GenAI Policy Frameworks for Your Library

As generative AI tools become easier to find and use, a thoughtful policy gives staff and patrons a clear understanding of how decisions are made, what safeguards are in place, and what happens when a GenAI tool causes problems.

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Crafting a GenAI Policy Framework

A useful policy beings with four simple questions: Who decides? Where does data go? How do we tell patrons when AI is being used? What happens if something goes wrong with a GenAI program?

Who Decides? Governance and Oversight

Before choosing a GenAI tool, a library should decide who has a voice in that choice. Decisions made only by administrators may miss concerns that frontline staff encounter every day, such as confusing outputs, patron questions, or barriers to access.

This is why a review group should include people in different roles. A library’s GenAI policy should identify who evaluates proposed tools, who has authority to approve them, and how decisions and the reasoning behind decisions are documented. It should also set a schedule for revisiting decisions. A tool that seemed appropriate when it was first adopted may no longer meet the library’s needs or its standards later on.

Where Does Data Go? Privacy and Patron Safety

When a user enters a question or uploads a document to a GenAI tool, that information may be stored or processed by the company providing it. This often conflicts with library commitments to patron privacy.

Before offering a tool to library patrons, read its terms of service and privacy policy carefully. Find out what information the tool collects, where that information is stored, how long it is retained, and if and how that information is used by the company. A library GenAI policy needs to protect children and their information. It should also provide alternatives for patrons who do not want to use an AI service.

How Do We Tell People? Transparency and Communication

Patrons and staff deserve to know when GenAI is part of a library service or resource. If a tool generates content, helps answer questions, or shapes what someone sees, the library should communicate that clearly.

A GenAI policy can specify when AI-generated content must be labeled, and how staff should use accessible language to explain a GenAI tool’s purpose. Honest discussion of limitations is critical, including ensuring that patrons are aware of the possibility of inaccurate or biased outputs. Library patrons need a straightforward way to ask questions about tools the library uses.

What If Something Goes Wrong? Accountability and Review

Even a carefully evaluated GenAI tool can produce harmful, misleading, or inappropriate results. A library’s GenAI policy should plan for that possibility rather than assuming or hoping that it will not happen.

Staff and patrons need a simple way to report concerns, and someone must be responsible for investigating and responding to these reports. Regular reviews of GenAI tools can help the library identify patterns of error, bias, or other harmful behaviors. Libraries need to be prepared to stop using a tool if the risks outweigh the benefits.

Getting Started

Developing a GenAI policy begins with three manageable steps:

Gather a team that includes staff from different roles so that discussions reflect a range of experiences and concerns.
Ask hard questions, including: What problems would this tool solve? What might it cost patrons, staff, or the community? Who benefits? Who might be harmed? These ethical considerations for librarians using GenAI offer a solid starting point
Write down decisions that are made, even if they are tentative. Set a schedule to regularly revisit these decisions.

Remember that choosing not to adopt a GenAI tool is a valid policy decision.