Category «Libraries»

Do classified document revelations highlight problems at the National Archives?

The American Prospect – “Presidential Document Scandals Should Take Down America’s Secrecy Industry We classify way too many documents. Unfortunately, that will probably not be the takeaway from recent events. America has a problem with classified information. But this problem isn’t the one you’ve been hearing about for the past few weeks, with the revelations …

Subjects: Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

Books Unbanned

“Brooklyn Public Library is adding our voice to those fighting for the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, discover themselves, and form their own opinions. Inspired by the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement, BPL’s Books Unbanned initiative is a response to an increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books tackling …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Education, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

ChatGPT Chatbot Weighs in on Law Librarian De-Credentialization

Via LLRX – ChatGPT Chatbot Weighs in on Law Librarian De-Credentialization – Sarah Gotschall, Associate Librarian Reference Librarian & Professor of Practice, University of Arizona Law, puts ChatGPT through the paces with a series of engaging questions and answers she has documented, adding additional dimension to the significant interest in the all the rage chatbot.

Subjects: AI, Education, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

Meet the archive moles

Prospect, Lucy Scholes: There’s a growing band of people digging through library stacks and second-hand bookshops in search of lost classics. I’m one of them..Most of the time, my work feels more like that of a detective than an editor. Falling down endless online rabbit holes is an occupational hazard. I read old reviews in …

Subjects: Education, Knowledge Management, Libraries

Florida teachers told to remove books from classroom libraries or risk felony prosecution

My Sun Coast: “Manatee County Schools Spokesperson Michael Barber confirms that communication has been sent to principals of schools to vet books teachers have in their classroom. In December, House Bill 1467 stated that School Library and Instructional Materials requires school district to adopt procedures for determining and reviewing content for library media centers. This …

Subjects: Education, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Legislation, Libraries, Social Media

Students want new books. Thanks to restrictions, librarians can’t buy them.

Washington Post: Schools are struggling to keep their shelves stocked as oversight by parents and school boards intensifies – “States and districts nationwide have begun to constrain what librarians can order. At least 10 states have passed laws giving parents more power over which books appear in libraries or limiting students’ access to books, a …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Education, Free Speech, Freedom of Information, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

Smithsonian Open Access Create. Imagine. Discover.

“Welcome to Smithsonian Open Access, where you can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images—right now, without asking. With new platforms and tools, you have easier access to more than 4.4 million 2D and 3D digital items from our collections—with many more to come. This includes images and data from across the Smithsonian’s …

Subjects: Education, Internet, Knowledge Management, Libraries

Disquiet in the archives: archivists make tough calls with far-reaching consequences – they deserve our support

The Conversation: “Right now, for technological, ethical and political reasons, the world’s archivists are suddenly very busy. Advances in digital imaging and communications are feeding an already intense interest in provenance, authorship and material culture. Two recent discoveries – a woman’s name scratched in the margins of an 8th-century manuscript, and John Milton’s annotations in …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Free Speech, Internet, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries

Opposing Attempts to Criminalize Librarianship through State Obscenity Laws

EveryLibrary Institute: “In 2023-2024, we anticipate that many legislators whose bills failed the last session will reintroduce language in this session and anti-access activists will be inspired to sponsor their own regressive initiatives. The EverLibrary Institute is releasing a new Policy Brief “Opposing Attempts to Criminalize Libraries and Education Through State Obscenity Laws” to help …

Subjects: Censorship, Education, Government Documents, Legal Research, Legislation, Libraries, Privacy

Are book bans discrimination?

Washington Post – Biden administration to test new legal theory: “The federal government has opened an investigation into a Texas school district over its alleged removal of books featuring LGBTQ characters — marking the first test of a new legal argument that failing to represent students in school books can constitute discrimination. The Education Department’s …

Subjects: Censorship, Civil Liberties, Education, Knowledge Management, Legal Research, Libraries