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littlewow.bsky.social
Director at Library Futures, a project of NYU Law Engelberg Center on Innovation Law & Policy. MPA, MLIS. Words at Flaming Hydra and other places sometimes. she/her
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My latest for @truthout.org reports on librarians who are running for office and taking power. As Ilana Stonebraker says, we need to imagine ourselves as the deciders.

You should know that a big part of 18F's work was to make sure multi-million to multi-*hundreds*-of-millions dollar contracts at fed *and* state level didn't go to shitty enterprise IT consultancies that *repeatedly* delivered tech that didn't work, was late, or didn't even do what it needed to

We recently did a report @libraryfutures.bsky.social on neo-censorship and the weaponization of the term “pornography” in digital educational contexts. This is an extremely in-depth look at this subject, and offers a number of ways to take action. www.libraryfutures.net/censorship

In furtherance of my New Year's resolution of focusing on things I can change, a word about $300+ commercially-published law school textbooks: we could pretty readily live in a world where those do not exist, and, we should. Here's how. 1/

The last month has been so rough, and this first thing I've read about the present moment that made me laugh out loud. @camoot.bsky.social, so brilliant @flaminghydra.com flaminghydra.com/issue-267/#t...

It’s not exactly a general strike (which we need!) or almost 7 million person global women’s march (which we should organize again!), but a gentle reminder that today is supposed to be an economic blackout.

Hello! I used my esoteric knowledge gleaned from my DC years to write about how Congress could EASILY defund DOGE: www.techpolicy.press/how-congress...

Jeff Bezos is directing the Washington Post to focus its opinion section on celebrating the "underserved" ideology of laissez-faire capitalism. Here at Hell Gate, we get it. We're redirecting our editorial focus too. hellgatenyc.com/thank-you-be...

I read this post last week and I can't stop thinking about it.

Why should you care about interoperable ebook standards (say that three times fast!)? Let us count the ways! /1 www.libraryfutures.net/post/call-fo...

"We call for an academic ebook market that provides a consistent, non-fragmented user experience, one where vendors use the kinds of open, interoperable standards that have formed best practices for information sharing online for decades." Sign on! www.libraryfutures.net/post/call-fo...

Interesting use of "inadvertently" in this sentence! "Unfortunately, the 2017 tax law changes inadvertently resulted in only 7.5% of taxpayers (down from about 30%) receiving a federal income tax incentive for contributing to charitable organizations" www.councilofnonprofits.org/files/media/...

I was doing research for a paper and went back to see if the American Library Association had responded to the 2016 election, and they did— forcefully, and they asked members for input too. Contrast with this year’s statement (left)

Has anyone taken a recent look at the upcoming hearings of the House Judiciary Committee? Yikes! judiciary.house.gov/committee-ac...

happy 100th birthday, edward gorey! (yesterday, i know). here's a podcast episode exploring his one-of-a-kind house

A small step towards accountability, but a significant one.

Absolutely BONKERS announcement from ProQuest/Clarivate this morning. Our entire acquisitions strategy is being upended with this change. Fewer choices for content providers, fewer options for digital ownership, further erosion of the first sale doctrine, and MONOPOLIES ARE BAD FOR LIBRARIES!!!

www.theguardian.com/world/pictur...

Happy wernerherzogvalentines.com day everyone

“Challenges against “porn” in library databases are not only unsubstantiated—they are sometimes purposeful acts of disinformation presented with false narratives about the source, context, or character of the information.” libraryfutures.net/censorship

This is the most comprehensive document I have ever read on library censorship. Extensive, well-researched, and deeply important work. It will send chills up your spine.

MAJOR NEW REPORT FROM @libraryfutures.bsky.social on Digital Censorship in Public Libraries. Today’s censors can be found in big business, courtrooms, schools, newsrooms. They block ideas out of habit, or prejudice or fear and often in secret. Read the report 👇 www.libraryfutures.net/censorship

Needed this today

Many of us are trying to do the best justice-oriented work and research that we can inside of a real estate company that also offers degrees, but the academic institutional silence and compliance regarding the actions of the current administration is unacceptable.

I've been holding off on posting this video the @fedsoc.bsky.social made about the @libraryfutures.bsky.social model legislation to regulate ebooks but it's too funny. Bookstores and libraries are both important and both will benefit from regulating mega-corporations that gouge consumers.

Excellent piece in @flaminghydra.com from the inside of an unnamed federal agency. Gave me chills. flaminghydra.com/issue-253/#t...

I've seen the term "vendor slurry" popping up a bunch in the discourse around hoopla and AI generated materials in public libraries and I want to make sure I at least give credit to @sarahlamdan.bsky.social, brilliant coiner of this term! (She also coined "data cartels!")

mentioning Deleuze, Debord, and Bataille in the same essay is formally known as the Groundhog Trifecta because the reader can be pretty sure they’ve already read this essay at least once

Coming out of an information science degree in 2013, all I wanted was to work at 18F (I got rejected.) It was the coolest, most prestigious job. I thought (and still think!) the work they do on digital services is crucial. Even later in my career I always hoped I could someday work with them. ☹️

I've been revisiting the Port Huron statement at the suggestion of @newrambler.bsky.social and it still slaps so hard. Inspiring, relevant, and moving even 60+ years later. images2.americanprogress.org/campus/email...

"This censorship may begin with LGBTQIA+ perspectives, but it will not end there: allowing the government to censor one group erodes the First Amendment rights of all Americans."

This just started @libraryfutures.bsky.social and it's already so so interesting. Join if you can! It won't be recorded. nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

i wrote something about This Place for @404media.co. please read it, and then log off. 💗

Good piece from @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social. I'll add: illogical modern business decision-making has to be considered through the influence of Friedman, shareholder value, theory of the firm, and subservience to market in an increasingly complex economic system. www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/the-busine...

My mom and I used to go visit William every time we were in New York City. I have a little copy of it on a shelf next to her picture. ❤️

AI-Generated slop Is already In your public library: Librarians say that taxpayers are already paying for low quality AI-generated ebooks in public libraries. 🔗 www.404media.co/ai-generated...

“What hoopla is offering is this gargantuan amount of books. In actuality, it's padded with this slurry of poor quality materials that people likely don't want at all.” /1 www.404media.co/ai-generated...