The staff of the Folger Shakespeare Library are the custodians of one of the world’s most important collections of Shakespeare’s works and early modern materials. They bring Shakespeare’s work to life on stage and through learning activities at the Folger and in classrooms across the country. Folger staff engage in a wide range of activities with varied audiences to contextualize Shakespeare, the arts, and the humanities and show how essential they are in contemporary society. In short, Folger staff are committed to sharing the breadth and power of human creativity and ingenuity as well as helping people to realize these skills in their own endeavors.
Given the fundamentally human-centric nature of the Folger’s work, the rapid rise of generative AI and agentic AI tools raised many questions among staff on how to use such tools while upholding the values of the organization. Led by the Head of IT, a team of staff members representing departments across the entire organization convened to discuss a variety of possible use cases and develop a responsible use policy for AI.
The resulting policy, first adopted by the Folger in September 2026, now governs all work performed by Folger staff. The policy itself does not endorse or prohibit the use of specific AI tools, but it outlines the places wherein human creation is a requirement for the Folger’s work while providing guidance as to whether AI tools are appropriate in a task a staff member is looking to complete.
As the AI landscape is constantly evolving, the Folger will re-evaluate the policy annually.
Please access the policy at the link below.