Lauren Pressley

We have differentiated vocabulary for literacy: reading critically, reading for pleasure, reading for research. We don't have that yet for AI. That absence isn't neutral: laurenpressley.com/library/2026...

Good to see you!

It's been a while!!

Looking forward to reading along!!

I’ve got a lot on my mind and am thinking about blogging again…

Thanks!! I’m just getting my feet under me writing for a blog again, and I’m really glad this resonated!

The Obscure Media Theory That Explains '99% of Everything' Or: How did America's mid-century communications theorists get it all so right?

In grad school ~2005, a professor handed me Walter Ong because of my interest in social media. I just highlighted almost every line of this piece: www.derekthompson.org/p/why-the-de.... 20 years later, Ong and McLuhan are helping me think about AI in ways I didn't expect. h/t @dkthomp.bsky.social

Every so often, a technology reminds me of its potential for magic. Readwise now pulls in podcasts ... and the horizon feels wider again. docs.readwise.io/reader/docs/...

ZSR Ambassadors ZSR Ambassadors is a one-year student leadership opportunity that allows a group of students to make a lasting impact on campus. What do ZSR Ambassadors do? 2025-2026 Ambassadors We asked our Ambassad...

Undergrads: we're looking for the next cohort of ZSR Library Ambassadors!

Learn more and apply below! The deadline is Friday, October 17! #MyZSR #MoreThanALibrary

Here we go!

I appreciate my library friends posting about ALA, Philadelphia, and reunions at #ALAAC25! Thanks for helping those of us at home follow along!!

By slashing teams that gather critical data, the Trump administration has left the federal government with no way of understanding if policies are working — and created a black hole of information whose consequences could ripple out for decades: propub.li/3RZzqHP

📽️: @josesepulveda.bsky.social

For the nonlibrarians who follow me, I wish you could have felt *how excited* my library colleagues were when Carla Hayden was nominated. So respected for her work as a big-city library director & ALA president, back when ALA stood up against the Patriot Act. Impeccable library & leadership cred. 1/

web.archive.org/web/20050207...

Carla Hayden is an inspiration to so many in the library profession. People outside of that profession probably don't even realize how much. She certainly became an inspiration to me. She will be missed as our chief librarian.

Picard management tip: In a strange new environment, be wary of making changes until you understand more about what's going on.

2025 ACRL Environmental Scan Every two years, the ACRL Research Planning and Review Committee releases an environmental scan of higher education, including developments with the potential for continuing impact on academic librari...

The 2025 ACRL Environmental Scan, developed by our Research Planning and Review Committee, is now available. The scan provides a broad review of the current higher ed landscape, with special focus on the state of academic and research libraries. #ACRL2025

Entire staff at federal agency that funds libraries and museums put on leave The staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services was placed on administrative leave this morning, following a meeting between IMLS leadership and DOGE staff.

JUST IN: The staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services was placed on administrative leave this morning, following a meeting between IMLS leadership and DOGE staff.

Kate Starbird is seated in a chair holding a smartphone and there's text above reading "A Spotlight on Rumors"

Coming up from 5:30-6:30 p.m. PST: @cip.uw.edu co-founder @katestarbird.bsky.social will present the 2025 UW Faculty Lecture, "A Spotlight on Rumors: Illuminating How Influence and Improvisation Shape Online Conversations." Event is in person and livestreamed.

www.washington.edu/facultystaff...

As always, I am so impressed with the work of our colleagues in @uofwa.bsky.social's Tateuchi East Asia Library: sites.uw.edu/libstrat/202...

Book bans could escalate after Department of Education dismisses censorship complaints Education Department pulls back on book bans, raising censorship fears

"If you want to control people, you interfere with their access to information. That's why we're telling people to come together and #UniteAgainstBookBans."
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom @oif.bsky.social

www.axios.com/2025/02/08/e...

Scientists and journalists need to figure out right quick how to explain to the average person how a massive change in research indirects will impact the medical care they and their children get (eg at the local children’s hospital), the education their children will get, the price of tuition, etc.

Thank you, Helene!!

Thank you, Rick!

Big news, friends! This summer I will be returning to @wakeforest.bsky.social as Dean of the @zsrlibrary.bsky.social! I am very excited to return to this community that has meant so much to me over the course of my career! For those of you at Wake and ZSR, I look forward to reconnecting soon!

UW Libraries High School Internship Program inspires digital storytelling and connections for first-generation students UW Magazine | University of Washington

💜

Thank you!

As with improv, social medial works a lot better when you have a “yes, and…” mentality. Twitter trained a lot of people into “no, but…” and that is just going to catch you a lot of blocks here. 💁🏻‍♀️

University presses putting together starter packs of all their authors on Bluesky is such a good move.