Montréal Libraries: Making AI Accessible to All

Montréal’s public libraries have become spaces for learning about artificial intelligence through a hands-on workshop program launched by IVADO last January. This initiative, deployed across six neighborhoods and reaching all generations, addresses the growing need for digital literacy in a society where AI is rapidly transforming our daily practices.

Workshops Accessible to Everyone

In collaboration with the Montréal city library network, IVADO has offered different types of workshops to better understand and use conversational agents, create comics, or produce videos. These training sessions are designed to be accessible without technical prerequisites, allowing citizens of all ages to embrace these technologies.
“We wanted participants to develop critical thinking about AI systems while learning how to use them,” explains Amélie Côté, senior coordinator of knowledge mobilization and social innovation at IVADO.

A Balanced Approach

The workshops encourage exchanges with facilitators and practical experimentation while systematically addressing questions of ethics and responsibility. Participants are made aware of privacy protection, data management, potential algorithmic biases, and copyright issues. This approach allows them to develop a critical understanding of AI while learning to use it responsibly.

In parallel, IVADO organized two webinars in March to train library staff throughout Québec, in partnership with the Association des bibliothèques publiques du Québec (ABPQ). This collaboration broadens the scope of essential support for citizens. Participants received introductory AI training as well as more practical training on how to organize or facilitate AI awareness activities. This IVADO initiative is part of an approach to democratize AI in communities in order to advance knowledge in an accessible way, while encouraging people to become more critical. The initiative will continue in various forms over the coming months.