Preserve a connection to the evidence.
Archives and special collections hold records whose meaning depends on context, provenance, and relationships. Decisions about AI use need to consider those responsibilities alongside access and research opportunities.
The UVA Archival AI Protocol.
The University of Virginia Library’s protocol addresses conditions for AI access to and use of archival collections. It is institutional work developed with Special Collections and Preservation colleagues.
Its questions include how an institution maintains control, how users can trace results to records, and how different uses of materials create different responsibilities.
The Statement of Shared Practice.
The Statement brings institutions together around shared expectations for AI training requests involving unique cultural collections. Leo serves as a coordinating contact within this collective initiative.
The current commitments and signatory list are maintained by UVA Library. Use those pages for the authoritative version and current participation.
Related writing.
“Memory Without Origin” examines why research libraries and archives need governance infrastructure when AI systems can produce answers without preserving an evident path back to their sources.
Read the brief