Fran Kompar

The return of dumb things: Why young people are ditching their smartphones for MP3 players and digital cameras Young people are using dumb phones, MP3 players and digital cameras in lieu of iPhones. Experts explain why.

One of the reasons I love retro-SF futures is because they speak to this increasing trend of turning shit off and disconnecting devices. When AWS goes down and bricks your bed, fridge, and thermostat, the appeal of analog is keenly felt.

www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/th...

One Useful Thing | Ethan Mollick | Substack Trying to understand the implications of AI for work, education, and life. By Prof. Ethan Mollick. Click to read One Useful Thing, by Ethan Mollick, a Substack publication with hundreds of thousands o...

Excellent post by Ryan Mollick

One Useful Thing
www.oneusefulthing.org?utm_source=n...

Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.

Just a reminder to check for your name in this list of books that OpenAI trained from. If your name is there, they probably owe you several thousand dollars.

OpenAI cried that if everyone eligible author files, the company will go bankrupt, so I'm alerting every author I have ever spoken to.

librarians are generals in the war on ignorance

Everything you do online is tracked, saved, and shared for what feels like a lifetime. But there are some steps you can take to minimize what data is out there. ssd.eff.org/module/how-...

Watchdog Finds Trump Administration Broke Law by Withholding Library Funds

Good news for libraries.

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/u...

St. Francis schools to put banned books back on shelves • Minnesota Reformer St. Francis Area Schools will place banned books back on library shelves and rewrite its library policy to comply with state law, according to a settlement reached in a lawsuit filed by the teachers…

Book banners are costing tax payers millions of dollars just to lose.

St. Francis Area Schools will place banned books back on library shelves and rewrite its library policy to comply with state law.

buff.ly/pyuHl1b

#BookSky

In rare move, Congress pushes back on Trump over Library of Congress Lawmakers are raising separation-of-powers concerns as the White House seeks to install a Justice Department official at the legislative-branch institution.

This is good news - and shouldn’t be so rare. In the case of Library of Congress - it’s right there in its name - “of Congress” should make it easy.

White House MAHA Report may have garbled science by using AI, experts say The report, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was intended to address the reasons for the decline in Americans’ life expectancy.

So, our government leaders unsurprisingly lack AI Literacy skills.

www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Join the Truth Brigade

Never argue with lies or misinformation. Instead, “Cause a Pause” in the misinformed person's way of thinking. Online, start a new thread with the truth. Offline, listen with empathy, then genuinely express interest in the source of the misinformation. truthbrigade.indivisible.org/s/Rr0uxZuJ

Dystopian books to read!

1984 - George Orwell
Brave New world - Aldous Huxley
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Circle - Dave Eggers

I'm sure there are many more so add yours if you feel like it. The one that really gave me pause was The Circle.

The Libby App is the best thing in the world like you can just think of a book and 20 seconds later you're reading or listening free on your phone. Libraries must be protected at all costs

This is an important source of funding for many libraries. #TLSky #librarians

HAPPY INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE DAY to some of my favorite indies!
@rjjulia.bsky.social @scatteredbooks.bsky.social @splitrockbks.bsky.social @booksofwonder.bsky.social @bunchofgrapes.bsky.social (There are more, but these are my favorites that have Bluesky accounts.)

Library Internet Access Is 'World-Changing' for Millions, but the Money Could Disappear Local libraries are helping to bridge the broadband gap by getting communities online. But federal funding is under threat.

Thanks to federal programs like E-Rate, communities have built life-changing broadband networks—with libraries at the center. But that future is now under threat.
Join us in the fight to protect E-Rate and federal library funding—because no one should be left offline.
www.cnet.com/home/interne...

Libraries serve everyone who walks in. Why is Trump cutting them off? | Op-Ed Federal funds are critical for libraries in rural and tribal communities; schools and prisons; and the state library that serves readers who are blind.

Recent actions by the Trump administration are threatening the future of libraries in Seattle and other Washington communities.

www.seattletimes.com/opinion/libr...

I hope everyone realizes that scrubbing historical references from web sites is no different than burning books

Hey, folks. In the new episode of the “How I Library” podcast, we welcome comic book artists—and National Library Week co-chairs—Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud. They join the show to discuss their new book, The Cartoonists Club, and more. Check it out at the link in our bio. Thanks.

Promotional poster for National Library Outreach Day on April 9, 2025. Features an anthropomorphic book character walking with a smile, a colorful background with an abstract library, people, a dog, and a bookmobile.

Today is National #LibraryOutreachDay! From bookmobiles & pop-ups to home delivery & street outreach, these efforts ensure access to knowledge, connection & care—no matter the barriers.
✔️ Thank an outreach worker
✔️ Speak out against attacks on library funding
✔️ Advocate for access in your community

Your Painkillers, Made in China: Did you know 95% of the U.S. ibuprofen supply (think Advil) & 70% of its acetaminophen (Tylenol) come from China​ (Source:@POLITICO.COM)? Trade war tensions mean basic OTC meds could face shortages or price hikes. Your next headache might hurt a bit more #factsmatter

Thanks, @ALA. Libraries are an important pillar of our democracy - critical part of a community - and the IMLS is a lifeline to many. #TLSky

We're suing Trump to save library funding. Show up for our libraries, American Library Association.

NEW: ALA is going to court to stop the President’s attempts to illegally dismantle the Institute of Museum & Library Services.

The President does not have the authority to destroy a federal agency. That's why we're taking action with our co-plaintiff @afscme.bsky.social. #ForOurLibraries (1/3)

In 2018, garbage collectors in Turkey started a library of discarded books - rather than putting books in landfills, they retrieve them and add them to the collection.

Promotional poster for AASL School Library Month celebrating 40 years, featuring an illustrated library scene with bookshelves, a reading chair, and a logo banner at the bottom.

Bingo! Buttons! Scavenger Hunts! The #SchoolLibraryMonth committee has pulled together a multitude of learner engagement resources to help you celebrate this #AASLslm. Find some fun and learning at: buff.ly/MhRK8cc

Drawn to the Library, National Library Week. April 6-12, 2025. Colorful cartoon illustration of young people at the library drawing, sewing, reading together, and asking the librarian a question.

#NationalLibraryWeek kicks off today! It’s a time to celebrate the places that welcome everyone, spark curiosity, and strengthen our communities.

This week, take a moment to discover—or rediscover—what makes your library special.

What draws you to the library?
ilovelibraries.org/national-lib...

ALA (American Library Association) graphic showing three cartoons. One shows two Black girls reading, one shows a male wheelchair user checking out with a librarian wearing hijab, and a third shows a Brown boy drawing a cartoon. Text on pink background says “Drawn to the Library: National Library Week, April 6-12, 2025.”

#NationaLibraryWeek starts today and libraries and library staff need you!

Here is some more information from @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social !

www.ala.org/conferencese...

Every single school should have a school library & a school librarian, to help every single child find the books that will make them readers, and give them all the lifelong benefits of literacy. Libraries & librarians change children's lives FOREVER! #SchoolLibrarianDay #SchoolLibraryMonth