In #NewJersey, Governor Murphy signed a new law in December, the Freedom to #Read Act, to circumvent #book banning shenanigans in our public schools and #libraries. It’s based on a similar law already on the books in Illinois.

https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey-book-banning-schools-libraries/

A new law in N.J. limits the banning of books in schools and public libraries

A new law enacted in New Jersey will limit how a book can be banned in schools and public libraries, and protect librarians from lawsuits.

^{David Matthau (WHYY)}

"Ethics" is not the only problem with generative A.I. -- *epistemology* is broken too.

My latest for Public Books: in the face of #google telling us to eat rocks, we bought an encyclopedia.

https://www.publicbooks.org/the-encyclopedia-project-or-how-to-know-in-the-age-of-ai/

Companion blog post here:

https://www.optoutproject.net/what-is-true-on-the-internet/

#AI #ethics #EthicsInAI #knowledgeinfrastructures #libraries

Why I bought an Encyclopedia

NOTE: This is a companion post to my piece in Public Books, 'The Encylopedia Project: Or, how to know in…

^{Janet Vertesi}

A bill in Louisiana, HB 777, would make it a crime for librarians to use public funds to join the American Librarian Association or attend an ALA conference, punishable with prison time and hard labor for up to two years.

#libraries #education #books #librarians #theocracy

Does your public library use Overdrive/Libby for ebooks or audiobooks? ⚠️

In the US and Canada, the answer is probably yes. And you should speak to your library staff and commission about it.

Libby is now owned by a private equity firm & making sketchy changes: https://buttondown.email/ninelives/archive/the-coming-enshittification-of-public-libraries/

The latest development is that their overbroad privacy policy allows them to sell your borrowing history to advertisers: https://infosec.exchange/@longobord/112243098104196246

Thank you @karawynn and @longobord!

#Privacy #Libraries

The Coming Enshittification of Public Libraries

Global investment vampires have positioned themselves to suck our libraries dry

^{buttondown.email}

The #UMontana is cancelling more than 5,000 #journals from #Elsevier, #TaylorAndFrancis, and #Wiley, forced by "rising journal…#prices and a stagnant #budget…The library has seen a $700,000 reduction in money received since fiscal year 2020."
https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/mansfield-library-at-um-set-to-cut-largest-e-journal-packages

#Academia #Cancellations #Libraries #Publishers #ScholComm #Universities
@academicchatter

Mansfield Library at UM set to cut largest e-journal packages

Cuts are coming to the Mansfield Library’s collections to address a more than $300,000 funding gap.When University of Montana students access the library’s onli

^KECI

Let's talk about Utah, libraries, and finding out....

A Sword Has Two Edges....

#News #Utah #Libraries #MaliciousCompliance #BeauOfTheFifthColumn

Let's talk about Utah, libraries, and finding out....

Support via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beautfcThe Roads with Beau: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_x7nc3Vi4BPgmNnMsz774ACheck out the store. Sticker...

^YouTube

I do love having Library Extension in my browser. As soon as I clicked the link to look at the book title on Amazon, Library Extension told me that my local library had the book (both printed copy and ebook), and I was able to place a hold on a copy on the spot. There will be a short wait — some holds already placed — but it saves me the price of the book.

#libraries #library #LibraryExtension #books #reading