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In honor of International Games Month, ALA’s Games and Gaming Round Table announced the winners of the 2026 Platinum Play Award (the “Platy”) recognizing games that exhibit excellence in a library setting. This group of games represents the latest induction class of a new awards category highlighting the best of gaming in library spaces for games released in the last 2–10 years. Platy recipients are considered standouts for library collections or programming ideas across a wide swath of library types.
Games and Gaming Round Table, Nov. 4
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Adam Davidson writes: “AI models need huge amounts of data to train on, and researchers are warning that AI companies could run out of high-quality public data to use. Your own data isn’t safe; even if you’re unaware of it, AI companies may be training their models on your social media posts and more.”
How-To Geek, Oct. 29
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Miles Klee writes: “The internet must be put out of its misery. Any rational observer can admit that the current iteration of the web—and the social fabric woven there—is not what they signed up for. To be online, many now admit, is to be endlessly manipulated and exploited. Wouldn’t it be liberating to actually deny our attention to astroturfed outrage, engineered virality, and influencer sponcon? There’s no reason to assume that the present tech empire will rule the century to come; the organic and anarchic web stands to mount a triumphant renaissance if (or when) it falls.”
Wired, Oct. 28
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Sarah Zipf, Tehniyet Azam, and Eric Grego write: “This study seeks to understand how academic library workers feel about the future of their work in relation to new and existing technologies. Using 54 completed surveys, and a combination of descriptive statistics and open, thematic coding, the authors find that the relationship between technology and the future of work is complex. While library workers are not overtly concerned about job loss, they believe the influx of technology contributes to a devaluation of their profession and work. Technology is a readily accepted component of the job but comes with caution.”
portal: Libraries and the Academy, vol. 26, no. 4, Oct.
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Natu Tweh writes: “Earlier this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1134 into law. Beginning January 1, it will limit how local governments can spend public money on certain diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale is among many organizations in South Florida taking evasive action after finding themselves in the crosshairs of the bill. It means they have already planned to cancel or change some county-supported events, such as their annual Kwanzaa celebration.”
WLRN-FM (Miami), Oct. 30
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Hana Lee Goldin writes: “On October 22, the UK government launched Be Ready, a campaign asking households to prepare for three days of disruption. The campaign’s website names cyberattacks alongside severe weather as emergencies that can disrupt everyday services. Be Ready’s checklist includes copies of key documents, important phone numbers, and an FM radio alongside food and water. Those items are a great start, but information needs a kit of its own. In an emergency, we need to know whose warnings to trust and how to check an alarming claim when official sites go dark.”
Card Catalog, Oct. 28
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Katie Burkholder writes: “Lavonnia Moore, former branch manager of Pierce County (Ga.) Public Library, filed a lawsuit against the library system after she was fired for allowing a child to include the book When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff in a ‘Color Our World’ reading display in June 2025. The book includes a transgender character. Unbeknownst to Moore until her termination,” the book sparked a campaign by the Alliance for Faith and Family….
Rough Draft Atlanta, Oct. 30; July 5, 2025
