AI as a guest · Library visitors

A visitor workshop: ask, check, decide

A facilitator-led introduction to useful AI assistance and checking unreliable answers. Participants do not need personal accounts.

Original Host a Culture editorial guide · Version 1 · 2026-09-30 · Not yet trialled in a library

Before you start

Suggested session: 45 minutes

One facilitator, a shared screen or printed examples, an accessible room and a short source card. Offer large-print material and an option to observe without using a device.

Intended outcome: Participants practise checking one AI-generated claim and deciding which information to keep private.

Run the activity

Explain the exercise · 5 minutes

Ask what visitors want help with. Explain that a plausible answer can be wrong and that this workshop does not require personal information or an account. Use a staff-controlled demonstration or prepared printed examples.

Try a useful task · 10 minutes

Use this fictional source card: River Library, Story Circle, 18 October 2026 at 14:00, 45 minutes, free entry. Transport and venue accessibility are not specified. Ask for a simpler explanation. Compare the original and the draft together. Invite participants to identify language that became clearer or changed meaning.

Find the unsupported detail · 15 minutes

Give this clearly labelled, intentionally flawed practice answer: ‘The free Story Circle starts at 14:00 and includes free transport.’ The source card mentions no transport. Ask which claim has evidence and which must be removed or checked. This example is authored for teaching, not a recorded model failure.

Practise privacy choices · 10 minutes

Sort example inputs into ‘fictional or public material’ and ‘do not share in this demonstration’: a public timetable, a fictional event, a real medical letter, a password and a borrowing history. Discuss why personal records need different handling.

Leave with one habit · 5 minutes

Ask participants to explain: What is the source? What is missing? Who should decide? Collect optional anonymous feedback rather than names or personal stories. Do not record participants by default.

Working template

Explain this fictional event card in three short sentences. Use only the supplied information. If asked about a detail not on the card, say that it is not provided.

Check the result

The facilitator labels invented examples explicitly.
Visitors can participate without a device, account or disclosure of personal details.
Participants practise finding a source, not simply trusting a second AI answer.
The library records accessibility improvements and anonymous feedback for the next session.

Limits of this guide

This proposed session has not yet been trialled in a library. It is introductory learning, not evidence of regulatory compliance or a qualification. Adapt facilitation to the audience and local safeguarding policies.