Natalie Buda Smith on AI in libraries, human at the center, deeper storytelling, and language recreation (AC Ep47)

Natalie Buda Smith on AI in libraries, human at the center, deeper storytelling, and language recreation (AC Ep47)

June 17, 2026 · 34 min · Season 3 · Episode 47

About this episode

Natalie Buda Smith discusses the impact of AI on libraries and the importance of preserving cultural memory.

Join Natalie Buda Smith, Director of AI at the Library of Congress, as she explores how digital interfaces and AI are revolutionizing access to human knowledge and cultural memory. In this episode, you'll learn about the shift from primary source access to information intermediated by AI, the importance of preserving historical context through multiple digitization versions, and the challenges of navigating proprietary data and open APIs. Natalie Buda Smith shares firsthand insights into empowering staff with AI tools, fostering personalized information delivery, and how collaborative, AI-powered projects are surfacing new connections and creative storytelling across diverse collections.

People in this episode

Host: Ross Dawson

Guest: Natalie Buda Smith

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Library of Congress

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