Fighting for the Future of Libraries (With Jennie Rose Halperin)
Summary
Jenny Rose Halperin, executive director of Library Futures, discusses the negative impact of generative AI on library collections and the dominance of vendors like Overdrive in digital lending. The conversation covers the challenges of artificial scarcity, the rise of low-quality machine-generated content, and efforts to negotiate fairer contracts through state legislation. Halperin also highlights Library Futures’ initiatives, including their "Imagine If" game and open-source alternatives, to empower librarians and protect community access to information.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: LinkedIn Hiring Pro
Introduction to 44 Media and guest
Guest background and Library Futures intro
Library Futures mission and key projects
Digital rights, agency, and public resources
How library digital lending works
Publisher monopolies and rental models
Infrastructure, ownership, and Hoopla issues
Artificial scarcity and creative publishing
Case study: Unlimited community reading
Connecticut SB 1234 and legislative wins
Contract negotiation and vendor pushback
Sponsors: Packa, Mint Mobile, NordLayer
AI-generated books and platform noise
Filtering AI slop and curation challenges
OCLC, WorldCat, and resource sharing
Expanding library collections and services
Libraries as sacred institutions vs. critique
Advice for patrons to support libraries
Neocensorship, database bans, and closing
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