Mastodawn

2/2 I thought libraries were supposed to be on the forefront of privacy (patron privacy, zero tracking) and integrity of knowledge. I'm so dismayed we haven't had any memos about AI use, best practices, ethics, etc. I don't hear anyone talking about it. We only published one public comment after some anon person tagged out publicity flyers for using AI images.
Meanwhile, we are "upgrading" the public computers to fucking Chromebooks. The Previous elder here was more savvy and had Linux computers installed eons ago. It's a fucking balancing act because they are pretty awful for the generally public to use, especially by those in need and low on tech skills. One of our conspiracy theorist patrons was wrong about a few things she thought was happening in the library (camera beams intersecting and inflicting pain and a bunch more), but was right when she was dismayed that the computers were being upgraded: " you know upgrades are not always as secure, there will be more backdoors built in..."
Sigh. It's a battle that is complex and not solvable on a library budget in a bankrupt town, and none of us are computer geeks. :(
#publicLibraries #privacy #AIslop

Pomegranate Pirate 🏳️‍🌈🏴‍☠️2h ago

1/2
It's kinda sad, but I only just had my first anti-AI interaction with a fellow human IRL--- yesterday. He's pretty sure he will be made redundant, and his company just had a company wide town hall on greenlighting the use of AI to get shit done. He was pretty demoralized.
I work in a public library, and I had a "fuck AI" sticker he noticed on my water Bottle. It was a moment of solemn solidarity. Sadly, the library has not addressed AI usage in our workplace, nor the need to CRAAP test (verify) AI summaries that everyone uses on our mandatory Google Chrome browsers, which also run our software. #publicLibraries #privacy #AI

Rob 📚1d ago

There must be 600 of these in the series. It just doesn’t end😵. Every one of them feels like a Wikipedia article shoved through ChatGPT. #Pinkalicious #PublicLibraries #Books #Libraries #librarian

Rob 📚2d ago

Cataloguing this Bilingual English/Arabic edition of the The very hungry caterpillar = اليرقة الجائعة جداّ ً. today was a highlight.
.
#libraries #PublicLibraries #EricCarle

7sleepersmusic 3d ago

#CurrentlyReading "If I Was", the autobiography of #MidgeUre. It was purchased by the University of Michigan library on June 14 2005, from Blackwell's Book Services in the UK, at a price of £18.99. The receipt came with the book. Both are in pristine condition. I'm pretty sure this book has been sitting on the shelves, untouched, for 21 years. Until I got my grubby hands on it! 🎵 🎶 ⚡ 🎹 📖 👍 😁 #Music #ClassicRock #ClassicPop #SynthWave #Electro #Literature #Ultravox #PublicLibraries

Rebecca 4d ago

What a GREAT day: I have been to the library twice! I volunteered there this morning, sorting book donations. Then this afternoon my daughter and I decided we both desperately needed some new books to read, so I took her back over here.

The library is always a delight. Support your local library!

#publiclibraries

JustintheStacks May 28

I've got a new blog post up about the struggles of working in a public library. It's called "I haven't Had Meth in Five Days." It stems from a conversation I had with a patron a few months ago.

You can read it here: https://www.justinthestacks.com/i-havent-had-meth-in-five-days/

You just never know who you are going to meet when working the circulation desk.

I would love to hear from my fellow librarians on this one.

#blog #publiclibraries #librarian #bearblog #publicService #libraries

"I Haven't Had Meth in Five Days."

One of the most interesting, and challenging, aspects of being a librarian is that you never know what problem a person is going to walk through the door wit...

JustintheStacks

Sherri Hartlen-Neely May 27

Massachusetts' State Aid to Public Libraries Program keeps 347 libraries connected. You can borrow from anywhere in the Commonwealth. But when municipalities cut library budgets too deeply, libraries can lose state certification and become "information islands" — cut off from the statewide lending network. Funding your local library is good for everyone!

https://mblc.state.ma.us/news/news-releases/2026/nr260526.php

#PublicLibraries #Massachusetts