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Daily Archives: April 4, 2024

Louisiana Bill Would Criminalize Librarians, Libraries Who Join American Library Association

Bookriot: “Despite the fact that librarians are among the most trusted professionals, per data acquired in several studies of parents on the perceptions of the profession, lawmakers across the country continue to infantilize and criminalize library workers. The 2024 legislative session has been particularly eager to capitalize on the rhetoric from the far right on libraries, as seen through several bills aimed at not only limiting the types of books allowed in school and public libraries but also in how the profession itself may operate. We’ve seen Utah pass a bill that would pull books off shelves in school libraries if the title is pulled in other districts in the state, a blatant removal of the local control the very anti-library advocates themselves demand. Idaho attempted to push through similar legislation, despite clear links of the rhetoric around “pornography in libraries” to QAnon conspiracy. Georgia attempted, but narrowly failed, to pass a bill this session that would ban the American Library Association from school and public libraries statewide (and the respective funding from the nation’s largest professional association for library workers). Louisiana continues these efforts in an ongoing move by politicians in the state to damage public libraries with House Bill 777. HB 777 was introduced March 25 by Representative Kellee Dickerson, who helped fund the Louisiana Freedom Caucus. The bill would criminalize library workers and libraries for joining the American Library Association. The American Library Association (ALA) is the largest and oldest professional organization for library workers in the nation. It was founded in 1876, and this Twitter thread is a fantastic resource on the history and purpose of the organization.”

Google Books Is Indexing AI-Generated Garbage

404 Media: “Google Books is indexing low quality, AI-generated books that will turn up in search results, and could possibly impact Google Ngram viewer, an important tool used by researchers to track language use throughout history.  I was able to find the AI-generated books with the same method we’ve previously used to find AI-generated Amazon… Continue Reading

LLRX March 2024 Issue

Articles and Columns for March 2024 – https://www.llrx.com 2024 Link Guide to Generative AI Resources – Marcus P. Zillman Deepfakes are still new, but 2024 could be the year they have an impact on elections – Professor Eileen Culloty AI in Banking and Finance, March 31, 2024 – This semi-monthly column by Sabrina I. Pacifici… Continue Reading

Watch a 100-year-old book deconstructed and restored

BoingBoing: “Sophia Bogel is an author, teacher, and book restorer. Watch her take us through the fascinating process of deconstructing and restoring a 100-year-old book.Bogel shows us how restoring an old, fragile book is an incredibly delicate undertaking, and one wrong move can result in the entire book being ruined. Restoring a 100-year-old book can often… Continue Reading

Illegal Gun Cases Tracked by ATF Were Involved in Black Market Sales

The New York Times [unpaywalled]: “Four in 10 illegal gun cases tracked by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were involved in black market sales, including from shadow dealers who used a legal loophole to evade background checks, according to an analysis of firearms trafficking released on Thursday. About another 40 percent of… Continue Reading

‘Law Firm’ of AI Generated Lawyers Is Sending Fake Threats as SEO Scam

404 Media: “Last week, Ernie Smith, the publisher of the website Tedium, got a “copyright infringement notice” from a law firm called Commonwealth Legal: “We’re reaching out on behalf of the Intellectual Property division of a notable entity, in relation to an image connected to our client,” it read.  I am familiar with these sorts… Continue Reading