Library Tech Milestones, AI Evolution, and Advocating for Innovation with Eric Lease Morgan
Recorded on 01/14/2025
Posted in The Authority File
Episode 414
Last December Choice’s library technology content vertical LibTech Insights (LTI) featured Digital Initiatives Librarian Eric Lease Morgan in its Job Profiles feature. Eric, currently at the University of Notre Dame’s Hesburgh Libraries, now joins The Authority File to provide a historical context for today’s artificial intelligence landscape. In this episode, he charts the progression of library technology applications, explaining how we’ve arrived at the current moment of machine learning and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) language processing.
In addition, Eric shares how library leaders and managers can advocate for innovative library work, suggesting designated times for librarians to “play,” experiment, and learn new technology skills. Walking through the impressive list of library technology projects he’s led or been a part of over his career—Code4Lib and Distant Reader among them—Eric highlights how the library profession must adjust its services to better reflect today’s technologically advanced patrons and environment.
Learn more about Eric’s role and career in “Beyond the Job Title: Digital Initiatives Librarian.”
About the guest:
Eric Lease Morgan
Digital Initiatives Librarian, Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship
Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame
Eric Lease Morgan is a Digital Initiatives Librarian in the Navari Family Center for Digital Scholarship, Hesburgh Libraries, University of Notre Dame. His primary responsibilities are three-fold: 1) to facilitate workshops on text mining and natural language processing, 2) to collaborate with students and faculty on scholarly projects, and 3) to investigate ways computers can be used to improve library collections and services. He has been practicing librarianship for forty years, and he has been writing software longer than that. In in spare time, he binds books. He is lucky because his vocation is also his avocation.
Learn more about Choice’s LibTech Insights (LTI) content vertical, which examines the day-to-day impact of library and education technology on academic librarians, researchers, and students. The channel provides practical guidance on technology trends and products, including AI and AI literacy, user experience, useful tools, and job profiles, all of which are written by and for librarians.