As artificial intelligence – in particular, generative AI and large language models – has developed rapidly since the release of ChatGPT to the public in late 2022, electronic resource vendors have begun to present libraries and consortia with new license language defining rights and restrictions related to AI. As libraries and vendors navigate the rapidly changing technological and legal landscape of AI, ICOLC supports its member consortia in their efforts to ensure library user rights are maintained in alignment with organizational interests and values. ICOLC recognizes that such rights are imperative for supporting:
- Digital transformation in research
- Equitable access to information
- The open access transition in scholarly communication
All of these revolutionary changes are limited in their potential without enabling the full legal use of AI technologies.
To that end, ICOLC endorses and upholds the following principles with regard to AI clauses in licenses negotiated and signed by library consortia:
- AI clauses will permit the use of AI for any and all legal purposes that support consortia members’ core missions of non commercial research, teaching, learning, and equitable access to information.
- Multi-year licenses that include AI clauses will formally establish opportunities for the revision and/or updating of language related to AI during the term of the agreement to reflect legal or technological developments.
- AI clauses will not restrict user actions in ways that are fundamentally unenforceable.
- AI clauses will in no way prevent authorized users from making licensed content fully accessible to other authorized users in any legal manner.
- AI clauses will not be introduced into a negotiation in a way that limits a consortium’s opportunity to fully review the clauses in accordance with the consortium’s regular review procedure.
- AI clauses will not introduce new liability clauses beyond the scope of what has previously been agreed upon, especially for actions of authorized users.
Representatives from the consortia and library community can endorse this statement by completing this form: https://forms.gle/Q1baAikGFRAaEMmJ8
ICOLC AI Task Force
Teri Oaks Gallaway
Jesse Holden
Rachel Erb
Miranda Bennett
Craig Olsvik
Christy Urquieta Cortes
Adam Der
Christian Agi
Robert Van Rennes
Jen Carroll
Colleen Campbell
Ben Taplin
Dveke Sijm
Angus Cook
Brigitte Kromp
ICOLC Coordinating Committee
Amanda Holmes, Co-Chair (FY 2022-2025), Canadian Research Knowledge Network | CRKN
Angus Cook (FY 2022-2025), Council of Australian University Librarians | CAUL
Anne Craig (FY 2022-2025), Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois | CARLI
César Pallares (CY 2024-2026), Consorcio Colombia/CONSORTIA
Dyveke Sijm (CY 2023-2025), Royal Danish Library | KBNL | UNGLI
Jiří Jirát, Co-Chair (CY 2023-2025, 2nd term), Czech National Centre for Electronic Resources | CzechELib
Milan Vasiljevic (CY 2024-2026), Qatar National Library Consortium
Rick Moul, (FY 2021-2024), Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries | PASCAL
Teri Gallaway, (FY 2021-2024, 2nd term), Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium | SCELC
Celeste Feather, ex officio for administration, Lyrasis
Sharla Lair, ex officio, ICOLC Program Coordinator, ICOLC
Arizona State University Library
Armacost Library, University of Redlands
Association of Research Libraries
Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)
Austrian Academic Library Consortium (KEMÖ)
BC Electronic Library Network
Benedictine University Library
Bibliothèque de l'Université Laval
Boston Library Consortium
Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN)
CARLI
CONUL (Consortium of National and University Libraries in Ireland)
Council of Atlantic Academic Libraries (CAAL-CBPA)
Council of Australian University Librarians (CAUL)
Council of Prairie & Pacific University Libraries
CSIC- Spanish Research Council
CTK Consortia
Dalhousie University Libraries
EIFL (Electronic Information for Libraries)
Eira Consortium, Sweden
FH Salzburg University of Applied Sciences
FinELib Consortium
Florida SouthWestern State College
Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC)
GALILEO
Greater Western Library Alliance
Gulf Coast State College
HEAL-Link, Hellenic Academic Libraries Link
HELIN (Higher Education Library Information Network)
IReL
Ivy Plus Libraries Confederation (IPLC)
Jisc
JULAC
KoBSON - Serbian Library Consortium for Coordinated Acquisition
Lewis & Clark College
Library and Archives Copyright Alliance (LACA)
Lyrasis
MALMAD
Max Planck Digital Library
McMaster University
Mi tiendita
Midwest Collaborative for Library Services
MPDL Services / DEAL Consortium
National Library of Sweden and the Bibsam Consortium
NEFLIN
NorthEast Research Libraries (NERL)
Ontario Colleges Library Service
Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL)
Orbis Cascade Alliance
Oregon Tech
Partenariat des bibliothèques universitaires du Québec (PBUQ)
Portland State University Library
Research Libraries UK
Saint Martin's University
SCELC
SCONUL
Tallahassee Community College
The Alberta Library
TRAILS
Trent University Library & Archives
UKB Consortium, Netherlands
Université de Sherbrooke - Service des bibliothèques et archives
University of Alberta
University of applied sciences Upper Austria
University of Calgary
University of Florida
University of Innsbruck
University of North Texas Libraries
University of Oregon
University of Pittsburgh Library System
University of Puget Sound
University of Texas System Digital Library
University of Victoria Libraries
University of Vienna
University of Washington Libraries
University of West Florida
University of Windsor
University System of Maryland and Affiliated Institutions (USMAI) Library Consortium
VALE NJ
Western Libraries
Western University
WHELF - Wales Higher Education Libraries Forum
Whitman College Penrose Library
The International Coalition of Library Consortia (ICOLC) is a professional organization of approximately 200 library consortia from around the world. ICOLC serves consortia staff by providing professional development, information and expertise sharing, and peer benchmarking with like-minded organizations.
Membership in the ICOLC community provides value through fostering trusted personal relationships with trusted colleagues. These relationships offer opportunities for problem-solving, mentoring, and counseling. The organization advances common goals through peer-to-peer networking, development of best practices, and by facilitating deeper collaborative action and advocacy amongst members.
More information about ICOLC can be found at http://www.icolc.net.