North carolina agricultural and technical state university in greensboro, north carolina will host a national forum and launch an online community of practice (artificial intelligence catalyst…

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University received a $149,927 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (CFDA 45.313), effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2027. The award supports the establishment of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Catalyst Institute, a collaborative initiative led by NC A&T in partnership with North Carolina Central University, Winston-Salem State University, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The primary deliverables include conducting a national user needs assessment on artificial intelligence and academic librarianship, hosting a national forum convening library professionals and students, and developing a Digital Commons open educational resources platform toolkit for integrating AI applications in library practice.

The project addresses a critical gap in library workforce development by providing professional development resources and training materials to support library professionals and students in leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance research and teaching capabilities at academic institutions. The online community of practice and toolkit will serve as sustainable, broadly disseminated resources designed to build institutional capacity within the library and information science field by equipping professionals with knowledge and practical tools for implementing AI-driven solutions in academic library settings.

North carolina agricultural and technical state university in greensboro, north carolina will host a national forum and launch an online community of practice (artificial intelligence catalyst institute) to support the professional development of library professionals and library students in the field of artificial intelligence and how IT can be used to support academic institutions in research and teaching. The first part of this project will be a national user needs assessment on artificial intelligence and academic librarianship, followed by a forum, artificial intelligence (AI) catalyst institute, and a digital commons open educational resources platform toolkit for using artificial intelligence in librarianship, to meet these needs. This project is a collaborative effort led by north carolina agricultural and technical state university, north carolina central university, winston-salem state university, and the university of north carolina at greensboro.