Age-Friendly AIhad a fantastic time in Tipperary on December 1st, connecting with over 40 librarians during their annual staff meeting at the Horse and Jockey Hotel, near Thurles.

Paula Kelly and Dr. Emma Clarke led a session focused on AI Literacy and how this emerging area fits into the Skills for Life programme, which is being rolled out nationwide across libraries. This event was an opportunity to talk about the potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on both librarians and the library services they provide to the community, and explore the collaboration between Age-Friendly AI and local libraries going forward.

The workshop included an introduction to the Age-Friendly AI initiative and offered librarians a chance to get hands-on with fun, interactive AI tools:

• The Spirit of Radio: An AI-powered vintage radio demonstration.
• “Art or AI?”: The ADAPT Centre’s pop-up exhibition that challenges users to guess whether an image was created by a human artist or by AI.

An interactive feedback session gathered thoughts on the project to date and enabled discussion on plans for 2026.

We heard the message from Tipperary librarians loud and clear: Libraries are essential community hubs, and librarians are on the front line helping people navigate information and technology. This means that ensuring relevant and accessible  AI resources or training options for them is essential for the success of the Age-Friendly AI programme and achieving the shared mission: to increase AI Literacy amongst all ages.

Image: L-R Paula Kelly, Age-Friendly AI Project Lead, Damien Dullaghan, County Librarian; Greg MacDonald, Staff Office; Pat Bracken and Ann Marie Brophy, both Senior Executive Librarians; Dr Emma Clarke, ADAPT Centre