The Flat River Community Library ensures that all of its books are written by humans and not generated by AI, emphasizing quality and authenticity in its selection process.
GREENVILLE, Mich. — Some Michigan libraries are taking a stand against a growing trend toward books written entirely by artificial intelligence.
In Greenville, Flat River Community Library Director Stef Reed said the biggest concern is not only accuracy, but also authenticity. She said her library is taking steps to keep AI-generated books off its shelves.
“The goal of a lot of this AI content is to try to minimize cost and maximize value,” Reed said.
Reed said she’s on a mission to make sure every book on the library’s shelves is written by a human and not a machine.
“In terms of AI and publishing, this is something that creates a lot of mess,” Reed said. “The real problem with AI is that it doesn’t offer that human quality.”
She said her team follows strict selection policies, relying on trusted reviews and professional networks to ensure every human-written title makes the cut.
“We rely heavily on reviews from other librarians and the publishing industry, so we know that by the time we got this title, a lot of eyes have seen it and we know we’re bringing quality content,” Reed said.
Although printed materials are carefully reviewed, she said digital collections can be more delicate. Some platforms host thousands of titles, and not all of them are human-made.
“There’s no ethical decision-making with AI. They just spit out what they spit out,” Reed said.
When it comes to children’s books, Reed said children can tell the difference.
“They want something that feels like there’s a person behind it and that aspect is also really vital to the assessment and selection process,” she said.
Reed said what his library is doing is part of a growing trend as libraries across the country work to weed out AI-generated books.
She said it’s not about banning technology, but about keeping stories authentic and readers informed.
“We’re all part of one big system,” Reed said. “We’re doing everything we can with the information we have and we’re hoping parents will help us meet on the other side,” Reed said.
Reed said his team will continue to teach the community how to spot real stories from those created by AI.
