Dr. Brandy McNeil is president of the Public Library Association and deputy director of Branch Programs and Services at the New York Public Library, where she oversees adult education, digital literacy, and workforce development across eighty-nine branches. Featured in Chapter 7, “Writing,” of The AI Toolkit for Librarians, Brandy brings a powerful mix of public library leadership, technology advocacy, entrepreneurship, and community-centered innovation.

This conversation explores how AI is changing writing, workforce readiness, and the skills people need to succeed. Brandy discusses why students and job seekers must learn to use AI responsibly while still preserving authentic voice, human input, and critical thinking. She also shares how libraries can support staff training, rural access, patron education, vendor evaluation, and thoughtful experimentation so communities are not left behind as the AI divide continues to grow.