Library Tech Milestones, AI Evolution, and Advocating for Innovation with Eric Lease Morgan

The Authority File

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 lead 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.

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