Collaborative Futures, a key initiative of the Ontario Council of University Libraries, is pleased to announce the event agenda for its half-day Mini Conference taking place Tuesday, July 8, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Designed to foster innovation and collaboration among library professionals, this year’s online Mini Conference promises a dynamic program emphasizing learned practices and new processes for shared library technologies. Speakers will join the event from across several Ontario academic libraries.

Agenda highlights include:

As artificial intelligence and machine learning (AIML) become increasingly integrated into higher education, academic libraries play a growing role in these technologies’ adoption in research and learning. 

The information and technology landscape continues to rapidly expand, with increasing pressure to match its pace. As new tools and access models are developed by vendors, how does Scholars Portal stand apart? What are the core values and priorities that form the foundations of our work, and how do we design services and infrastructure built on these foundations to support libraries for the long term? For Scholars Portal Days 2025, we want to discuss building with intention, both locally and consortially. 

Join us May 29 and 30 from 12:30-3:30 p.m. EDT to celebrate the mindful innovation that fuels our community’s persistence and our shared dedication to Canadian academic library services well into the future.

OCUL is delighted to announce the appointment of Kari Weaver, BA, MLIS, Ed.D., as AI and Machine Learning Program Manager. 

OCUL launched its AI and Machine Learning (AIML) Program in the summer of 2024, starting with five pilot projects. The program’s pilot projects were chosen from community-developed use cases and designed to create reusable tools and techniques that can transform and adapt for future use. As the projects get underway, OCUL members will be invited to participate in the exploration and evaluation of these new technologies.  

The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is calling for member nominations for a variety of committee and subcommittee roles. Serving on an OCUL governance group provides opportunities for collective decision-making, to guide OCUL’s initiatives and services, and to address issues important to academic communities and the consortium's member libraries. 

Most OCUL governance groups follow a June-May cycle, with orientation typically taking place between April and May ahead of a June 1 start for new group members.

The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is pleased to announce three Visiting Researchers for 2025, whose projects will explore a variety of technologies and library systems. 

The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is proud to announce Matt Van Ast as the recipient of the 2024 OCUL Outstanding Contribution Award. 

As the end of the year approaches, we want to thank you for being a part of the OCUL and Scholars Portal community. 

Because of your support, in 2024 we celebrated some exciting developments and milestones: