Great LibTech Insights Picks for Summer Break

Looking for a summer project? We've got you covered.

Posted on June 3, 2026 in Blog Posts

For many academics, summer break can give rise to mixed feelings. On the one hand, its slower pace promotes much-deserved relaxation. On the other hand, it can stir up feelings of guilt about decreased productivity. Although there’s probably no way to completely silence that voice, much as we’d want to, you can at least pacify it by finding a small, worthwhile project that aligns with your interests and values. You can put your laptop to better use than doomscrolling the day away.

This week, we are continuing our annual tradition of highlighting pieces we ran during the semester that are best enjoyed with a bit more free time. Some could make good afternoon activities, while others might require a bit more planning and collaboration. But all will keep the noontide demon at bay.

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🧹 Clean up accessibility and style issues

If you want a summer project with an endless supply of quick wins, there’s no better undertaking than cleaning up accessibility and style issues on your library’s digital assets.

Before you get started making edits, it’s important to develop the scope of your project and the strategy. Robin Camille Davis provides an excellent primer on creating a style guide for your library, Caitlin Keenan offers an easy outline for developing a content model to govern your library’s web content, and Kimberly Shotick and Kelly Getz give practical advice for designing library web spaces for neurodivergent users.

When you’re ready to get started, check out Robin’s guide to finding and fixing five hidden accessibility issues, or if you’d like to take on this project with your coworkers, consider Robin’s advice for holding an edit-a-thon.

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🔧 Explore new software and tools

During the heat of the semester, most of us default to the tools and solutions we’re most familiar with to get the task done, even if better options exist. The summer is a good time to play around with and evaluate alternative solutions and workflows.

Obviously, AI is an area where new tools keep emerging. The Ontario Council of University Libraries has graciously put in the legwork of tracking and trying out these new tools. Their “AI Tools for Academic Libraries” series has covered tools for:

• Research assistants
• Programming and coding
• Task management
• Speech-to-text models
• Video creation and editing

If you are looking for an AI tool for literature reviews, Molly Thompson and Brett Porter make a good case for trying ResearchRabbit.

Of course, there are many non-AI software, tools, and plug-ins still emerging, too. Joseph Donnelly recently covered some tools for equipping Alma with better inventory software. As he makes clear in the conclusion, many librarians have put in the hard work of developing solutions to nuanced and pernicious problems—and put the code for free use on GitHub—so it’s worth seeing what’s out there.

🧮 Learn Microsoft Excel Solver

One tool worth taking a close look at is Microsoft Excel’s oft-overlooked Solver function. This powerful tool helps users find the best value for a specific goal, making it particularly useful for decision-making. LibTech Insights contributor Sam Suber put in a lot of work making that case for Solver’s ability to create actionable insights from your library’s data. His “Optimized Library” series walks through various use cases using Solver while showing librarians how to balance optimization and equity in their decision-making processes.

Check out a quick tutorial video on using Microsoft Excel Solver for many nettlesome library problems:

• Balancing a budget for open-access content
• Maximizing priority and efficiency in data backups
• Buying new books on a budget
• Making environmentally smart decisions

🎥 Watch a webinar

Slop is destroying YouTube, TikTok, and basically every streaming platform, making it more and more difficult to find something to watch during your lunch break. If you’re looking for some high-quality, grade-A, slop-free mealtime content, there’s nothing better than a Choice webinar.

In the past year, LibTech Insights hosted two webinars, “Equipping Librarians with AI: New Tools to Enhance Workflows” and “‘Data’ and Indigenous Studies: Entry Points for Academic Libraries“—both of them deeply thought-provoking and actionable. We also highlighted several talks given at this year’s CNI conference, most of which clustered around AI topics.

If your calendar is looking a little bare this summer, we invite you to sign up for Leo Lo’s upcoming webinar, “When AI Comes Knocking: A Decision Framework for Archival Collections.” Leo will take on the question facing special archives: under what conditions, if any, should we allow our holdings to train commercial AI systems? The webinar is on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 2 PM (EST), but if you can’t make the live recording, register anyway to receive the YouTube link afterward.

✍️ Write for LibTech Insights

What better use is there for an iced coffee on a summer morning than writing a post for your favorite blog?

We’re always looking for new contributors to LibTech Insights to enrich our understanding of technology at academic libraries. Have a case study? A project you’re excited to share? A solution you found or developed for a nettlesome problem? A well-curated reading list on a hot topic? We’re more than happy to work with you to develop your ideas into a post. Just send an email to the editor (dpfeiffer@ala.org), and let’s talk.

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