At our August 2026 meeting, the CSLP Board of Directors ratified a new Statement on Artists, Artwork, and Artificial Intelligence, reaffirming the organization's longstanding commitment to original human creativity and the professional artists whose work defines
each year's Summer Reading Program.
For nearly four decades, CSLP's annual themes have been brought to life through the imagination and talent of commissioned artists, guided by the ideas and collaboration of hundreds of library volunteers. The new statement recognizes that these artists—and
the original work they create—are central to CSLP's mission and deserve to be protected.
The statement affirms that CSLP does not use generative AI to create official artwork or manual content and will continue to produce original, human-created materials for member libraries. It also makes clear that CSLP's copyrighted artwork, publications, and
other creative content may not be used to train generative AI systems or to create AI-generated derivative works.
At the same time, the statement acknowledges that artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important part of the library landscape. Consistent with the
American
Library Association's guidance on the responsible use of AI in libraries, CSLP supports thoughtful and ethical uses of AI that enhance library service while preserving human creativity, accountability, and public trust.
Rather than attempting to regulate how libraries choose to use AI in their own work, the statement focuses on protecting CSLP's commissioned artwork, intellectual property, and the artists who make each summer reading program unique. As with CSLP's existing
Rules
of Use, the organization relies on the professionalism of its members, partners, sponsors, volunteers, and contributors to respect copyrights, trademarks, and the creative work entrusted to CSLP.
The complete CSLP Statement on Artists, Artwork, and Artificial Intelligence is available
here on
the CSLP website under
About Us.
Questions or comments regarding the AI statement can be addressed to Executive Director, Dawn Krause at
dawn.krause@cslpreads.org.
