News & updates from PLAID3

New videos, upcoming webinars, deep research, and notes from our work with public libraries.

Update · May 26, 2026

What we learned running AI Ambassadors in 2026

Reflections from the second cohort of LibraryLinkNJ's AI Ambassadors training series — what changed in two and a half years, and how we teach library staff to teach everyone else.

7 min read
Update · May 25, 2026

Testing a Chinese AI model on sensitive topics

DeepSeek V4 Pro costs pennies on the dollar next to Claude and GPT — but ask it the same five questions and the difference in what it will say becomes obvious.

1 min read
Resource · May 22, 2026

Equity Lens Checklist for Evaluating AI Tools

An interactive, reusable checklist for weighing any AI product or service against four community equity concerns — bias, access, environmental footprint, and workforce impact.

10 min read
Update · Apr 30, 2026

Creating Useful AI Visualizations for Your Library

A mini-workshop recap from our AI Studio class: using text-driven AI image editing to visualize physical improvements — bike racks, displays, and redecoration — in and around the library.

1 min read
Resource · Apr 9, 2026

Automated Analysis of Public Library AI Policies

We pointed an AI agent at 15 public library AI policies, running each through a 66-question survey. Most libraries get the consensus basics right — but patron AI literacy is the field's biggest missed opportunity.

6 min read
Resource · Apr 6, 2026

Vibe Coding Examples — Winter 2026

Two small apps built by directing an AI — a webinar countdown timer and a storytime idea spinner — showing how non-developers can make custom software.

3 min read
Update · Feb 20, 2026

ScapeGoat: Library Conference AI Escape Room

How we built ScapeGoat — an AI-powered escape room that introduced Michigan librarians to chatbots and AI agents at the TLN Library Technology Forum.

4 min read
Announcement · Feb 3, 2026

From AI Basics to Bot Building

CALL Academy's 2026 AI Training Mini-Cohorts give California library staff a practical, six-part path through AI — from the basics to building a chatbot, February through July.

1 min read