Public libraries are seeing packed workshops on how to disable AI features in everyday tools.
Why it matters: The sessions show a concrete demand for help controlling AI settings in products people use daily. They also put libraries in a new role as guides on AI literacy and user choice.
- TechCrunch reported July 25, 2026 that libraries across the U.S. are hosting 'Avoiding AI' workshops.
- Bangor Public Library librarian Hannah Cyrus said patrons want help turning off AI in email, search and other tools.
- Cyrus said her first workshop was capped at 30 registrations, opened a waitlist and drew about 70 people per session including livestream viewers.
- Philadelphia librarian Charlie Bailey said his workshop was prompted by frustration with AI tools being forced on users.
Public libraries are becoming a venue for hands-on questions about AI settings. TechCrunch reported July 25, 2026 that libraries are seeing strong turnout for 'Avoiding AI' workshops, where librarians explain how to disable AI features and look for alternatives in common products.
In Bangor, Maine, reference librarian Hannah Cyrus told the Bangor Daily News that the demand surprised her. 'This has never happened before with anything I've worked on,' she said. Cyrus said patrons were asking how to turn off automatic AI assistance in email, search and other tools, and that the sessions were meant to explain what the technology is doing and how to opt out.
Cyrus's first workshop was capped at 30 registrations, then opened a waitlist and added a Zoom stream. The Bangor Daily News reported that about 70 people attended each of the first two workshops, including livestream viewers.
TechCrunch also cited a workshop in Philadelphia, where librarian Charlie Bailey said frustration with AI tools being forced onto users helped drive attendance. Bailey said he sees the sessions as part of digital literacy and user autonomy. TechCrunch reported that the library's Instagram post about the event drew more than 2,000 likes and 220 shares.
The American Library Association adopted guidance on artificial intelligence in libraries on July 16, 2026, a week before the TechCrunch report, underscoring that AI policy is now a live issue for library systems.
By the numbers
- 30 - registration cap for Bangor Public Library's first 'Avoiding AI' workshop
- 70 - approximate attendance per session for the first two Bangor workshops, including livestream viewers
- 2,000 - likes on a Philadelphia library Instagram post about the workshop, according to TechCrunch
Yes, but: The reporting shows strong interest in workshops about turning off AI features, but it does not establish a broader national trend in user rejection of AI.