Archivlibrarianist

Necessary reading, here, from the digital director of EveryLibrary. From the article:

"THIS IS NOT A GOOD-FAITH DISCUSSION

"The first thing we need to understand when we’re messaging about book bans is that we are not operating in a good-faith discussion, and we need to stop acting as if we were. In a good-faith discussion, both parties agree to an honest, respectful dialogue with the willingness to change their view if facts and data are presented. However, book banners are neither acting honestly nor respectfully. They will not consume new information and change their minds once educated on the issue. The individuals and organizations banning books are not looking to be educated. They don’t care about learning about the Miller Test for pornography, they are not interested in reading the books to put their propagandist images of a handful of pages into proper context, and they aren’t going to change their minds about books being banned. We have to stop acting as they will do any of these things.

"...Pro–book banning messaging and propaganda is used as a tool to build political power and influence for people and organizations to elect or appoint individuals to positions that allow them to govern and control Americans." [emphasis added]

They don't ban books because they care about books. They ban books because they are bullies, and they want to control people.

Don't let them.

As it should be. ❤️📖

"This isn’t about liberty. This is about selling $180 worth of books under the guise of taking back the library."

Short version:

No librarian was ever mad that your dog ate a book. We just want to see pictures of the dog, we promise, because we need to confirm that your dog is a very good dog, book damage notwithstanding.

"The editors of A Handbook for Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion in Library Work (tentative title) invite chapter proposals. The book will be published by ACRL Publications, and will be an edited volume focusing on how library workers in different library types and across different services can concretely implement trans and gender diverse inclusion. It will highlight real-world case studies, research-based guidance, and recommended practices for how library workers can support trans and gender diverse people in the course of their many different jobs and duties."

To learn more, follow the link. There will be remote information sessions on 6/18/2024 and 6/20/2024 for people interested in submitting chapters.

The layout on the page makes me uneasy, so full text of the article under the jump.

"The concept comes from gaming, referring to entities that likely aren’t bad, but rather just cannot be taken on as a personality, and are often simply just victims or playthings for the main characters."

In a feminized profession like library work? You don't say.

"EveryLibrary is monitoring state legislation during the 2024 session that would limit Americans' freedom to read and think for themselves. Of most concern are proposed laws that would allow for criminal prosecution of librarians, educators, higher ed. faculty, and museum professionals."

As of April 22, 2024, there are 124 bills on that page.

Support your local library.

Abstract

"The article aims to reflect on the Lodovico media library, a digital repository preserving the digitised cultural heritage of the Emilia-Romagna region. The first part covers the project’s history and the challenges encountered during its setup phase, and we also explore the co-creation approach employed in defining the metadata architecture. The discussion extends by outlining the key features of shared metadata, illustrating their application to diverse digital objects within the Lodovico media library. Following a concise examination of the methodology for collecting/creating data and the initial research findings, the article concludes by highlighting the project’s potential in the realm of automatic handwriting recognition processes."

Section 3.1 has a really nice explanation and model for how a metadata architecture for a collection is created, and how flexible Dublin Core can be.

"This toolkit is a curated collection of resources to equip academic library administrators and library professionals with the resources they need to advocate for the value, roles, and contributions of academic libraries to their campus communities. The toolkit was created in response to current and concrete pressures many academic libraries are facing including challenges related to budgets, workforce challenges, professional roles, and more."