CARL Welcomes Lesley Balcom as Visiting Program Officer for AI Integration and Library Leadership
September 21, 2026 – The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Lesley Balcom as its new Visiting Program Officer (VPO) for AI Integration and Library Leadership.
As former Dean of Libraries at the University of New Brunswick (2015-2026), her experience in library leadership and her understanding of the evolving role of research libraries bring valuable expertise to CARL’s work on the integration of artificial intelligence across the research library community.
In her role as CARL’s Visiting Program Officer for AI Integration and Library Leadership, Lesley will provide national leadership and strategic insight into how research libraries can navigate and shape the transformative impact of AI across all areas of their work. As generative AI continues to reshape research, teaching and learning, scholarly communication, collections, digital stewardship, operations, and organizational strategy, her work will help advance coordinated and values-aligned approaches across the CARL community.
A primary focus of Lesley’s role will be the development and chairing of a cross-committee task force on AI. Working closely with CARL directors, staff, CARL Visiting Program Officers, committees, and other stakeholders, she will help coordinate CARL’s activities and strategic thinking around AI. Her work will extend across multiple CARL strategic committees, with an ongoing association with the Advancing Teaching and Learning Committee.
CARL looks forward to working with Lesley as the research library community continues to navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence. Her appointment began on September 1, 2026, for an initial one-year term.
