Ronning, Ruth | American Libraries Magazine

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Ruth P. Ronning, 86, longtime librarian/media specialist at Prescott School in Lincoln, Nebraska, died February 10. She had taught in schools in South Dakota, Ohio, and California before moving to Nebraska.

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Elissa Malespina writes: “Something big just happened—and not enough people are talking about it. The US Copyright Office has released a sweeping three-part report series on artificial intelligence (AI), covering everything from deepfakes to AI-generated content to whether AI companies can legally use copyrighted materials to train their models. It’s the most important government action we’ve seen yet on AI and copyright—and it directly affects educators, librarians, students, and creators. Let’s unpack what this report says—and why the sudden dismissal of Copyright Office Head Shira Perlmutter matters more than ever.”

The AI School Librarian, May 13; US Copyright Office, May 9
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Becky Spratford writes: “Everyone is interested in the conclave right now, no matter what their religion. And they are going to stay that way [even after the new Pope was elected]. This will have a long tail of interest. Keep the displays up until books are not being checked out. Many of these are great backlist titles that deserve a moment to shine on your displays. And you need these displays up to show readers that you know they are interested in the topic but appreciate that they may not have made it in during the actual conclave itself.”

RA for All, May 8
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Matt Witkos and Kallista Cory write: “Patmos Library in Jamestown Township, Michigan, gained national attention for facing tension over books featuring LGBTQ+ topics. And it faced potential closure because of a lack of funding. It took three separate millage votes for funding to finally be renewed. Now the local community spot is closed” temporarily after five of eight staff members resigned last week. “The five shared with FOX 17 that they felt limited by the board in doing the jobs they were hired to do.” The majority of residents who attended the library’s board meeting May 12 expressed support for the staff.

WXMI-TV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), May 9, May 13; Holland (Mich.) Sentinel, Nov. 8, 2023
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Lolita C. Baldor writes: “The Pentagon has ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review all of their library books that address diversity, anti-racism or gender issues by May 21, according to a memo issued to the force on May 9. It follows similar efforts to remove hundreds of books from the libraries at the military academies [and schools]. The memo says that educational materials at the libraries ‘promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology are incompatible with the department’s core mission.’ By May 21, the memo says, additional guidance will be provided on how to cull that initial list.”

Associated Press, May 9; Apr. 1; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office and American Association of School Librarians, Feb. 14
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Anne Ford writes: “With total earnings of $426,600, Adriana Harmeyer, archives and special collections assistant professor and archivist for university history at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, is the winningest library professional ever to have appeared on Jeopardy! On May 14, she seeks to further cement that title, as she aims for the quarterfinals of the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters Tournament. Harmeyer—who holds the 11th longest consecutive winning streak of any player on the show—spoke with American Libraries about her longtime love of the game, her least favorite category, and how she blazed her path to the Masters.”

American Libraries Trend, May 12
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Leslie Burger writes: “We have all been impacted in both anticipated and unpredictable ways following the sweeping changes in Washington, D.C., since the January inauguration. ALA has always done its best to avoid partisan politics, choosing instead to work across the aisle to develop partnerships and relationships with individuals and organizations that share our values and support the important work of libraries. Libraries are inherently nonpartisan institutions. But this time a different approach may be needed.”

American Libraries column, May; AL: The Scoop, Apr. 8
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On May 12, ALA President Cindy Hohl released a statement criticizing President Trump’s May 10 dismissal of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter. Perlmutter was fired two days after the Trump administration fired Carla Hayden, head of the Library of Congress, which oversees the US Copyright Office. Perlmutter’s termination came shortly after her office issued a report questioning the legality of training artificial intelligence systems on copyrighted works. According to Wired, Paul Perkins, who claimed he was new acting director of the Copyright Office, and Brian Nieves, who identified himself as the new deputy librarian, attempted to enter the Copyright Office May 12, but left after a discussion with Capitol Police.

AL: The Scoop, May 12; Associated Press, May 11; Politico, May 10; United States Copyright Office, May; Wired, May 12

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