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Weekly News Digest
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July 23, 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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Freedom to Read Foundation Plans a Course on Intellectual Freedom in Libraries
The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is collaborating with the Emporia State University School of Library and Information Management (SLIM) in Kansas to run a course called Intellectual Freedom in Libraries. FTRF says it “examines intellectual freedom as a core value of librarianship and a foundational principle for library professionals. Students will learn how to articulate, promote, and defend intellectual freedom practices and policies as a key component of professional practice in multiple types of libraries and information services.”The course is open to students enrolled in any L.I.S. program in the U.S. and begins Aug. 19, 2024. Registration is open through Aug. 30; email Kathie Buckman (kbuckman@emporia.edu) at Emporia State University for details. For more information, read the news item.
Digital Science Plans Free Online Course for Librarians in Africa
Digital Science announced the following:Open data practices in African research institutions will be bolstered thanks to a new online course for librarians to coincide with International Open Access Week (21–27 October 2024). The Open Data Management Foundational Course—to be offered entirely free over four weeks by open data experts—is a direct response to calls to strengthen the research data management capacity of librarians in Africa. The course will be facilitated by AfLIA, the African Library and Information Associations and Institutions, as part of an ongoing collaboration with Figshare—a world-leading provider of institutional repository infrastructure and part of Digital Science—and the Africa PID Alliance, part of the Open Infrastructure Program of the Training Centre in Communication (TCC Africa). Course leaders will include experts from Figshare, Digital Science and TCC Africa. For more information, read the news item.
International Union of Crystallography Adds All of Its Journals to ResearchGate
Research Gate announced the following:ResearchGate, the professional network for researchers, and IUCr [International Union of Crystallography], an International Scientific Union committed to promoting international crystallographic research, are pleased to announce a new partnership that will drive readership and authorship for IUCr’s full journal portfolio through ResearchGate’s innovative Journal Home offering. This new agreement covers all IUCr’s 10 journals—including both fully open access and hybrid open access journals. The version-of-record of all content published since 2000 and all newly published articles, encompassing approximately 80,000 articles, will be available through ResearchGate, boosting visibility and readership for structural science research, as well as enabling easier access to subscription content for entitled ResearchGate members. For more information, read the press release.
Library Market Integrates Its Event Management System Into SirsiDynix
SirsiDynix entered into a strategic partnership with Library Market to make Library Market’s LibraryCalendar event management system available to SirsiDynix customers.LibraryCalendar is “a fully integrated event and room management system [that] equips library professionals with the tools they need to seamlessly direct and promote library programming. With an intuitive user interface, settings that adapt to support libraries of all sizes, easy ILS integration, and more, LibraryCalendar helps libraries both meaningfully engage their patrons and expand their reach.” For more information, read the press release.
'Essen Public Library to Modernize Its Library System With OCLC's BIBLIOTHECAnext'
OCLC announced the following:OCLC welcomes Essen Public Library as the most recent major public library to announce the move from its current library system to BIBLIOTHECAnext, the newest generation of the market-leading system used by some 4,000 libraries in German-speaking countries in Europe. … Essen is among the top 10 largest cities in Germany. The library serves a population of more than 580,000. Essen Public Library plans to move to BIBLIOTHECAnext by the end of the year. The new generation of BIBLIOTHECAnext focuses on digital services, a modern platform and access to a wide range of partner systems. These include self-checkout systems via RFID, a library app and e-government functions such as e-payment and online registration, as well as a solution for ticketing and event management. For more information, read the press release.
Google Changes Course on Phasing Out Third-Party Cookies
Anu Adegbola writes the following in “Google Scraps Plans to Kill Third-Party Cookies in Chrome” for Search Engine Land:Google is reversing course and won’t phase out third-party cookies in Chrome as previously planned, instead opting for a new approach that gives users more control, the company announced. … This decision marks a significant shift in Google’s privacy strategy and will come as a relief to many in the advertising industry who have been scrambling to prepare for a cookieless future. … This move suggests Google is trying to balance privacy concerns with the needs of the ad industry and its own business model. For more information, read the article.
Libby Becomes a Participating Sponsor of the LA Lakers and the Lakers Literacy League
OverDrive announced the following:As the NBA basketball season draws closer, Libby, the award-winning library reading app from OverDrive, proudly announces its sponsorship of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Lakers Literacy League. As a participating sponsor, Libby and the Lakers will encourage all Laker fans to embrace the lifelong benefits of reading by promoting the resources of their local libraries. Building upon OverDrive’s 20+ years of supporting community libraries and literacy, the innovative sponsorship supports the mission of the Lakers Literacy League, the Lakers Girls book club, and a variety of unique community activities. This multi-year sponsorship kicks off with the 2024-25 season and marks a long-term commitment to supporting California libraries. For more information, read the press release.
The Digital Librarian Blog Cautions Against Avoiding Using Artificial Intelligence
Library technology consultant Nick Tanzi writes the following on his blog, The Digital Librarian, in the post “The Risks for Libraries in AI Avoidance”:As we continue to identify the pitfalls of using artificial intelligence within a library setting, it is also important that we address the risks of AI avoidance! For many library workers (and the public at-large), AI is an unfamiliar, poorly-understood technology. This is unsurprising when we look at the speed at which AI has been moving; we are in an environment of constant change, rapid innovation, and little regulation. There are enough problematic aspects of AI (algorithmic bias, hallucination, privacy concerns, etc[.]) where it would seem prudent to simply avoid the technology, at least until things settle further. This would be a mistake! For more information, read the blog post.
Funds for Learning Issues an Approval of the E-rate Program Expansion
Funds for Learning announced the following:On July 18, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to approve an expansion of the E-rate program to include support for off-premises use of Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless internet services. This initiative intends to ensure that students and library patrons can access essential educational resources, even outside of school and library buildings, by providing funding for Wi-Fi hotspots and wireless internet services. A statement issued by Funds for Learning reads, in part: We commend the FCC for working to ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive in a connected world. The approval of this initiative represents a forward-thinking approach to the E-rate program, aligning it with the realities of today’s educational landscape. Funds For Learning is hosting a webinar on July 25, 2024, “to discuss the application process, eligibility criteria, and how to maximize the benefits of the E-rate Program Expansion.” Registration is required. For more information, read the press release.
New Search Engine Empowers Users to Find Privacy Violations on the Web
Brian Merchant writes the following in “This Machine Exposes Privacy Violations” for WIRED:[F]ormer Google engineer [Tim Libert] has built a search engine, webXray, that aims to find illicit online data collection and tracking. … By searching for a specific term or website, you can use webXray to see which sites are tracking you, and where all that data goes. … Libert plans to launch the website to the public, so anyone can get a sense of how sprawling the web of privacy violations being made every day really is, along with a premium tier for regulators and attorneys, who can use the tool to assess those violations and address them. … For more information, read the article.
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Brandi Scardilli
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