This practical, beginner-friendly workshop introduces library staff and faculty to today’s rapidly evolving generative AI landscape.
The first two-hour session covers large language models, prompt engineering, scaffolding, responsible and ethical AI use, and the strengths and limitations of leading AI platforms, with particular attention to ChatGPT and Claude. Participants will also explore personalization, Custom GPTs, Claude Skills, Cowork and Code, and emerging image-generation tools. A pre-workshop survey will gather participants’ recurring tasks and desired use cases (sent 2 weeks before the workshop). The second two-hour session will then provide customized demonstrations and hands-on practice built around those needs. Participants are encouraged to create free accounts for both ChatGPT and Claude, these will be sufficient for the hands-on practice portion of the workshop. In summary, participants will leave with reusable techniques and workflows they can adapt to their own roles.
Session 1: Foundations and the Evolving Toolkit
September 22, 2026
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A user-friendly introduction to generative AI, large language models, and an update on what has changed by 2026.
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Prompt engineering and scaffolding techniques for clearer, more reliable, and more useful outputs.
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A practical comparison of major AI assistants, including their strengths, limitations, and ideal uses.
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A closer look at ChatGPT and Claude: everyday capabilities, personalization, and advanced workflows.
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Custom GPTs; Claude Skills, Co-work, and Code; also image creation and editing in leading platforms, with a brief look at Google’s Nano Banana tools where useful.
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Responsible AI use and ethics.
Session 2: Customized Hands-On Practice
September 29, 2026
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A working session shaped by the needs of the group, not a generic set of exercises.
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A short pre-workshop survey, sent approximately two weeks beforehand, will collect participants’ recurring tasks, pain points, and desired use cases.
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Guided demonstrations and practice using representative, non-sensitive examples drawn from participant submissions.
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Opportunities to refine prompts, compare approaches, troubleshoot outputs, and turn useful results into reusable workflows.
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Time for questions, experimentation, and discussion of where human review, privacy, and professional judgment remain essential.
Each session will be recorded, with exclusive access to the recordings available for BLC members.
Instructor
Dr. Nikhil Awasty is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior in the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship at the University of New Hampshire. His research examines moods, emotions, teams, leadership, and the ways individuals navigate complex workplace dynamics. More recently, he has developed a growing line of work on how artificial intelligence is reshaping team processes, workplace communication, and decision-making. In addition to his scholarly work, Dr. Awasty regularly leads workshops on AI for faculty, doctoral students, and professionals, with a focus on practical applications in teaching, research, and administrative work. He is an active daily user of generative AI tools and has delivered more than 75 AI workshops across 30+ universities, colleges, and organizations. His workshops are designed to make a fast-changing AI landscape accessible, practical, and immediately useful for real-world professional settings.