The university of alabama, school of library and information studies will design and pilot a library AI ethics and literacy network on social media to help libraries extend AI education into the…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the University of Alabama's School of Library and Information Studies $399,988 on September 1, 2026, under the National Leadership Grants program (CFDA 45.312) to design and pilot a Library AI Ethics and Literacy Network on social media.

The University of Alabama will study barriers libraries face in reaching the public online, survey librarians and community members, build a prototype content hub, and test a cross-library social media network with pilot libraries. Deliverables include planning tools, pilot-tested workflows, and a rollout framework. The project will assess librarian and public needs, develop and test a shared content hub prototype, and create a scale-up plan, with expected outcomes being practical, low-burden approaches for library-led AI ethics education on social media and a field-ready framework that could support small, rural, and under-resourced libraries nationwide.

Performance occurs in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. This assistance type is a project grant.

The university of alabama, school of library and information studies will design and pilot a library AI ethics and literacy network on social media to help libraries extend AI education into the online spaces where the public is increasingly encountering AI. The project studies barriers libraries face in reaching the public online, surveys librarians and community members, builds a prototype content hub, and tests a cross-library social media network with pilot libraries. Deliverables include planning tools, pilot-tested workflows, and a rollout framework. Expected outcomes are practical, low burden approaches for library-led AI ethics education on social media and a field-ready framework that, if validated, could support libraries nationwide, especially small, rural, and under-resourced libraries and the communities they serve. This project will assess librarian and public needs, pilot a structured social media presence, develop and test a shared content hub prototype, and create a scale-up plan for the project.