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  • 4y

    Jessica Rosenworcel (FCC) and Gigi Sohn (By Joel Sage on Flickr - Mike Masnick (modified by Gazebo with cropping, lossless optimization, the addition of comment and XMP-cc:License and sRGB color space metadata and the removal of JPEG APP2 (ICC profile) metadata), CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33489799)President Biden nominated Jessica Rosenworcel as Federal Communications Commission chair, and former FCC staffer Gigi Sohn to a second vacant seat. Rosenworcel has been serving as the acting chair and has been on the panel since 2012. Sohn was counselor to former FCC chair Tom Wheeler. If confirmed by the Senate, she would become the first openly LGBTIQ+ commissioner. Rosenworcel is the first woman to chair the panel. She and Sohn are expected to push for a return of Obama-era net neutrality rules, which would prohibit internet providers from slowing internet speeds or blocking content. ALA issued a statement October 26 welcoming the nominations.

    NPR, Oct. 26

  • Latest Library Links

    • 2d

      Cartoon showing a toddler eating messy pasta while sitting on a valuable bookR. L. Maizes and Ali Solomon share a series of cartoons that depict true horrors for book lovers. These hilarious but hair-raising situations include lending a book to a friend who cares for it improperly, the terrible measures you might have to take to avoid spoilers, and the horrifying combination of a toddler, a heavily sauced pasta, and a first edition.

      Electric Lit, Oct. 31

    • 2d

      Children reading on cushions in the middle of a libraryNikki DeMarco writes: “I spent a lot of years thinking I wasn’t a real reader. The amount of time I spent, and the way I actually read, never seemed to match what counted as ‘real.’ When I became a librarian, I started hearing the same stories echoed back from my students at my new school. Over and over, people framed their reading life as a failure, because it didn’t look like the neat, linear version we’ve all been sold. That’s when I realized I had to spread the word: The problem isn’t with the readers. It’s with the rules.”

      Book Riot, Oct. 31

    • 3d

      Bookshelves loaded with children's booksSarah Asch writes: “A new state law, Senate Bill 13, prohibits school library materials with profane content or indecent content from campuses. It puts the onus on school staff to make sure materials are in compliance. For help, school staff are turning to ChatGPT. But it’s unclear what standards ChatGPT is using to make the determination of which books would violate the law. There have also been examples of school districts closing their libraries temporarily until staff can better assess what books they have on the shelves.”

      Texas Standard, Nov. 3

    • 3d

      British LibraryAthena Stavrou writes: “Home to more than 170 million items, including Magna Carta, the British Library is one of the world’s largest and most impressive book collections. However, in October 2023, a major cyberattack plunged it into chaos, shutting down its digital systems and resulting in the leaking of staff details onto the dark web. Two years on, staff—who are striking due to a pay dispute—have said the disruption is still creating chaos and considerably increasing their workload.”

      The Independent (London), Nov. 1; The Guardian, Nov. 22, 2023

    • 4d

      Hawaii Food Bank volunteers loading boxesKayli Pascal-Martinez writes: “The State of Hawaii launched the Kōkua Food Drive in response to the ongoing federal shutdown and disruptions to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The weeklong food collection campaign began Monday, in partnership with the Hawaii State Public Library System, to support food banks across the islands. From November 3–7, residents are encouraged to bring any canned goods and other nonperishable food items to their local public library during regular business hours.” Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Ohio) Public Library is offering free meals to kids and teens and other food resources.

      KITV-TV (Honolulu), Nov. 3; Hawaii State Public Library System, Nov. 3; Cincinnati and Hamilton County (Ohio) Public Library, Oct. 30

    • 4d

      ChessboardMark McBride writes: “The recent National Information Standards Organization Open Discovery Initiative Survey Report on Generative AI and Web-Scale Discovery reads like a weathervane for higher education. The question it leaves us with is both urgent and unsettling: Do academic library leaders possess a strategy for responding to artificial intelligence in the library technology and publishing ecosystem? At first glance, the data is reassuring. Libraries and publishers identify similar hopes for generative AI: improved visibility of content, more accurate recommendations, and time saved for staff. Yet, beneath this surface consensus, the report uncovers deep fractures.”

      The Scholarly Kitchen, Oct. 30; National Information Standards Organization, Aug. 5

    • 5d

      Students sitting on the floor in a circle readingAmanda Galliton writes: “As school librarians, we often feel pressure to integrate the latest apps, devices, or digital tools into our lessons. Technology absolutely has a powerful place in our work, but sometimes constraints—budget, access, or bandwidth—limit what we can do. Sometimes students simply need a break from screens. That’s where no-tech activities come in: low-prep, student-centered, and often wildly effective. Here are several tried-and-true activities I have used with middle schoolers that are adaptable for any grade.”

      Knowledge Quest, Oct. 31

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