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.

Contact Persons

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 |zechELib
• 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

About ICOLC

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.