Steve Hargadon: WEBINAR – “AI SEARCH: How to Understand and Navigate This Dramatic Change in Search Technology”

AI SEARCH:
How to Understand and Navigate This Dramatic Change in Search Technology
A Library 2.0 “AI Deep Dive” Webinar with Reed Hepler

OVERVIEW:

This 60-minute webinar explores the historical evolution of research methodologies and information access, from traditional library catalogs to modern AI-powered tools. It examines how each technological advancement has transformed the research landscape, reshaping how scholars, students, and information professionals interact with knowledge. Participants will trace the development of information retrieval systems through pivotal innovations including card catalogs, digital databases, search engines, and contemporary AI research assistants.

The session addresses both the democratizing potential and inherent limitations of each technological shift, focusing on aspects such as information accessibility, critical evaluation, and responsible use. Attendees will examine how biases have evolved rather than disappeared with each new technology, from editorial choices in print materials to algorithmic biases in search engines and AI tools. The workshop tackles known pitfalls of modern research tools, including SEO manipulation, commercial interests influencing search results, and AI “hallucinations” that present false information with unwarranted confidence.

Participants will engage with strategies for developing critical information literacy skills tailored to each technological era, emphasizing the SIFT framework for evaluating accuracy, bias, and relevance in both traditional and AI-generated information. Through practical exercises, attendees will learn to balance the convenience of “insta-research” with thorough evaluation methods. The session aims to empower academic librarians to guide patrons through the evolving information landscape while maintaining critical perspectives on both traditional and emerging research tools.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Understand the historical progression of research tools from physical catalogs to AI assistants, including their functions and limitations.
Develop critical evaluation skills tailored to assessing information across different technological platforms.
Gain practical techniques for integrating historical context into information literacy instruction.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Trace the evolution of research methodologies and explain how each technological shift has impacted information access and retrieval.
Identify and critically evaluate potential biases, inaccuracies, and limitations across different research platforms and technologies.
Create structured approaches to information literacy instruction that incorporate historical context and critical evaluation frameworks for both traditional and AI-powered research tools.

This 60-minute online hands-on workshop is part of our Library 2.0 “Ethics of AI” Series. The recording and presentation slides will be available to all who register.

DATE: Tuesday, September 8th, 2026, 2:00 – 3:00 pm US – Eastern Time

COST:

$99/person – includes live attendance and any-time access to the recording and the presentation slides and receiving a participation certificate. To arrange group discounts (see below), to submit a purchase order, or for any registration difficulties or questions, email [email protected].

TO REGISTER:

Click HERE to register and pay. You can pay by credit card. You will receive an email within a day with information on how to attend the webinar live and how you can access the permanent webinar recording. If you are paying for someone else to attend, you’ll be prompted to send an email to [email protected] with the name and email address of the actual attendee.

If you need to be invoiced or pay by check, if you have any trouble registering for a webinar, or if you have any questions, please email [email protected].

NOTE: Please check your spam folder if you don’t receive your confirmation email within a day.

SPECIAL GROUP RATES (email [email protected] to arrange):

Multiple individual log-ins and access from the same organization paid together: $75 each for 3+ registrations, $65 each for 5+ registrations. Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.
The ability to show the webinar (live or recorded) to a group located in the same physical location or in the same virtual meeting from one log-in: $299.
Large-scale institutional access for viewing with individual login capability: $499 (hosted either at Learning Revolution or in Niche Academy). Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.

REED C. HEPLER

Reed Hepler is a digital initiatives librarian, instructional designer, copyright agent, artificial intelligence practitioner and consultant, and PhD student at Idaho State University. He earned a Master’s Degree in Instructional Design and Educational Technology from Idaho State University in 2025. In 2022, he obtained a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science, with emphases in Archives Management and Digital Curation from Indiana University. He has worked at nonprofits, corporations, and educational institutions encouraging information literacy and effective education. Combining all of these degrees and experiences, Reed strives to promote ethical librarianship and educational initiatives.

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS:

August 28, 2026