Information Workshop I (Winter 2026)

Agentic AI is being heralded as the next step in the development of AI systems. Agentics, complex ensembles of different machine learning, data processing, and generativeAI models, can provide new autonomous and proactive decision-making capabilities to organizations, participate in complex workflows, and, when needed, seek guidance from and provide insights to human users in natural languages. Key to the design and implementation of agentic systems is to better understand how they integrate into the specific social and cultural aspects of organizations. In this course we will explore the cutting edge of social agentics design, reading current literature on agentics to surface novel agent architectures and design patterns, building these within a agentic sandbox, and exploring how they operate.

Play-based programming in libraries has traditionally been focused on children. However, there is a growing trend in to facilitate these events for adults, based on research that illustrates the benefits of play for this population. This workshop will dive into the theories behind play, including how it can be defined, and the existing evidence of the impacts. An emphasis will be placed on the applications of play in library settings, with a practical viewpoint towards planning and implementation of play-based activities. This course will prepare future librarians or library workers to advocate for, plan, deliver, and assess play based programming for adults in library settings.

This workshop invites students to imagine technology beyond capitalism. It explores alternative perspectives on technology design outside the confines of capitalist extractivist logics, financial incentives, colonial roots, and structural organization. Through examples, theories, and imaginative discussions, we explore facets of this large topic. We discuss: how capitalism shapes modern information technology; what crises we are in today and what we can expect from the coming decades; why ‘green growth’ is impossible; how some resist the drivers of capitalist tech in various places, times, and forms; what happens outside the systems of invention dominated by capitalist rules; how IT can be shaped differently; and how that already happens today.

Balloon-animal twisting is an embodied information practice that involves the sensory-motor system of a twister in complex forms of eye-hand coordination and proprioception (awareness of the position and movement of the body). When done by an adult twister with a child as the recipient, it can be enacted in a spirit of child-centered learning about animals that boosts the young person’s confidence, critical thinking, and creativity. Students of this Workshop will master a menagerie of balloon animal forms; gain necessary, concomitant social intelligences for their production in an educational, microsocial context; and ultimately grasp the potential of balloon-animal twisting to fortify information institutions and the public good. Given the Workshop’s home within a Master of Information program, balloon-animal twisting will be approached via the aforementioned theoretical frameworks of embodied information practice and child-centered learning; and, it will be further illuminated through the timely lenses of the multispecies movement, the Serious Leisure Perspective, and artistic activism. Beyond its walls and enrollment, this Workshop aims to diversify the Faculty of Information’s curriculum, through its unconventional nexus of a whimsical craft that can likewise be personally, socially, and informationally meaningful.

This workshop explores critical issues in machine learning AI in terms of their social and technological systems – examining both the worldviews and the models that shape AI. Grounded in case studies, readings from science and technology studies, computer science, and policy, the course emphasizes the relational nature of technology, policy, and society. Students will engage in critical discussion, thematic design charrettes, and collaborative workshop activities to interrogate the role of AI in sociotechnical contexts.

This workshop is a six-week, hands-on journey designed to help students communicate data effectively through visual storytelling. Tableau was chosen as the data visualization tool for its powerful yet intuitive interface, enabling users to create interactive and insightful visualizations with ease. Its versatility, scalability, and ability to connect to diverse data sources make it an ideal tool for both beginners and professionals. Tailored for participants of all backgrounds and experience levels, this workshop provides a structured approach to mastering Tableau and the principles of impactful data visualization. Through a blend of theory, hands-on practice, and project-based learning, students will develop the skills and confidence needed to design clear, compelling, and effective visualizations.

This workshop is a hands-on exploration of multiple styles of bookbinding. Students will acquire fundamental technical knowledge by creating a variety of book structures using traditional tools and materials. An appreciation of the history of bindings will be gained through lectures and library visits. Students are not expected to be artistic or have skills in bookbinding before the class. Grading will be based on participation, effort, and increased skills over the span of the class.