OCUL

👋 Hi Bluesky! OCUL is a consortium of Ontario university libraries. We provide shared services and tech infrastructure that enhance research and learning. Follow us for updates on all things OCUL-y, incl. stories from the #AcademicLibrary community and shared news from @scholarsportal.bsky.social.

This week on #LTIBlog Contributors Sabina Pagotto, Ravit H. David, and Dr. Kari D. Weaver of the Ontario Council of University Libraries/Scholars Portal evaluate AI tools for alt-text creation ow.ly/W9WG51013wt #AI #Libraries #accessibility @ocul-libraries.bsky.social

📢 We’re hiring! CARL is seeking a bilingual Communications & Project Officer for a 13-month contract in Ottawa. Bring your communications skills to the table, connect communities, and help advance research libraries across Canada! 🗓️ Apply by November 20, 2026. www.carl-abrc.ca/news/job-pos...

Our latest AI and Machine Learning Initiative update highlights Phase 1 testing completed in the Enhancing Virtual Reference project, the extension of the AI Tools for Academic Libraries blog series with @choicereviews.bsky.social, and more! Read the update: ocul.on.ca/ai-machine-l...

#LibraryJobs @uottawabiblio.bsky.social seeks applications for the position of Open Educational Resources Librarian | Bibliothécaire des ressources éducatives libres. Date limite : October 30, 2026. Détails : partnershipjobs.ca/job/open-edu...

Wondering how AI can support your metadata workflows? Join the next OCUL AI Exchange to explore Annif, an open-source tool for automated subject classification. 📅 Dec. 10, 10-11 a.m. Eastern Time Registration and event info: ocul.on.ca/ai-exchange-...

Good news on the #OpenAccess front from Canada! The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council, and Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council are improving access to agency-funded research with a revised OA policy. ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science...

📖 Do you have a fascinating collection in your library that would benefit from digitization, or that would be a great fit for Canadiana? Apply to CRKN’s Member Digitization Projects initiative this fall! Applications are open until November 27. Learn more at our website: bit.ly/4x94zdR

Looking forward to this talk from @scholarsportal.bsky.social's own Julia Gilmore! The collaboration behind the Scholaris national repository service and uptake of persistent identifiers makes for a great example of how PID adoption supports making research easier to find, cite and share.

On Sept 30, join #MLIS student Lexi Alarie & #metadata librarian Erin Bourgard to discuss how Indigenous-centered library systems better represent Indigenous knowledge. 📍 FIMS Rm 3020 / Zoom: www.uwo.ca/events/2026/... #NDTR #DecolonizingLibraries #WesternU @westernufims.bsky.social

Our draft Accessibility Remediation Metadata (ARM) standard is now available for public comment! The deadline for feedback is November 9. Thank you to our ARM Working Group members for their efforts to help make educational resources more accessible to all: www.niso.org/press-releas...

This week's #ElertCyberavis features recent news and publications relevant to Canadian research libraries from @mcgill.ca @scholarsportal.bsky.social @jcasonline.bsky.social @bcla.bsky.social @ocul-libraries.bsky.social @crkn-rcdr.bsky.social @sparcopen.bsky.social & more mailchi.mp/e06e79e98e05...

The September Scholars Portal Newsletter is here! Highlights from this edition include: 🔷Updates on GeoPortal, Scholaris, Ask, and Borealis 🔷New journals, books & Odesi datasets 🔷A Spotlight on Ask the Library 🔷Bug fixes & new features Catch up here: oculsp.ca/2jl0c

Only one week to go to send your feedback about IFLA's current volunteers model ⏰ Whether you are (or have been, or will be!) a volunteer, a partner, or a member, we want to hear from you! Click on the link below, fill in the survey, and let your voice be heard. https://tr.ee/1LdtBD

Sign up for our next AI Exchange where @carleton.ca librarian Martha Attridge Bufton will share how she designs student assignments that incorporate AI as a tool for critical evaluation — not a replacement for research and writing. Event details and registration: ocul.on.ca/ai-exchange-...

A connected PID ecosystem needs everyone’s participation. The Canadian PID Strategy outlines actions for researchers, publishers, funders, institutions, and infrastructure providers to support PID adoption, reduce administrative burden, and improve research connections. 🔗 bit.ly/4hqLjo1 #PIDs

Don't forget to join our upcoming online community discussions on Trust and AI, as part of our bimonthly reading club! - Thurs. Sept. 24, 11 a.m.-noon - Tues. Sept. 29, 1-2 p.m. Sign up for a discussion and get links to the month's reading: ocul.on.ca/september-20...

#LibraryJobs @uottawabiblio.bsky.social seeks applications for the position of Research Librarian - ASC (Replacement) | Bibliothécaire de recherche - ACS (Remplacement). Date limite : 30 septembre 2026. Détails : partnershipjobs.ca/job/research...

You'll find articles on teaching source evaluation, ranking university libraries, fat studies literature, and more in the September issue of College & Research Libraries. It's available now on the journal website - https://bit.ly/4xL2XYl

Did you know the world map you've likely used your whole life grossly exaggerates the sizes of some countries? 🗺️ #WesternU GIS research scientist Liz Sutherland explains why the Mercator map projection distorts land size – and what the UN is doing about it: news.westernu.ca/2026/09/merc...

Our 2025-26 annual report celebrates the collaboration at the core of all things OCUL. The report highlights new member-led digitization standards for accessible content, how we're helping build AI readiness across academic libraries, and more. Read the report: ocul.on.ca/2025-2026-an...

We're still accepting applications for a part-time VPO for #OpenEducation. Continue working on your campus, while learning more about #OpenEd policy with the SPARC team. The one-year position begins Oct. 1. Deadline to apply is Sept. 18. sparcopen.org/position-ope...

#LibraryJobs @westernulibs.bsky.social seeks applications for the position of Head, Archives and Special Collections. Details: meridiarecruitment.ca/Career/17803...

This week's #ElertCyberavis features recent news and publications relevant to Canadian research libraries from @universityaffairs.bsky.social @crkn-rcdr.bsky.social @ocul-libraries.bsky.social @pkp.sfu.ca @hathitrust.bsky.social @fmdocs.bsky.social @arl.org and more! mailchi.mp/4933e3ddf7b5...

Time flies when you're having (reference) fun! We're grateful to everyone who makes Ask the Library possible, bringing real-time research assistance to campuses across Ontario.

📢 Join the first webinar in the National PID Strategy series on September 29 at 1:00 p.m. (ET)! Learn about the strategy’s vision, priorities, and benefits for Canada's research community with Jay Brodeur and CRKN's PID team. 🔗 bit.ly/3Usnx1q

Check out the webinar recording and presenter slides for a look into what we've learned about various speech-to-text AI tools, our evaluation procedure, and the technical considerations that informed our Whisper project.

A major concern library workers raise re: AI use is how LLMs can conflict with library values like privacy and access to info. But alternatives exist to those proprietary models — and they can align well with ethical principles. Read our latest blog to learn about some open-weight alternatives ⬇️

#LibraryJobs @uoftlibraries.bsky.social seek applications for the position of User Services Librarian. Deadline: September 20, 2026. Details: partnershipjobs.ca/job/user-ser...

There's still time to join us online next week (Aug. 25 at 2 p.m. Eastern Time) with @choicereviews.bsky.social for a special webinar on AI speech-to-text models as part of library workflows.

✍️🎓 We're looking for First Year Academic Librarian bloggers for 2026-27 over at acrlog.org! Click the link for more info and how to apply. acrlog.org/2026/08/18/s... @ala-acrl.bsky.social

'digital preservation is not just about maintaining access. It is also about shaping the future historical record of scholarship. If preservation strategies prioritize efficiency and scale alone, they risk reproducing existing imbalances.'

What we're reading: repository.ifla.org/items/baebbf... If you're curious about how AI tools can support caption and transcript work - and where they can fall short - highly recommend checking out this case study featured in the @ifla.org WLIC collection.

Our AI reading club for Sept. digs into transparency, accountability, and the important role librarians play in helping communities critically evaluate AI-generated info rather than simply accepting or rejecting it. Learn more & sign up for 1 of 2 community discussions: ocul.on.ca/september-20...

Why #Libraries Should Focus on #AI Readiness More Than AI Adoption (via @springernature.com) www.springernature.com/gp/librarian... #GenAI @arl.org @cni-org.bsky.social @ocul-libraries.bsky.social

This week's #ElertCyberavis features recent news and publications relevant to Canadian research libraries from @ocul-libraries.bsky.social @arl.org @cni-org.bsky.social @mcmasteruniversity.bsky.social @umontreal.ca @rluk.ac.uk @pkp.sfu.ca and more! mailchi.mp/e1b09431eaff...

Catch the 08/25 #LTIWebinar This webinar will explore the practical applications, opportunities & challenges of implementing AI-powered speech-to-text tools, drawing on real-world insights from the @ocul-libraries.bsky.social (OCUL) Audio-to-Text (Whisper) Project ow.ly/WFuv50ZuNoU #AI

Our latest Reading Room newsletter is out! Featured are an update on a shared evidence-based acquisitions program, our response to the COU AI Task Force report, and what's happening at OCUL. Read the Aug. 2026 issue and subscribe to get news and updates in your inbox: ocul.on.ca/newsletter

Last call to sign up for next week's session on AI-assisted coding to help scale up scholcomm workflows in libraries! Hear from Pascal Calarco (UWindsor) on how AI tools supported 4 library projects across federated scholarly infrastructure. Session info & registration: ocul.on.ca/ai-exchange-...

Now on #LTIBlog Our friends at the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI) have gifted us new recordings from its spring membership meeting. In this post, we wanted to highlight some of the talks we didn’t want you to miss ow.ly/Etx450ZuGSE #AI #Accessibility #Libraries @cni-org.bsky.social

Did you miss this year's Collaborative Futures Mini Conference? We've got the recording (with presenter slides!) available online: ocul.on.ca/collaborativ... Sessions covered topics including workflows for PDF accessibility remediation and supporting e-book interlibrary loan in Alma and Primo.

This week's #ElertCyberavis features recent news and publications relevant to Canadian research libraries from @arl.org @ocul-libraries.bsky.social @borealisdata.bsky.social @erudit.org @pkp.sfu.ca @uoftlibraries.bsky.social and more! mailchi.mp/75583bc74263...

Kudos to our program manager Kari Weaver for co-writing this guest post on @scholarlykitchen.bsky.social. A solid read to learn more about the importance of a global standard for AI disclosure across the research lifecycle and next steps for standards development.

Register now for the #OpenEd26! The virtual gathering of #OpenEd community Oct 26-29 brings together students, practitioners & researchers from around the world to discuss #OER, open pedagogy & #openeducation initiatives. openeducationconference.org

→ A new partnership for sustainable scholarly infrastructure #CoalitionPublica, @ocul-libraries.bsky.social and @uoftlibraries.bsky.social, as the service provider for @scholarsportal.bsky.social, have entered into a new agreement. 📝 Read the announcement: www.coalition-publi.ca/coalition-pu...