10 Ways to Avoid AI Slop in Collections Development
A Library 2.0 / Learning Revolution Webinar with Reed Hepler
OVERVIEW:
In this specialized webinar for librarians and information professionals, Reed addresses one of collections development's most pressing challenges today: the flood of AI-generated content infiltrating library catalogs and acquisition pipelines.
AI-generated books, articles, and media—often called "AI slop"—have proliferated at an alarming rate. These materials range from low-quality self-published books with AI-written text and covers to fabricated academic articles and synthetic media. Traditional vetting processes weren't designed to catch these sophisticated fakes, and many AI-generated items slip through vendor catalogs, recommendation engines, and even peer review processes.
The consequences for libraries are serious: wasted acquisition budgets, compromised collection quality, erosion of patron trust, and the perpetuation of misinformation. Librarians need new skills to identify AI-generated content before it enters their collections, but many don't know what red flags to look for or which tools and workflows can help.
This webinar offers practical, actionable strategies for detecting AI slop during selection and acquisition. You'll learn to spot telltale signs in metadata, covers, reviews, and content—and discover how to leverage both human expertise and (ironically) selective AI tools to protect collection integrity.
- Look at author details
- Look at reviews
- Look at metadata
- Look at cover images closely
- Look at the plot summary
- Search for the data elsewhere
- Work with data of your existing collection (there are ways to use AI to do this)
- Avoid AI in GoodReads
- Work with RA sites
- Avoid AI in Hoopla
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Recognize common indicators of AI-generated content in books, media, and digital resources
- Apply critical evaluation techniques to vendor-supplied metadata and reviews
- Develop workflows that incorporate human judgment and selective automation to maintain collection quality
This 60-minute webinar will equip library professionals with 10 essential strategies for identifying and avoiding AI-generated content in collections development, protecting both budget and patron trust. All registrants will have access to the recording and presentation slides.
DATE: Tuesday, November 10th, 2026, 2:00 - 3:00 pm US Eastern Time
COST:
- $99/person - includes live attendance and any-time access to the recording and the presentation slides and receiving a participation certificate. To arrange group discounts (see below), to submit a purchase order, or for any registration difficulties or questions, email admin@library20.com.
TO REGISTER:
Use the payment box above to register and pay. You can pay by credit card. You will receive an email within a day with information on how to attend the webinar live and how you can access the permanent webinar recording. If you are paying for someone else to attend, you'll be prompted to send an email to admin@library20.com with the name and email address of the actual attendee.
If you need to be invoiced or pay by check, if you have any trouble registering for a webinar, or if you have any questions, please email admin@library20.com.
NOTE: Please check your spam folder if you don't receive your confirmation email within a day.
SPECIAL GROUP RATES (email admin@library20.com to arrange):
- Multiple individual log-ins and access from the same organization paid together: $75 each for 3+ registrations, $65 each for 5+ registrations. Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.
- The ability to show the webinar (live or recorded) to a group located in the same physical location or in the same virtual meeting from one log-in: $299.
- Large-scale institutional access for viewing with individual login capability: $499 (hosted either at Learning Revolution or in Niche Academy). Unlimited and non-expiring access for those log-ins.
REED C. HEPLER
Currently, Reed works as a Digital Initiatives Librarian at a college in Idaho and also has his own consulting firm, heplerconsulting.com. His views and projects can be seen on his LinkedIn page or his blog, CollaborAItion, on Substack. Contact him at reed.hepler@gmail.com for more information.
