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Amazon’s refusal to sell ebooks published in-house to libraries is sparking backlash as demand for digital content spikes during the coronavirus pandemic. Librarians and advocacy groups, including ALA, are pushing for the tech giant to license its published ebooks to libraries for distribution, arguing the company’s self-imposed ban significantly decreases public access to information.
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A Polk City, Florida, librarian has died several weeks after four teens ran over her with a church van November 9. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said the incident was not an accident. Murder charges have been filed in the death of Suzette Penton (right). The victim’s death elevated charges four teenage suspects face, according to deputies. All four are charged with felonies as adults in the case.
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Reforma, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, has established the Familia Fund to help members who are facing financial challenges as a result of the COVID19 pandemic continue their membership. The fund will cover membership renewals for active Reforma personal members who have been recently unemployed, furloughed, laid off, or are experiencing financial hardship as a result of COVID 19 during the 2020 calendar year. This application process will end on December 31, 2020 or earlier, depending on the funds available. Interested members can apply or donate at www.reforma.org/familiafund.
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Emily Temple writes: “It may actually be mandatory at this point to begin any kind of 2020 roundup with an acknowledgement of how shit the year was, and how impossible it was to focus on the good parts, and how anything roundup-able seems a little beside the point, all things considered. So consider it acknowledged, and I’ll follow that with the customary: and yet. There were some stunning book covers created by some fantastic artists, and while they didn’t exactly solve the pandemic, they did make staying in my apartment all day long a little better.”
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Daphne Leprince-Ringuet writes: “Empowering algorithms to make potentially life-changing decisions about citizens still comes with significant risk of unfair discrimination, according to a new report published by the UK’s Center for Data Ethics and Innovation. In some sectors, the need to provide adequate resources to make sure that AI systems are unbiased is becoming particularly pressing—namely, the public sector, and specifically, policing.”
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Richard Byrne writes: “City Walks is a neat website that I recently learned about. On City Walks you can go for a virtual walk in more than a dozen cities around the world. You can experience the cities with or without sound, in the daytime or at night. At the start of each walk you’ll see some quick facts about the city that might help you understand a little more about what you’re seeing during the walk.”
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Senjuti Patra writes: “Through the advent of writing, and the wonderful world of books, stories have been transmitted, lived in and variously interpreted for centuries now. But the rising popularity of audiobooks has brought oral storytelling to the forefront once again. These modern, easily accessible descendants of the ancient story circles have much to offer in terms of convenience and entertainment. So, how does our brain react to an oral narrative? How do we process the stories that we listen to in the audio format?”
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Gift-giving in 2020 should be all about whimsy, relaxation, and most important—comfort. And while your favorite librarians and book lovers probably don’t need more reading material, you can indulge them with thoughtful presents that help them enjoy the books they have. On our list, everything is priced under $50, from cozy clothes and decadent treats to design-forward décor and offbeat surprises. You could also consider getting a little something for yourself. After this year, we’ve all earned it.
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Sarah Eilers writes: “This year, the Historical Audiovisuals Program at the National Library of Medicine, with support from the Exhibition Program, digitally preserved 55 U-Matic tapes containing HIV/AIDS titles from the 1980s. This is one of many ongoing efforts at the library to identify and preserve content documenting HIV/AIDS, including the newly digitized National Commission on AIDS archives and the annual December additions to the HIV/AIDS web archive.”
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The National Archives launched a new web-based finding aid featuring digitized historical photographs from the Bureau of Indian Affairs records in Record Group 75. For the first time, you can explore digital copies of over 18,000 photographs through an engaging and easy-to-use interactive experience: the Bureau of Indian Affairs Photographs Finding Aid.
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Kelly Jensen writes: “Despite a COVID-19 positivity rate of over 15% and a stay-at-home order from Mayor Lori Lightfoot encouraging residents to ‘only leave home to go to work or school, or for essential needs such as seeking medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, picking up food, or receiving deliveries,’ Chicago Public Libraries are still open for in-person browsing, reference, computer use, and more. Major library systems in other US cities, including New York Public Library (with a city-wide positivity rate of about 2%), Los Angeles Public Library (with a city-wide positivity rate around 5%), and Houston Public Library (with a city-wide positivity rate around 8%) have closed to in-person services, instead remaining available for digital access as well as grab-and-go services.”
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Volume II of the Public Libraries Survey report, released November 30 by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, provides trend analysis of public library use, financial health, staffing, and resources. Together, Volume I and II document the varied ways in which trends in libraries are similar and different across states, location types, and the size of the populations they serve. For more information about the Public Libraries Survey, including a snapshot of rural libraries and state detail tables, please visit the IMLS website.
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