USAToday: “…It’s impossible to know how many book-ban attempts have been inspired by BookLooks.org, which adds new reviews weekly […The site launched in 2022 to showcase a book-rating system that has also been used by right-wing political activist group Moms for Liberty.] But in one researcher’s national database tallying more than 3,000 challenges to library… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Freedom of Information
Project Gutenberg turned ebooks in its digital library into audiobooks without any need for human voices
Quartz: “The oldest digital library in the world, Project Gutenberg, has transformed thousands of ebooks into audiobooks using AI—bypassing the longer (and more expensive) process of hiring a human reader to do the job. It’s exactly the kind of AI application that actors, who are currently on strike in the US for the first time… Continue Reading
DPLA launches The Banned Book Club to ensure access to banned books
“Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) has launched The Banned Book Club to ensure that all readers have access to the books they want to read. The Banned Book Club makes e-book versions of banned books available to readers in locations across the United States where titles have been banned. The e-books will be available… Continue Reading
DOI Drones
“Through a FOIA request to the US Department of the Interior, journalist Ben Welsh has obtained and published the agency’s drone roster. For each of the 850+ remote-controlled aircraft, the dataset lists the agency bureau and office, drone manufacturer, model, cost, serial number, and more. The FOIA request also unearthed spreadsheets listing specific drone flights… Continue Reading
ALA Report – Texas leads the nation in book ban attempts
“ALA compiles data on book challenges from reports filed by library professionals in the field and from news stories published throughout the United States. Because many book challenges are not reported to the ALA or covered by the press, the 2022 data compiled by ALA represents a snapshot of book censorship throughout 2022. A challenge… Continue Reading
Accidental Government Documents Librarian: Secrecy 101: Classification and Executive Order 13526
Date & Time: Sep 27, 2023 02:00 PM in Eastern Time Description: The classification of government information is an essential part of national security. In this webinar, we will learn how government information is classified and the efforts made to reduce overclassification. The webinar will discuss classification categories, who is authorized to classify information, classification… Continue Reading
Appeals Court Upholds Public.Resource.Org’s Right to Post Public Laws and Regulations Online
EFF: “Technical standards like fire and electrical codes developed by private organizations but incorporated into public law can be freely disseminated without any liability for copyright infringement, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. Tuesday’s ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upholds the idea that… Continue Reading
Z-Library Opens ‘Z-Points’ Around the World to Share Paper Books
Torrent Freak: “Z-Library, which is commonly known as a pirate ebook repository, has opened up 11 physical book distribution points around the world. From the United States to South Sudan, there are Z-Points in every inhabited continent. The ultimate goal is to broaden the library’s scope to the physical realm, further promoting book sharing. With… Continue Reading
The Pirate Preservationists
Reason – When keeping cultural archives safe means stepping outside the law “…Countless companies specialize in finding forgotten music, often released by regional or local labels that went out of business long ago, and repackaging it for modern listeners. Countless crate-diggers do essentially the same thing, but they post their finds on blogs, on YouTube… Continue Reading
Fulton judge says Trump court proceedings will be televised
Atlanta Journal Constitution: “A Fulton County judge on Thursday said that all court proceedings in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants will be live streamed and televised. Judge Scott McAfee also said he is following the precedent set by fellow Fulton Judge Robert McBurney; all hearings and trials will… Continue Reading
Reclaiming Control: The Internet Archive Empowers People. Gatekeepers Keep Suing
Tech Dirt: “…About a year and a half later, the Internet Archive was sued for providing books in this manner to the public. The suit was triggered by a short-lived, well meaning program that made books available to students during a dark part of the pandemic by lifting certain restrictions on how many people at… Continue Reading
Cameras in the Courts – State by State Coverage Guide
“The Radio Television Digital News Association is proud to present this comprehensive guide to state and federal laws regarding cameras in the courts. Detailed Guides by State/Circuit Compare/Sort Data Filter Data Nearly every state in the union has provisions to allow the media to use video cameras and microphones in courtrooms in some circumstances. In… Continue Reading
