4m
Ryan Suppe writes: “One person filed nearly two dozen requests to relocate books in the Eagle (Idaho) Public Library, prompting trustees to move the titles to an adult section last month, according to emails obtained by Idaho Education News. The city of Eagle, which oversees the library board of trustees, is shielding the identity of the filer, citing a state law that protects information that would identify someone using a library item. But it’s unclear whether the anonymous filer used any of the challenged books. Two of the books have not been checked out in at least two years, according to library circulation records.”
Idaho Education News, Oct. 27, Oct. 3
4h
Kate L. Ganski writes: “Academic libraries are on the front lines of conversations about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on student researched writing. Teaching and learning librarians may feel pressured to take a stance for or against the use of AI, become the AI literacy experts, police use of AI, or incorporate AI tools into their lesson plans to remain relevant. Instead of responding to pressure, we have an opportunity to strategically lead the discussion on how we will address. We have published several new resources to answer questions that students and faculty might have about AI.”
My So Called Librarian Life, Oct. 23
7h
Kyle Orland writes: “October 25, the US Copyright Office announced that it was denying the Video Game History Foundation’s (VGHF) request for a Digital Millenium Copyright Act exemption to share internet-accessible emulated versions of physical game collections with researchers. [Researchers will have to] travel to far-flung collections for access to the often-rare physical copies of the games they’re seeking,” even though 87 percent of older games are out of print. In a statement, VGHF promised to continue working for access and legal allowances for video game preservation.
Ars Technica, Oct. 25
1d
Penguin Random House (PRH) and United for Libraries (UFL) announced October 23 a new grant program serving rural and small libraries across the country. The initiative will serve rural and small libraries in need across the country. Grants of $500 and $1,000 (totaling $25,000) will be awarded to support libraries in need through their Friends groups or other nonprofit community groups that fundraise for them. In-kind book donation grants of $500 will also be awarded to 20 libraries to purchase PRH titles. Applications will be accepted from February 3–17, 2025, and UFL will host informational sessions starting in December.
United for Libraries, Oct. 23
1d
“Books flying off the shelves. Shadowy figures roaming the hallways. Unexplained sounds. Is Peoria (Ill.) Public Library haunted? Is the building possessed by spirits hovering above cursed ground? Or, are these apparitions just a sign that the librarians have been spending too much time in the stacks? In this Halloween season rebroadcast of Episode 31, ‘The Haunting of Peoria Public Library,’ originally aired in 2018, past-host Phil Morehart road-trips to Peoria in Central Illinois to get to the bottom of these strange happenings.”
AL: The Scoop, Oct. 25
1d
Anne Ford writes: “Sonya Knisley, head of children’s services at Clark County (Ohio) Public Library (CCPL), has seen it happen over and over again. Someone walks into her location and applies for a library card—with one obvious aim. ‘As soon as they get their card, they immediately place a hold on a ghost-hunting kit,’ Knisley says. Like many libraries, CCPL has begun loaning out collections of specialized electronic items said to help seekers of the supernatural track down spirits.”
American Libraries Trend, Sept./Oct.
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Melissa Brachfeld writes: “Imagine the frustration of a scholar who, after traveling thousands of miles to the National Archives in College Park, Maryland, must wait hours to access a single cardboard box that may or may not contain the specific materials they might be seeking. The 43 National Archives and Records Administration facilities contain over 10 billion pages, most of which have not been digitized. It can feel like searching for a historical needle in a very large haystack. Researchers at the University of Maryland, with assistance from information experts from Japan, are working to offer digital solutions to this dilemma.”
University of Maryland: Maryland Today, Oct. 17
