Sign in

Library Futures

@libraryfutures.bsky.social
4.4K followers 151 following 542 posts

Research and advocacy for the future of libraries. A project of @NYUEngelberg.

PostsRepliesMedia
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 23h
All the official Banned Books Week news, events, and more are at their website: bannedbooksweek.org
bannedbooksweek.org
Banned Books Week® | October 4–10, 2026
000
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 23h
However you recognize Banned Books Week, we hope you'll take a moment today and every day to reflect on what information means to people--and what happens when we let it flourish as well as when we keep it hidden. www.libraryfutures.net/publications...
Controlled Chaos: Where the Wild Things Read / Exploding card catalog labeled with letters, names, and acronyms including Google, BIPOC, and LexisNexis / by the workers of the San Quentin Prison Library
110
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 23h
Of course, the easiest way to ban a book is to send it to prison. Dr. Jeanie Austin tells a bit about how. www.libraryfutures.net/post/four-qu...
Jeanie Austin | forward by Kathleen de la Peña McCook / Library Services and Incarceration: Recognizing Barriers, Strengthening Access / paintings of faces young and old
100
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 23h
(Hoopla has some... interesting ideas on how to flood their catalog with junk, and moving quality work out of the top search results is a form of suppression.) www.libraryfutures.net/post/hooplas...
libraryfutures.net
Hoopla’s Content Problem: Strange, Skewed Results Still Dominate Catalog
100
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 23h
We have a whole little catalog of the ways ban access to physical and digital information. www.libraryfutures.net/post/eight-w...
Two people looking at books in a cage high above their heads
100
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 23h
But there are a lot of ways censorship happens, and they're not all books. Ban a few keywords and you can ban a whole lot of information. www.libraryfutures.net/post/new-res...
Neo-Censorship in U.S. Libraries An Investigation into Digital Content Suppression / empty search bar / Library Futures logo
100
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 23h
Next month you can learn more about How to Talk to a Reporter when a book challenge comes to your library. nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
How to Talk to a Reporter Thursday, November 5, i pm ET/10 am PT / skeptical looking cartoon dog reporter with hat, notepad, trench coat, and press badge / Library Futures logo
100
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 23h
It's Banned Books Week. (Maybe you heard. If not, IT'S BANNED BOOKS WEEK.) This week and every week you can plan Imagine IF, our intellectual freedom training game! imagineif.libraryfutures.net
Imagine IF: The Game / Library Futures / An Intellectual Freedom Adventure / librarian cat being chased by horde of angry animal patrons
161
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Right there with you, Kim!
171
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Cosign.
050
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Looking to fight misinformation and improve your community? Look no further! Our libraries and local news series kicks off tomorrow and there's still time to register! nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
032
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
And now that you've got the who, what, where, when, and why, learn HOW to launch a library/local newsroom collaboration in your library! /end nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Stronger Together How to Launch a Collaborative Local Information Initiative at Your Library / Thursday, November 19, 2026 1 pm ET/10 am PT / hands holding a smart phone with news and a library card / Library Futures
031
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Take a little detour and learn all about how to talk to a reporter in these challenging times from a library director, a journalist, and a library communications expert! (Oh, and play our game!) /3 nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
How to Talk to a Reporter Thursday, November 5, i pm ET/10 am PT / skeptical looking cartoon dog reporter with hat, notepad, trench coat, and press badge / Library Futures logo
120
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Kick things with an intro to how libraries and local newsrooms can--and have--worked together to build stronger communities. /2 nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Stronger Together: Library-Local News Collaborations: Strengthening Community Connection and Civic Participation / Thursday, October 1, 1 pm ET/10 am PT / hands holding smartphone with news and a library card / Library Futures
120
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Be the media! Or at the least let your library and local newsroom work together to create it in our fall series! /1 www.libraryfutures.net/post/stronge...
Stronger Together: A Webinar Series for Librarians and Journalists Fall 2026 / hands holding smartphone with news and a library card / Library Futures
194
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Hey. We're talking video games tomorrow. Hope you can come. nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Video Games in Libraries / Wednesday, September 23 | 1 PM ET/10 AM PT with Rose Behar, Chris Baker, Colin Post, and Marisa Marzilli / Black woman with headphones. Above her head float graphics of a mortarboard on a globe, a pair of headphones, a book, and cloud storage / Digital Games in Libraries, National Games and Libraries Project, and Library Futures logos
1164
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Libraries! News! Register today! /end www.libraryfutures.net/post/stronge...
Stronger Together: A Webinar Series for Librarians and Journalists Fall 2026 / hands holding a smartphone with a news site and a library card / Library Futures
000
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Hey, did you know we have a webinar series WITH TERRY PARRIS JR. coming up? Check down thread for the deets. /1 www.niemanlab.org/2026/09/the-...
niemanlab.org
The Library Newsroom Project could be coming to a library near you
"Journalism can live inside the public library and allow people to take part in it together."
150
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Convoluted, rambling, misleading, questionable: LF advisory board member @loudpoet.com offers some analysis of recent attacks on library ebooks in @wordsandmoney.bsky.social and offers a way forward. www.wordsandmoney.com/in-the-libra...
The Cards Are on the Table

In the months following Paul’s appearance on the Hoopla podcast, the “wake-up call” for librarians has only grown more urgent.

With support for library ebook legislation continuing to gain support in several states, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Authors Guild (AG) have spent the summer rolling out a convoluted campaign in opposition. From a rambling 9,000-word policy paper and a misleading local op-ed attributed to James Patterson to, most recently, a questionable economic study—commissioned by the AAP and AG, prepared by a Washington D.C.-based litigation consultant called Secretariat Advisors, industry lobbyists have deployed considerable resources to portray digital library lending as a threat to the publishing industry.
053
Reposted by Library Futures
Re:Create Coalition @recreatecoalition.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Re:Create member @libraryfutures.bsky.social joined @404media.co to break down the fight for digital ownership in libraries—from expiring ebook licenses to protecting public digital collections. Listen to the full interview here:
youtube.com
Fighting for the Future of Libraries (With Jennie Rose Halperin)
YouTube video by 404 Media
051
Reposted by Library Futures
T. May (or Not)🕊️ 🌻 @meemaa1.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Love this idea from @libraryfutures.bsky.social: Stronger Together: A Webinar Series for Librarians and Journalists www.libraryfutures.net/post/stronge... All events are held on Thursdays at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. RSVP for FREE
libraryfutures.net
Stronger Together: A Webinar Series for Librarians and Journalists
001
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
*TALKING, not taking. Though if Jennie could take that AI slop and shove it, we're sure she would.
031
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
And, of course, play Imagine IF! imagineif.libraryfutures.net
Imagine IF The Game: An Intellectual Freedom Adventure / Library Futures / librarian cat being chased by angry animals
011
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
AI slop in your library? Please tell us about it! nyu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
have you found AI slop in your library? Let us know. Library Futures.
120
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Our ED @littlewow.online was on the @404media.co podcast taking AI slop, vendor slurry, ebook battles, and games. We may be suffering--but we're going to win. A few links below! www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS0x...
youtube.com
Fighting for the Future of Libraries (With Jennie Rose Halperin)
YouTube video by 404 Media
281
Reposted by Library Futures
404 Media @404media.co · 14/09/2026
Censorship, AI, and the role of librarians in a country with crumbling public institutions.
404media.co
Fighting for the Future of Libraries (With Jennie Rose Halperin)
Censorship, AI, and the role of librarians in a country with crumbling public institutions.
08237
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
We're proud to call members of the Independent Publishers Caucus friends and allies, including LF Research Network member @clairekelley.bsky.social! www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/...
publishersweekly.com
Independent Publishers Caucus Marks a Decade of Advocacy
Since launching in 2016, the organization has grown its ranks and built programs for presses, booksellers, and librarians in support of indie publishing.
011
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
We're looking for an attorney with 1-5 years of experience that includes transactional work and a passion for libraries, open access, and digital rights. If that's you, click below to apply! www.libraryfutures.net/apply-to-be-...
libraryfutures.net
Apply to Be the Library Futures Staff Attorney
02026
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Calling all gaming enthusiasts--level up on video game access and preservation with the fine folks from Digital Games in Libraries and the National Games and Libraries Project! The webinar is coming up September 23, so register today: nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Video Games in Libraries / Wednesday, September 23 | 1 PM ET/10 AM PT with Rose Behar, Chris Baker, Colin Post, and Marisa Marzilli / Black woman with headphones. Above her head float graphics of a mortarboard on a globe, a pair of headphones, a book, and cloud storage / Digital Games in Libraries, National Games and Libraries Project, and Library Futures logos
030
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Now "[publishers] claim they can’t afford to help libraries — the biggest promoter of their wares and their most effective ally in the fight against literary oblivion." Book critic Ron Charles takes down the AAP/Authors Guild attack on... libraries. roncharles.substack.com/p/libraries-...
roncharles.substack.com
Libraries Are Not the Problem
A new publishing-industry study takes aim at ebook lending just as public libraries are fighting for their lives.
082
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
What's the big bold idea in digital library rights that you'd like to research? This year's Research Network Call for Proposals is out, and we'd love to hear from you! www.libraryfutures.net/apply
2026 Research Network Call for Proposals / Library Futures / woman with a bullhorn with flowers coming from it
044
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
And that's just our hot take on the executive summary, folks! Lots more to dig into, but we've also got a digital future for libraries to promote and defend. Make sure you're signed up for the Library Futures newsletter to get all the events happening this fall! /end www.libraryfutures.net
libraryfutures.net
Library Futures
Research and advocacy for the future of libraries.
000
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
...but not so much on library ROI to communities. (Spoiler alert: it's big.) /7 www.everylibraryinstitute.org/library_fund...
everylibraryinstitute.org
Library Funding Map
In this interactive map, you can find your library and view your library's preliminary return on investment indicator and a dozen other library funding data points.
120
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
And then we get into the numbers--lots of details of how lowered book sales harm revenue and jobs... /6
Key Economic Impacts
(From a 2.5% Reduction In Trade Book Sales)
• $2.81 billion in lost output.
• $1.65 billion in lost value added
(GDP equivalent).
• 11,992 jobs eliminated.
• $911.09 million in lost labor income.
100
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Like, say... readers? You know, the people we all purport to serve? /5 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_la...
S.R. Ranganathan / 1. Books Are For Use
2. Every Reader His or Her Book
3. Every Book Its Reader
4. Save The Time Of The Reader
5. The Library Is A Growing Organism
120
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
"[P]ublishers rely on their legal rights as copyright owners to assess and adjust details that pertain to the visibility and profitability of their books, consistent with their duty to the books’ authors and to their duty to shareholders." DO YOU NOTICE ANYONE MISSING FROM THAT LIST? /4
110
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
"Publishers, authors, and libraries share the goal of maximizing reading at all levels of society and often work together closely to promote and protect the freedom to read," they say. Cool. We're down with that. But... /3
100
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
TL;DR "e-lending is likely to significantly decrease book sales" because of things like "frictionless library apps" We're pretty sure this whole paper is going to have fun trying to prove that correlation equals causation (although, to be fair, we're not done yet). /2
110
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
We're just going to do a little light live-blogging of this 71-page study "Prepared for the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and Authors Guild" by Secretariat Advisors ("a global expert witness, litigation consulting, and economic advisory firm"). /1 secretariat-intl.com/wp-content/u...
An Empirical Study of the
Impact of Library E-Lending
on the Book Economy
As Public Libraries Prioritize eBook Formats,
Harm to Commercial Markets Across All Formats
is Quantifiable and Significant
by Jéssica Dutra, Ph.D. and Robert Stoner, Ph.D.
252
Reposted by Library Futures
Re:Create Coalition @recreatecoalition.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
🚨🆕 Today in an op-ed for the Washington Examiner executive director @bb.usefairuse.com explains how copyright law is being weaponized to censor political coverage and why Congress must reject copyright expansion through site-blocking legislation like FADPA & the Block BEARD Act. Read the full piece⬇️
112
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Someone should probably tell publishers and intermediaries that library eresource purchasing budgets are not going to endlessly increase, so pricing ebooks exorbitantly just means that libraries are going to purchase fewer books over time. Remind me whose best interest that's in? 🤔
0217
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Our comms manager is on a much deserved vacation so it's me, @littlewow.online, staffing Bluesky this week. (Not gonna tag her so I don't bother her) AMA about libraries and digital rights, it'll be fun. 😈
061
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
“I know there are children in your community with their own dreams... The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” – Dolly Parton, 1946-2026
072
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton was an incredible advocate for literacy, a library innovator, and a brilliant musician. She gave away over 300 million (!) books in her lifetime, fought the increasing censorship of her Imagination Libraries, and wrote one of the greatest feminist anthems of all time. Love you, Dolly!
1346
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Another day, another library ebook pricing story. We know you're not surprised, but apparently the publishing industry hasn't gotten the message? www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2...
cincinnati.com
Rising ebook costs, less state money strain Cincinnati library budget
Less money from the state and rising digital costs led to the Cincinnati Public Library's decision to end free reciprocal cards for NKY residents.
050
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
And of course, don't forget to play Imagine IF! /end imagineif.libraryfutures.net
Librarian cats present The Dilemma of the Disapproving Dino Doctor, The Farce of the First Amendment Audit Influencer, and the Pickle of the Persistent Press Hound
020
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Plus slides! /2 drive.google.com/file/d/12P_f...
Sam Helmick, Community & Access Coordinator, Iowa City Public Library; Michelle Reed, Director of Programs, Library Futures; Jennie Rose Halperin, Executive Director, Library Futures / librarian cat
130
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Did you miss last week's Tools for Intellectual Freedom Training? Never fear, we've got the recording right here! /1 ala-events.zoom.us/rec/play/hUB...
Tools for Intellectual Freedom Training: An Intellectual Freedom Adventure / Library Futures logo / librarian cat
131
Reposted by Library Futures
Sam Helmick @samhelmick.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Starting the week with an #IntellectualFreedom presentation with @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social and @libraryfutures.bsky.social LibraryFutures dropped a third scenario TODAY!!! Check out The Pickle of the Persistent Press Hound at: imagineif.libraryfutures.net
032
Library Futures @libraryfutures.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
There's still time to register for Tools for Intellectual Freedom Training (Monday 8/17). Learn some stuff AND play a bit of the Pickle of the Persistent Press Hound with our own @librariansreed.bsky.social, @littlewow.online, and @samhelmick.bsky.social! elearning.ala.org/local/catalo...
suspicious dog reporter writing in a notebook
032