SEPTLA and NYATLA Regional Virtual Meeting
Friday, October 9, 2025
10:30 to 12:00 Eastern
Seekers Unbound game-based instruction
What if the stories we tell about AI create the realities our institutions will inhabit?
As theological librarians, we occupy a unique position at the intersection of ancient wisdom and emerging technologies. We serve communities committed to truth-seeking, ethical reflection, and human flourishing—crucial values guiding responsible AI integration. Rather than simply responding to pressures for AI adoption, we have the opportunity to become narrative leaders who actively shape how our institutions understand and engage with these transformative technologies.
This session explores how theological libraries can move beyond inherited "ghost stories" about AI—narratives of replacement, surveillance, and academic dishonesty—to "trust stories" that position us as leaders and guides for engagement with collaborative intelligence. Drawing on ancient concepts of techne (the art of making and doing) and sophrosyne (wisdom-guided moderation), we'll examine how human wisdom can guide technological partnership through what we call "participatory myth-making."
Building on insights from Generative AI and Libraries (ALA Editions and Core, 2025), we'll discover how theological librarians are uniquely positioned for narrative leadership that honors both our professional values and our communities' theological commitments. We'll explore practical frameworks for moving from reactive AI policies to proactive story-making that serves human flourishing, examining how the "in/of/for the world" model provides ethical scaffolding for AI stewardship. We'll also explore how these narrative choices play out in instructional contexts where we help students and faculty develop critical AI literacy.
Key Takeaways:
Participants will leave with practical tools for narrative leadership within their contexts and an understanding of how their daily choices about AI policies and practices become the "ghosts" that will haunt future technological engagement in theological education.