Event box
PCI Webinar with Althea Christensen Identifying AI Generated Books in Your Library Online
Have AI-generated books snuck on to your library’s shelves? Books generated using AI Large Language Models without such “authorship” being disclosed have become pervasive across nearly all subject areas on sites such as Amazon, and are even being sold by some library jobbers.
With Influencers boasting about making thousands of dollars per month selling AI books on self-publishing platforms and encouraging others to do the same, this is an increasing threat to the quality and veracity of materials libraries provide to the public.
Join cataloger and AI book hunter Althea Christensen to find out where these books are coming from, learn about identifying AI-generated books both in-hand and in online retail listings, and see some examples that will have you questioning Asimov’s First Law of Robotics.
As a result of this program, attendees will:
- Gain awareness of the existence and prevalence of AI-generated print books
- Learn to recognize signs that a book is AI-generated before it is purchased or circulated
- Learn how AI-generated books may find their way from LLM app to library shelves
Who will Benefit from this Program:
All staff, including Acquisitions, Cataloging, and Collection Development
Althea Christensen ~ Biography
Althea Christensen is the Senior Library Assistant in Acquisitions and Technical Services for the Humboldt County Library. Prior to becoming a cataloger, she spent 13 years in the animal sheltering and veterinary field, in which she developed a surprising number of skills that transferred to library work.
- Date:
- Wednesday, January 21, 2026
- Time:
- 2:00pm - 3:00pm
- Time Zone:
- Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
- Sponsor:
- Southern Maryland Regional Library Association (SMRLA)
- Online:
- This is an online event.
- Event URL:
- https://zoom.us/webinar/register/6217599319153/WN_9dm5g6EIQSOqqci79KL6eA#/registration
- Audience:
- Library Staff Library Staff - Public Libraries
- Categories:
- Core Library Skills Technology
Part of PCI Webinars, sessions will be recorded and available on our Maryland Libraries Training Niche Academy archives following the session.
Library staff from Maryland public libraries only. Please register using your Maryland library staff email showing your library system's authenticated domain name. Generic gmail addresses will not have access to the archives.
This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act Administered by the Maryland State Library.