Public AI Statement
A transparent explanation for patrons about how AskLib is used, what data protections are in place, and how the community can opt out or give feedback.
Our commitment to patrons
AskLib helps us answer questions faster and draft clearer materials, but human staff remain responsible for every message you receive.
We prioritize privacy, accessibility, and plain language so every patron understands how their information is handled.
- We use AI as a drafting assistant, not an autonomous decision-maker.
- We do not sell patron data or use it to train public AI models.
- We welcome feedback and will correct any errors quickly.
Where we use AI today
- Drafting and translating general information about hours, printing, meeting rooms, and events.
- Summarizing program details for flyers, newsletters, and website updates.
- Creating staff training materials and checklists that are later reviewed by humans.
- Providing policy-aligned answers within our website chat when staff are unavailable.
What we will not do
- We will not use AI to make eligibility decisions or offer legal, medical, or immigration advice.
- We will not store or process patron account numbers, addresses, or sensitive personal details in AI prompts.
- We will not allow AI to send responses to patrons without human review.
Privacy protections
- Patron identifiers are redacted before using AI tools. We avoid collecting more data than necessary to answer a question.
- We use private, access-controlled systems. Data from your interactions is not used to train public models.
- Logs are retained according to our existing records policy; sensitive drafts are purged on a regular schedule.
Human oversight & quality
- Staff review AI-generated drafts before they are shared. Supervisors review communications related to incidents.
- We ask AI systems to cite policies or sources so staff can verify accuracy.
- If an answer seems incorrect or unclear, staff will rewrite it and update the underlying guidance.
Accessibility & inclusion
- We request outputs at an 8th-grade reading level and include alt text or bilingual lines where appropriate.
- We check translations with bilingual staff when possible to ensure cultural and regional accuracy.
- We invite patrons to request formats or languages that better meet their needs.
Feedback & questions
- 1
If you spot an error
Contact the branch or email [email protected] with the topic and where you saw the issue.
- 2
If you prefer not to use AI-assisted tools
Ask for a staff member, and we will provide the information without AI assistance.
- 3
If you have privacy concerns
Request a copy of this policy or speak with a supervisor. We will review and respond within one business day.
How we review and update this statement
- We evaluate AI tools quarterly for accuracy, bias, and alignment with library values.
- We publish updates on our website when use cases change or new safeguards are added.
- We will sunset any AI feature that cannot meet our privacy or accessibility standards.
Want these customized?
We can adapt language and policies to your specific programs.