|
|
Weekly News Digest
 |
August 18, 2026 — 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.
|
POLITICO Explores the Danger of AI Slop in Legislation
Owen Dahlkamp writes the following in “AI Slop Is Swamping a House Office That Drafts US Laws” for POLITICO:Congressional lawyers are struggling to manage a flood of legislative proposals generated using artificial intelligence tools, many of them riddled with errors and shoddy language. The strain on the House Office of Legislative Counsel is increasing as more congressional offices and outside groups rely on generative AI to draft legislation, according to interviews with eight current and former officials who work or have worked with the office. For more information, read the article.
ALA Leads a Call for Comments to FCC Over E-Rate
ALA shared that in response to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) publishing its rulemaking about reviewing E-Rate in the Federal Register, it has issued a joint statement with its co-chairs in EdLiNC (Education and Libraries Networks Coalition), which include The School Superintendents’ Association (AASA). EdLiNC “reaffirmed its strong support for the E-Rate program and called on the [FCC] to ensure its ongoing rulemaking remains focused on the program’s core purpose: providing affordable, reliable connectivity for schools and libraries across the nation.” ALA asks members to file a comment with the FCC by Oct. 13.ALA is sending the following email to members and advocates (reproduced with permission): The FCC needs to hear from E-Rate advocates like you ... 
Hi, Early this summer, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced its intention to scale back or end the federal E-Rate program, which makes broadband affordable for 73% of U.S. public libraries. Thanks to you, congressmembers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia have received more than 12,000 emails from ALA advocates asking them to #SaveOurErate. On Friday, August 14, the FCC officially posted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on E-Rate in the federal register signaling a 60-day window for public comments. Just as you would contact your elected congressmembers, anyone can submit public comments in response to a proposed FCC rule. We know that E-Rate matters to you, so we’re inviting you to file a comment with the FCC and tell them why it matters to you. Why is fee-free high-speed internet at the library so important? What does library broadband enable you and your community to do? You don’t have to be a policy expert or even a library professional to submit comments on E-Rate. The most important thing is to personalize your comments, drawing from your own experience. Filing comments online is not hard! ALA has simplified the process for you with a letter template and simple instructions: Guidance for submitting a standard filing provides a letter template and suggestions for library and information professionals to submit detailed comments on behalf of their organization. Standard filings include specific data that shows the reach of their library services, such as the number of public computer/Wi-Fi sessions or the amount of E-Rate funding their library receives annually. The deadline for submitting comments is midnight Eastern time on Tuesday, October 13. If this is your first time filing a comment on public record, bravo for giving it a go! If you’re not ready to file comments, you can still contact your congressmembers about protecting E-Rate. Every action counts. We know your attention and your time is precious. Thank you for showing up as an advocate for libraries and communities that rely on them. Lisa R. Varga Chief Advocacy Officer, American Library Association PS: If you work at a library that participates in E-Rate, use ALA’s new guide for hosting a congressional visit at your library. The August recess is prime time to show your elected leader the digital services that E-Rate powers!
JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services Makes Alt Text Easier to Implement
JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services rolled out new tools and workflows that support alt text for image-based materials across digital collections, giving Tier 2 and Tier 3 participants the ability to author, edit, export, and publish alt text on JSTOR.“Alt text is essential for making image-based collections more accessible, and this release represents a meaningful step forward in how JSTOR Stewardship supports that work,” says Roger Schonfeld, managing director of JSTOR Digital Stewardship Services. For more information, read the news item.
BiblioCommons Buys StackMap
BiblioCommons acquired StackMap, a library tech company that specializes in digital mapping and wayfinding, to expand how the company can engage with the patron experience beyond screens. StackMap’s Collection Mapping connects to a library catalog, discovery layer, or mobile search to provide a map to a physical item. Current StackMap customers won’t see any immediate changes to their service.“BiblioCommons and StackMap will take a thoughtful approach to the next phase of the business, with a focus on maintaining the service and support StackMap customers rely on while exploring opportunities to invest in the platform and strengthen its capabilities over time,” the press release states. “Together, BiblioCommons and StackMap can explore new ways to reduce friction across [the patron] journey and help libraries make more of what they offer visible, accessible, and easier to use.” For more information, read the press release.
The Scholarly Kitchen Explores How Preservation Can Become More Diverse
Gali Halevi, collection development director at CLOCKSS, writes the following in “Preserving the Record, Shaping the Future: Why Diversity Matters in Digital Preservation” for The Scholarly Kitchen:Most preservation workflows rely on formal publishing channels, structured metadata, and standardized delivery mechanisms. Therefore, these approaches work efficiently for journals and books produced by established publishers. They are less suited to policy briefs, community reports, multilingual publications, datasets without persistent identifiers, or locally hosted platforms, and so, over time, preservation coverage begins to reflect the mainstream of the publishing ecosystem rather than the full breadth of scholarly activity. … Community-led archives highlight both the risks and the opportunities since they prioritize local knowledge, multilingual materials, and culturally specific content that larger systems overlook. At the same time, they frequently operate with limited technical support and uncertain funding. The result is a paradox. The materials that broaden representation of the scholarly record are often those with the least secure preservation pathways. For more information, read the blog post.
ZDNET Shares How to Remove Gemini’s Default Mode From Google Workspace
David Gewirtz writes the following in “Google Workspace Lets Gemini Access Your Company Data by Default—How to Shut It Down” for ZDNET:[N]ot everyone wants Google to access everything in Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Chat, particularly professionals who use the commercial Google Workspace service. And yet, did you know that Google defaults to allowing Gemini access to all Workspace services? In this article, I’ll show you how that process works. Then, I’ll show you how to turn it off for your company. For more information, read the article.
Lucidea Looks at How the Move to Hybrid and Remote Affects Knowledge Work
Lauren Hays writes the following in “The Changing Location of Work: Hybrid Library Services” for Lucidea’s Think Clearly blog: For many knowledge workers, our roles have moved from fully in-office to fully remote, and now to a patchwork of remote, hybrid, and back-in-office arrangements. That shift means librarians have to rethink how we design services, training, and access. … Remote work changed how I think about work and how I do it. The shift to remote was abrupt, but adjusting to it wasn’t actually that hard for me. That may not be true for everyone, but I’d guess most of us adjusted and found real benefits in working remotely. For more information, read the blog post.
OurStoryBridge Listens Provides First-Year Update
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACT: Jery Huntley (410) 353-6372 createyourstoryproject@gmail.com 150+ Stories. 23 States. One Year. OurStoryBridge Listens Documents Americans’ Experiences in Real Time. WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 19, 2026)—In its first year, OurStoryBridge Listens: Present in the Moment at http://www.ourstorybridgelistens.org has recorded more than 150 oral histories from residents of 23 states and the District of Columbia. Organizers believe it is the nation’s only digital short-form oral history project dedicated to preserving personal perspectives during the current period of rapid social, political and economic change. Unlike traditional oral history projects that document events years or decades later, OurStoryBridge Listens captures three- to five-minute digital stories in real time, revealing Americans’ experiences as they unfold. “We are providing a listening post to those who need it most,” said Jery Huntley, founder and president of OurStoryBridge, Inc. “As an oral historian, I felt an urgency to document this period before these experiences were lost. These brief stories meet people where they are today while creating an online record that future historians, researchers and communities can learn from.” The nonpartisan project invites people to share firsthand accounts of how current events are affecting their lives, families and communities. Participants may record their stories virtually or in person and may choose to be identified or remain anonymous. The growing collection highlights a wide range of experiences, including: - Democracy and the arts: A partnership with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation explores First Amendment concerns and the role of the arts in sustaining inclusive communities. One playwright describes feeling unable to express himself freely through his work.
- Former federal employees: Current and former federal workers discuss the effects of staffing and program reductions on public services in the United States and abroad.
- Food insecurity: Stories from a rural New York food hub and one of its clients illustrate the realities of living in a food desert and how partnerships with local farmers help address food access.
- Affordability: Volunteers operating a diaper bank describe growing demand as families struggle with the rising cost of basic necessities.
- Immigration: A community organizer recounts mobilizing neighbors after a local mother and her kindergarten-aged son were detained and threatened with deportation.
“The storytellers share their experiences and, in doing so, exercise their right to freedom of expression,” said Joni Doherty, senior program officer for Democracy and the Arts at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation. “Hearing about the challenges they face reminds us of the insidious ways that censorship undermines this basic right.” Listen or Participate The collection is available at http://www.ourstorybridgelistens.org. Individuals interested in sharing their own stories may participate virtually or in person by contacting listen@ourstorybridge.org About OurStoryBridge Inc. OurStoryBridge, Inc. at http://www.ourstorybridge.org is the national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps communities preserve local history through digital short-form oral histories. Founded in 2020 after its first project in the Town of Keene, New York, the organization has supported 50 partner projects in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Each story combines a three- to five-minute audio narrative with photographs and is freely available online. About OurStoryBridge Listens: Present in the Moment OurStoryBridge Listens: Present in the Moment is a nonpartisan national initiative that documents how current events are affecting individuals and communities across the United States. Using the OurStoryBridge digital storytelling methodology, the project preserves firsthand accounts in real time, provides a platform for voices that might otherwise go unheard, and creates a public archive for educators, researchers, journalists and future historians. Short-form oral histories, photographs and interview opportunities are available upon request.
Send correspondence concerning the Weekly News Digest to NewsBreaks Editor
Brandi Scardilli
|
