Author Archive: Ed Finkel

Seeking Sanctuary

By Ed Finkel | June 3, 2024

Texas House Bill 900, which would have restricted materials in school libraries and required vendors to assign book ratings based on so-called appropriateness before selling them to schools, had just been signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in June and was set to go into effect September 1, 2023. (On September 19, the bill was temporarily blocked … Continue reading Seeking Sanctuary →

Latest Library Links

1h

Philip Kennicott writes: “The Great Hall of the Folger Shakespeare Library [in Washington, DC] used to be a dark space, its tall windows covered to prevent damage to the rare books and documents on display there. Today, the light floods in, illuminating the Great Hall’s intricate wood paneling, the ornate plaster ceiling and the two curious seals—an eagle for the US and the coat of arms of Elizabeth I—above the doors. After a more than four-year renovation and expansion, the Folger is a building transformed, better able to serve its core mission of scholarship, but with greatly expanded public access.”

Washington Post, June 21
6h

Isabelle Marak writes: “A new K–12 book regulation policy took effect across South Carolina on Tuesday. This means that, for the first time, a state agency can rule on what instructional materials can be used inside a classroom.” Parents can file up to five challenges at a time and, if a district opts to keep materials, the parent can appeal to the state Board of Education. The board’s decision will then apply to all K–12 schools in the state.

WYFF-TV (Greenville, South Carolina), June 25; Popular Information, June 24
2d

Megan Bennett writes: “Kelley Woolley remembers visiting San Diego Zoo and its Safari Park as a kid. The big cats, giraffes, and koalas were often her first stops. She recalls watching elephants do tricks and riding the now-closed monorail, which offered great views of the tiger habitat. Today, she oversees the library and archive for the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, the nonprofit that runs the zoo and park. Her workplace is one of a handful of zoo libraries across the US that employs a full-time librarian.”

American Libraries column, June
5d

Jennie Rose Halperin writes: “In October 2023, Library Futures gathered a dozen library experts and practitioners to create principles for library ownership of digital books. These principles are meant to establish a foundation of trust between publishers and libraries so that publishers can sell digital books to libraries and libraries can build permanent digital collections. Library ownership is key to an equitable digital future. We continue to believe that authors should write books, publishers should publish them, and libraries should purchase, preserve, and share them. We believe these principles can guide libraries and publishers as we continue our work in the digital age.”

Library Futures, June 12
5d

Carmen Nesbitt writes: “Before school begins this fall, Utah officials will send a list of books to all public schools, ordering their ‘disposal.’ Under a new law that takes effect July 1, a book can be removed from all schools across the state if at least three school districts (or at least two school districts and five charter schools) determine it amounts to ‘objective sensitive material.’ Until now, a statewide ‘objective’ sensitive material standard has never existed, but June 7, the state school board solidified that process.”

Salt Lake Tribune, June 11
5d

Misha Stone writes: “The phrase ‘more than books’ continues to crop up when someone in leadership or on staff is asked to talk about all the amazing and varied services and programs that libraries provide. While I understand why it is said, and how many people have no clue how much libraries have changed over the years, it irks me deeply that we use a phrase that plays into the rhetoric of library detractors that simultaneously dismisses how much the ‘books’ invoked still do to serve our diverse communities.”

RA for All, June 18
6d

Melissa Heikkilä writes: “If you post or interact with chatbots on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or WhatsApp, Meta can use your data to train its generative artificial intelligence (AI) models beginning June 26, according to its recently updated privacy policy. If you’re uncomfortable with having Meta use your personal information and intellectual property to train its AI models in perpetuity, consider opting out. Although Meta does not guarantee it will allow this, it does say it will ‘review objection requests in accordance with relevant data protection laws.’”

MIT Technology Review, June 14

View more Latest Library Links