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Weekly News Digest
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May 2, 2024 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today.
CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.
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LinkedIn Launches a Suite of Free Online Puzzle Games
Ash Parrish writes the following for The Verge:LinkedIn is now in the gaming business. [Signed-in] users on the LinkedIn mobile app or on desktop can play one of three different games—Pinpoint, Queens, and Crossclimb. You’ll be able to play each game once per day, and after your daily session, you’ll get access to all kinds of metrics including your high score and daily streak, different leaderboards, and who in your networks has also played. … LinkedIn’s decision to get into puzzle games shouldn’t be surprising. Digital content businesses are struggling to make money with ad revenue shrinking and Google doing its level best to ensure you never click on a valuable link again. Adding a slate of ‘gaming’ content, then, has proven hugely valuable. It offers a unique way for businesses to capture new users and engage older ones before eventually getting both to spend money they otherwise wouldn’t. For more information, read the article.
ASERL and De Gruyter Partner for Better Ebook Access for Libraries
The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL) announced that it “has secured an agreement for De Gruyter’s University Press Library (UPL), bringing together eBook collections from dozens of the world’s most prestigious university presses and publishing houses, under library-friendly licensing terms and a streamlined acquisition process. The ASERL-De Gruyter agreement includes advantageous pricing for ASERL libraries on an individual opt-in basis.”For more information, read the press release.
What to Know About the Return of Net Neutrality
“The Federal Trade Commission on [April 25] voted to restore ‘net neutrality’ rules that prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and Verizon from favoring some sites and apps over others,” the Associated Press (AP) reports. “Net neutrality effectively requires providers of internet service to treat all traffic equally, eliminating any incentive they might face to favor business partners or to hobble competitors.”Reuters notes, “Under Trump, the FCC had argued the net neutrality rules were unnecessary, blocked innovation and resulted in a decline in network investment by internet service providers, a contention disputed by Democrats.” “The latest rules show how, with a 3-2 Democratic majority, the FCC is moving to reassert its authority over an industry that powers the modern digital economy, touching everything from education to health care and enabling advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence,” CNN asserts. News outlets also published the mixed reactions of a variety of stakeholder organizations. The Verge states, “While ISPs generally say they don’t breach the principles of net neutrality, they object to the reclassification, in large part because it could give the FCC the ability to regulate their pricing. In this case, the FCC has decided to forbear rate regulation as it relates to the ISPs, though a future iteration of the agency could undo that with another regulatory proceeding.” The New York Times corroborates the claim that Net Neutrality is generally upheld: “There have been few examples of blocking or slowing of sites, which proponents of net neutrality say is largely because of fear that the companies would invite scrutiny if they did so. And opponents say the rules could lead to more and unnecessary government oversight of the industry.” Other sites share what the reinstatement of Net Neutrality means for consumers. NPR published an explainer, noting that “much has yet to be clarified about the rules: The 400-page draft order to restore the regulations has not been publicly released.” USA TODAY’s headline proclaims, “FCC’s Net Neutrality Vote Affects Your Internet Speed. We Explain.” If you have a Wall Street Journal subscription, you can read, “The FCC Restores Net Neutrality. What It Means for the Internet.” Tech.co asks, “Net Neutrality Has Finally Been Restored, But What Actually Is It?” And The Hill published, “5 Things to Know About the Return of Net Neutrality Rules.”
Sage Rolls Out a Free Online Course on How to Use ChatGPT
Sage announced the following:Sage and Technology from Sage, a provider of innovative library technology solutions, [have] launched a free online course to develop users’ proficiency in ChatGPT. The Art of ChatGPT Interactions is taught by Dr. Leo S. Lo, Dean of the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences at the University of New Mexico. In the course, Dr. Lo provides comprehensive instruction on AI prompting and demonstrates how users can leverage this knowledge to create high-quality prompt outputs and dialogues on ChatGPT. … The course is freely available for anyone to access through Sage Campus, an online courses platform. Additionally, Lean Library, a browser extension for academics offered by Technology from Sage, has integrated with Sage Campus to display the course via the extension pop-up when users navigate to the ChatGPT website or OpenAI.com domain. For more information, read the press release.
IMLS Shares Findings From a Study on Literacy Development
IMLS shares, “In summer 2023, IMLS commissioned a review of research literature that examines the effects of motivation to read and within reading programs in communities and, particularly, public libraries.” It has published a report, “Research on Motivation, Literacy, and Reading Development: A Review of Best Practices,” which “identif[ies] research studies that focused on the effectiveness of reading strategies that emphasized motivations when promoting reading. This study summarizes several evidence-based practices tied to increasing motivation used during programs, instructional practices, and family engagement activities which are focused on child literacy and community participation.”For more information, read the news item.
ByWater Solutions Shares Experiences From PLA
ByWater Solutions announced the following:ByWater Solutions, America’s forefront provider of Open Source library technology support, attended the 2024 Public Library Association (PLA) 2024 Conference in Columbus, OH. More than 7,500 library workers, supporters, and vendors were in attendance. … Our partners shared how they are using open source software to enhance their services to patrons. It was a chance for attendees to discover how libraries across the country are leveraging Koha and Aspen Discovery to better serve their communities. … Marshall Breeding of Library Technology Guides joined us for our latest episode of The Library is Open Podcast to discuss the trends and topics that were at the forefront of this year’s Public Library Association 2024 Conference, as well as the fun events! For more information, read the conference wrap-up.
The Open Library of Humanities Shares Organizational Updates, Including New Journals
The Open Library of Humanities (OLH) announced its recent investments, “including hiring additional staff to improve our open-source platform, meet website accessibility standards, build our journals portfolio, and launch a new publisher website to clarify the work that the organisation does.” OLH’s newly migrated journals from commercial publishers to its collectively funded diamond OA model include Regeneration: Environment, Art, Culture from the University of Nebraska Press; Political Philosophy from Wiley; Review of the History of Economic Thought and Methodology from Emerald; and Quaker Studies from a co-publishing agreement with Liverpool University Press. OLH is now publishing 30 titles, with more planned for spring/summer 2024.For more information, read the news item.
Advocacy Organizations Work to Protect Iowa School Libraries' First Amendment Rights
The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), the Iowa Library Association (ILA), and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) filed an amicus curiae brief in two cases that are pending before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. According to the press release, “The two lawsuits, Penguin Random House, LLC v. Robbins and GLBT Youth in Iowa Schools Task Force v. Reynolds, are asking the court to overturn provisions in Senate File 496 (SF 496), because the law violates the First Amendment by restricting access to certain viewpoints by requiring the removal of school library books on vague and uncertain grounds and prohibiting materials in schools regarding gender identity and sexual orientation.”The amicus brief “urges the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the law until the courts make a final decision on the merits of the plaintiffs’ claims. Upholding the preliminary injunction assures that Iowa students’ First Amendment right to access information in their school libraries that reflect their lives and interests is protected.” For more information, read the press release.
IMLS Research Brief Looks at How Library Services Changed Throughout the Pandemic
IMLS published a free research brief about “the continued response of public libraries to community needs two years into the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief, ‘Changes in Public Library Services as the COVID-19 Pandemic Continued Through FY 2021,’ highlights how public libraries ensured patrons had access to library services as the pandemic reverberated through communities around the nation, further showcasing the significant role libraries have in their communities.”For more information, read the press release.
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Brandi Scardilli
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