5h
Jylisa Kenyon, Ramirose Attebury, and Jeremy Kenyon write: “Many academic libraries continue to deal with a large footprint of print serials, even years after ongoing print subscriptions are canceled. This case study documents how a research library planned for and implemented its own large-scale print serials withdrawal project. By highlighting prior weeding projects, as well as the technical details and workflow processes from the most recent project—including the use of scoring metrics to facilitate data analysis and decision making—this study provides practical steps that other libraries can investigate before taking on their own large-scale weeding projects.”
Library Resources and Technical Services, vol. 70, no. 4, Oct.
9h
Alejandro Marquez writes: “Organizational toxicity isn’t just about bad bosses or a difficult colleagues. It’s a systemic issue, encompassing behaviors, norms, and values that create a harmful and damaging environment for employees. It’s characterized by a lack of psychological safety, where people fear speaking up, taking risks, or simply being themselves. It can be subtle and it doesn’t always manifest as overt hostility, but it steadily erodes trust, motivation, and well-being. Some common signs are constant comparison, moving goalposts, and vague expectations, all of which are hallmarks of a toxic environment.”
Choice: Toward Inclusive Excellence, Oct. 20
12h
Eric Stroshane writes: “State and local governments are increasingly employing artificial intelligence (AI) to flag ‘inappropriate,’ ‘vulgar,’ or ‘dirty’ books for removal from library collections. In doing so, they rely on machines to make judgments better suited to the training, skills, and experience of the teachers and library workers they employ. While some assume AI provides mechanical objectivity, the reality is that the prompt you give an AI chatbot shapes the response it generates. When a school district references book rating scales from political or religious organizations in their prompts, the responses they get will incorporate those beliefs.”
Intellectual Freedom Blog, Oct. 23
1d
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 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
1d
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, Oct. 16; SteveAhlquist.news Substack, Oct. 19
2d
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
2d
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
