10h
Deborah Walters writes: “October 26, 2001, marked the beginning of a 15-year-long struggle for the privacy rights of library users as a result of the USA PATRIOT Act being signed into law by President Bush. Section 215, which became known as the ‘library provision,’ allowed intelligence agencies to ‘obtain information about members of the public, including library records, based on a minimal submission to a secret court,’ according to a statement from ALA and the Association of Research Libraries. ALA’s Washington Office created guidance on consulting legal counsel and reviewing policies.”
ALA150, Oct. 23
14h
Nicole P. Dyszlewski writes: “In Rhode Island, a powerful group of advocates came together in coalition to encourage our legislators and governor to pass and sign into law the most protective Freedom to Read law in the United States (so far). Building a Freedom to Read Coalition: Lessons from Rhode Island’s Fight Against Book Bans was created to share what our coalition learned with others who are ready to demand the freedom to read.” Advocacy continues, however, as 15 months after passage the state has not yet published all of the model policies the law requires.
Unite Against Book Bans; SteveAhlquist.news, Oct. 19
18h
On October 22, the Public Library Association and Microsoft announced a collaboration to expand resources and no-cost artificial intelligence (AI) skills training for public library workers and their patrons. Building AI Skills and Agency Through Libraries is designed to build practical skills, critical awareness and the judgment to use AI safely and appropriately, while leaving decisions about whether and how to use these technologies to individual libraries and their communities. The first webinar in the series, Building AI Agency with Libraries, will be held December 3 at 1 pm Central.
Public Library Association, Oct. 22
1d
ALA invites library users nationwide to nominate their favorite librarians for the prestigious I Love My Librarian Award. The national award recognizes the outstanding public service contributions of librarians working in public, school, college, community college or university libraries. Nominations will be accepted through December 18. Ten librarians will each receive $5,000 in recognition of their outstanding achievements, as well as free conference registration and a travel stipend to attend the 2027 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, where they will be honored at the I Love My Librarian Award ceremony.
ALA Communications and Media Relations Office, Oct. 21
4d
Kelly Jensen writes: “Libraries are on the ballot this November. Beyond the top-of-the-ballot offices, two main ballot matters relate to public libraries and schools this fall. First, there will be elections in several states and municipalities for school and library board members. Who sits on these boards matters tremendously. Second, there will be numerous elections related to library funding. Here’s your reminder to get to know what is on your local ballot, how to determine the best candidate for office, and what to do after you don your ‘I voted’ sticker.”
Book Riot, Oct. 16
5d
Glyn Moody writes: “Back in the early days of the internet, 1988 to be precise, the self-replicating computer program known as the Morris worm spread across the network and shut down thousands of online VAX and Sun computers. Since that early botched experiment, intentionally malicious worms have been written to create botnets that can launch distributed denial-of-service attacks. But the arrival of artificial intelligence (AI) agents that can carry out actions autonomously brings with it a new threat: AI worms potentially able to seek out, hack into, and infect any device that is online.”
Techdirt, Oct. 16
5d
Jaime Taylor writes: “In the field of urban planning, a well-established and growing body of discourse encourages reconsideration of stakeholder theory. This article will review the advent of stakeholder theory in the business management literature, distill urban planning’s criticism of the theory and ideas for moving past it, and suggest what from urban planning’s critique of stakeholder theory can be adopted in librarianship’s theory and practice. As in urban planning, these new directions for librarianship will be oriented toward democracy and justice.”
Urban Library Journal, vol. 32, no. 1
