In a move to strengthen Canada’s open scholarly infrastructure, Coalition Publica, OCUL, and the University of Toronto Libraries, as the service provider for Scholars Portal, have jointly entered into a new agreement. This memorandum of understanding formalizes their longstanding collaboration and leverages expertise to advance the long-term preservation of open research in Canada. 

Beyond the Algorithm is taking a summer vacation! The reading club will be back in September but in the meantime, our AI and Machine Learning Program Manager Kari D. Weaver compiled a short list of AI reads for the warmer months, including a toolkit for values-driven artificial intelligence in libraries and archives.

Ontario’s universities stand at a pivotal juncture: There is need to adapt to the transformations of an AI-enabled world, as underscored by the recent Council of Ontario Universities AI Task Force Report. The Ontario Council of University Libraries affirms that academic libraries are not peripheral but foundational to this transition – serving as essential partners in advancing teaching, research and critical AI literacy across disciplines.

In recognition of a distinguished career characterized by leadership, collaboration, and transformative contributions to the research library community, Larry P. Alford, University Chief Librarian at the University of Toronto, has been named the recipient of the Ontario Council of University Libraries Lifetime Achievement Award.

The latest post in our AI Tools for Academic Libraries blog series highlights the open-source generative AI models that were tested as part of the OCUL AI and Machine Learning Initiative's Government Documents project.

On August 5, OCUL hosts the next AI Exchange session featuring guest expert Pascal Calarco who will showcase how AI-assisted coding supported four scalable scholarly communication projects at the University of Windsor’s Leddy Library. Register to save your spot!

The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) welcomes several new members to standing committees and subcommittees integral to advancing the consortium’s strategic priorities and key initiatives. Thank you to these library leaders and workers from across OCUL member institutions who give of their expertise and time to the development and delivery of innovative, equitable library services.

Announcing the speakers and presentations for the 2026 Collaborative Futures Mini Conference! Join OCUL online Tuesday, July 7 for a half-day of learning from library colleagues about how they are making data discoverable, managing e-resources, implementing shared technology systems and more.

In this latest progress update, OCUL advances its exploration of AI and machine learning for responsible, ethical use in academic libraries. Early pilot projects found improved transcription and metadata results while emphasizing the need for human quality assurance and strong technical infrastructure. Three capacity-building streams continue to foster OCUL member engagement and learning.

Two Collaborative Futures working groups are seeking nominations from OCUL member libraries to engage in reparative metadata remediation and maintain shared bibliographic records. Nomination period closes May 29, 2026.