the exploratory projects and capacity building programming.
Questions about the OCUL AI and Machine Learning Initiative can be emailed to Program Manager Kari D. Weaver: kari.weaver@ocul.on.ca.