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December 13, 2021 970 × 647 Saving Afghanistan’s At-Risk Websites

The Afghanistan Ministry of Education homepage, as captured on August 16, 2021. Information about then–Minister of Education Rangina Hamidi (pictured), a women’s rights advocate, has since been removed from the website.

Latest Library Links

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Whitney Christopher writes: “As concerns about data privacy continue to grow and become increasingly difficult to navigate, libraries play an important role in helping patrons make informed decisions. A key challenge is ensuring patrons understand what happens to their data when they access third-party vendor websites, particularly in cases where tracking and data collection are not immediately visible. An ongoing project within Cornell University Library examines vendor privacy policies alongside the data collected by vendor platforms. The goal is to better align what vendors say in their policies with what their websites actually do, while also improving transparency for patrons.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, July 13
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In a column adapted from a presentation at the Recharging in Challenging Times ALA virtual event, Darcy Lipp-Acord writes: “What I find concerning are the abusive communication and behavior patterns I see being used by many who attempt to challenge books, ban books, and ‘protect children.’ Patterns I have pointed out to my staff include character assassination, disinformation, gaslighting, minimizing, and volatility. How do we prepare ourselves for these interactions?”

American Libraries column, Summer
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Kendra Winchester writes: “Disability Pride Month is all about taking strength in who we are as disabled people, celebrating our lives, and coming together as a community. That includes the kiddos in our lives. That’s where picture books come into play. These stories aren’t just sweet stories; they are reflections of the many different kinds of disabled lives lived around the world. They illustrate the incredible diversity in disabled communities. Here are a few to help get you started.”

Book Riot, July 2
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Paul Goble writes: “The Lenin State Library in Moscow is setting up a special restricted access collection to hold what officials call ‘destructive literature’ that scholars and officials may need to see to do their work but that ordinary Russians will not be able to access, according to Zhanna Alekseyeva. The Russian deputy culture minister says other libraries will follow suit and will place books not on the approved list in such restricted collections.”

Eurasia Review, June 26
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Vincent Safuto writes: “Paper copies of BookPage magazine are gone from Hernando County’s (Fla.) public libraries, though the free book-review publication remains available online. The move follows months of complaints from some residents who argued the magazine pushed a political agenda and that the subscription wasted county money. County Commissioner Steve Champion questioned whether libraries are an essential service. He said the county may have to cut nonessential services if Gov. Ron DeSantis’s proposed property tax reduction wins approval from 60% of Florida voters.”

Tampa Bay (Fla.) Beacons, July 6
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Carolyn Jones writes: “California librarians were stunned when a last-minute budget change stripped K–12 schools of a trove of research materials. Without notice to schools or librarians, the legislature canceled $5.5 million that pays online fees for Compass, an online database of research and curriculum materials that have been vetted by teachers and librarians. Since the program launched in 2018, it’s received nearly 1 billion hits. The cut goes into effect on July 1, 2027. Meanwhile, librarians are launching an aggressive campaign to save the program.”

Cal Matters, June 30; California School Library Association, July 1
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Jaime Eastman writes: “Let’s talk about ways that intentional, scaffolded program structures create organization and clear direction for patrons and staff alike. While each library’s program structure is different, my goal today is to share replicable models that work for all types of libraries and programs. I’ll explore how scaffolded programs help you reach specific audiences and customize patron experiences. At its core, scaffolded programming is about purposeful program design over time.”

ALSC Blog, July 1

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