Ethical considerations in the use of AI; Reuters, October 2, 2023

 Brad Hise and Jenny Dao, Hanson Bridgett LLP, Reuters; Ethical considerations in the use of AI

"The burgeoning use of artificial intelligence ("AI") platforms and tools such as ChatGPT creates both opportunities and risks for the practice of law. In particular, the use of AI in research, document drafting and other work product presents a number of ethical issues for lawyers to consider as they contemplate how the use of AI may benefit their practices. In California, as in other states, several ethics rules are particularly relevant to a discussion of the use of AI."

At Harvard, a Battle Over What Should Be Said About the Hamas Attacks; The New York Times, October 10, 2023

 Anemona Hartocollis, Stephanie Saul and Vimal Patel, The New York Times; At Harvard, a Battle Over What Should Be Said About the Hamas Attacks

"The debate over Israel and the fate of Palestinians has been one of the most divisive on campus for decades, and has scorched university officials who have tried to moderate or mollify different groups.

But Dr. Summers’s pointed criticism raised questions about the obligation of universities to weigh in on difficult political matters.

A famous 1967 declaration by the University of Chicago called for institutions to remain neutral on political and social matters, saying a university “is the home and sponsor of critics; it is not itself the critic.” But students over the years have frequently and successfully pressed their administrations to take positions on matters like police brutality, global warming and war."

A Farewell Letter; The Suffield Observer, October 1, 2023

  Julie Styles - Director, The Suffield Observer; A Farewell Letter

"By the time you read this, I will have departed from my role as Director of the Kent Memorial Library. My plans to resign have been brewing for several months, despite having just started this position last fall. My decision was based on many factors, and it wasn’t an easy one to make. For the most part, it boils down to the fact that while I was hired to be a professional library director, I was not actually allowed to do my job as one.

The purpose of a public library is not to keep rows of books nice and neat for casual readers to pick something out to help them pass the time. While that is one of the services we proudly offer, it is not the core of our mission. The role of the library is to connect its patrons with information, facts, and literature that help them with all aspects of their lives. A library’s role is not to shield people from controversial issues, but rather to provide resources that help people to understand those issues. It should support the discourse that is happening in the community, not sanitize or whitewash it. Most importantly, a library should represent, reflect, and wholeheartedly welcome the diverse lives and interests of its entire community.

The way a public library is managed should not be influenced by politics. When the government of a town directs library staff to remove or relocate books based on certain topics, it is censorship. And it sends the message that some people in the community, and the stories that represent their lives, aren’t important. That some people’s lives don’t deserve to be treated equally. That only some people’s stories are worth drawing attention to.

Over the past year, people who do not understand the purpose of a library, or the tenets of the library profession, have asked me to make changes that are antithetical to established library best practices, including: increase late fines to generate more revenue for the town, tag all LGBTQIA+ books with warning labels, avoid putting up displays addressing current affairs or ones that represent marginalized communities, and to disregard patron privacy. I’ve been repeatedly told that I am “legally obligated” to include books covering “both sides” of every display topic in order to remain “neutral” (a statement that is both incorrect and very disturbing: are we to provide racist books alongside anti-racist resources? Anti-Semitic books next to ones celebrating Hanukkah or describing the Holocaust?). It’s also been suggested that I stop following the guidance of the American Library Association (ALA), despite the fact that an ALA-accredited Master’s in Library Science degree is required for my job.

Certainly, as a professional, educated, and experienced librarian, I have disagreed with directives and suggestions such as these. My duty as a librarian is to honor the First Amendment rights of everyone. To protect the privacy of our patrons. To not assign any kind of moral value to the books we provide. To let readers—and the caregivers of young readers—decide for themselves what is appropriate. To serve everyone in town—without judgment.

Unfortunately, I have not been allowed to do that. Instead, I have been instructed to run the library in ways that conflict with my professional ethics, experience, and training. So, it is time for me to move on.

It’s been an honor to serve the Suffield community for the past year, as best I could. I have gotten tremendous support and great feedback from many Suffield residents. The Friends of KML and the Library Foundation have been wonderfully supportive, as have most of the members of the Library Commission. And if I could, I would bring the entire staff of KML with me, as they are, each and every one talented dedicated and fantastic to work with. I hope going forward, their jobs provide them with fulfillment, inspiration, and a sense of pride, wherever their careers may take them."

Autonomous Vehicles Are Driving Blind; The New York Times, October 11, 2023

 Julia Angwin, The New York Times; Autonomous Vehicles Are Driving Blind

"For all the ballyhoo over the possibility of artificial intelligence threatening humanity someday, there’s remarkably little discussion of the ways it is threatening humanity right now. When it comes to self-driving cars, we are driving blind...

Despite all these real-world examples of harm, many regulators remain distracted by the distant and, to some, far-fetched disaster scenarios spun by the A.I. doomers — high-powered tech researchers and execs who argue that the big worry is the risk someday of human extinction. The British government is holding an A.I. Safety Summit in November, and Politico reports that the A.I. task force is being led by such doomers...

The doomer theories are “a distraction tactic to make people chase an infinite amount of risks,” says Heidy Khlaaf, a software safety engineer who is an engineering director at Trail of Bits, a technical security firm."

Saline County Judge fires library director after months of debate over children’s access to books; Arkansas Advocate, October 9, 2023

 TESS VRBIN, Arkansas Advocate; Saline County Judge fires library director after months of debate over children’s access to books

"The Saline County judge fired the director of the county library system Monday, seven weeks after county officials gave the judge some power to hire and fire library staff.

Patty Hector, who ran the Saline County Library for seven years, said County Judge Matt Brumley and county human resources director Christy Peterson told her in person Monday morning that her “services are no longer needed.”"

A Brief History of Banned Books in America; Smithsonian Magazine, October 5, 2023

Chris Klimek , Smithsonian Magazine; A Brief History of Banned Books in America

"Klimek: And one of the professions most affected by all of this are librarians. How is this affecting librarians across the country?

Hayden: Well, librarians, we have mugs and T-shirts that say, “Librarians, the original search engines.” So we’ve been involved with information and the internet since it’s really been widely available, because that was another way for us to provide information to people, health information, all types of things. And so librarians have been at the forefront of looking at: What are some of the safeguards? How can we be better prepared to be those guides on the side when they’re surfing? People still use public libraries, for instance, as one of their major sources of health information.

Klimek: Yeah, that’s something that I hadn’t thought of, this idea that yes, now anyone with internet access has access to all of this information of widely varying quality. But the librarians can still help us sort the legitimate stuff from the cynical and fabricated stuff. That media literacy seems critical.

Hayden: “Information literacy” is the term that we use, and it’s really that same thing, but also in this new world. And that’s going to be even more of an aspect when you think about artificial intelligence."

Children and parents begin uphill fightback against book bans in Florida; CNN, October 6, 2023

 Elle Reeve and Samantha Guff, CNN; Children and parents begin uphill fightback against book bans in Florida

"Now that books are being banned and disappearing from school libraries, students and parents are showing up to school board meetings in Florida to argue for access to books that take on difficult subjects. But they are losing out to a new state law that makes it easier for opponents to get books off shelves."

What's behind the national surge in book bans? A low-tech website tied to Moms for Liberty; USA Today, October 5, 2023

Will CarlessChris UlleryAlia Wong, USA Today ; What's behind the national surge in book bans? A low-tech website tied to Moms for Liberty

"These so-called challenges appeared to begin locally, with no obvious connections. But they shared a common thread: The book review material submitted by local parents was not written by those parents. 

Instead, it was taken word for word from a website called BookLooks.org.

The site launched in 2022 to showcase a book-rating system that has also been used by right-wing political activist group Moms for Liberty. It bills itself as a resource for parents, and claims not to be pushing political action: ”We do not support ‘banning’ books,” the site says. 

In less than two years, BookLooks has become the go-to resource for anyone seeking to ban books – especially books about gay people or sexuality – from school and public libraries, according to researchers, library experts and a USA TODAY analysis of book-ban attempts nationwide. 

Across at least a dozen states, USA TODAY found attempts to remove hundreds of book titles that directly cited BookLooks reviews."

'Banned Wagon' rolls into Houston-area libraries for banned book week; ABC13, October 4, 2023

 Briana Conner, ABC13; 'Banned Wagon' rolls into Houston-area libraries for banned book week

"Harris County Public Libraries started the month of October by announcing a book sanctuary for banned books.

A book sanctuary combats censorship and protects the right to read. The library system says more than 600 of the banned titles are in circulation at their libraries.

According to the American Library Association, libraries in Texas have banned more books than any other state."

Banned Books Week comes at tense time for nation’s libraries and schools; The Hill, October 2, 2023

LEXI LONAS , The Hill; Banned Books Week comes at tense time for nation’s libraries and schools

"Banning books has become a top issue around the country, with many Republican states making it easier for parents to challenge what’s available on school shelves while Democratic states try to do the opposite."

The rebirth of local news depends on all of us; The Washington Post, October 6, 2023

Leonard Downie Jr., The Washington Post ; The rebirth of local news depends on all of us

"Whenever they are asked, Americans say they want and depend on news coverage of their local communities. Its rebirth depends on them."

How the Humble Paperback Helped Win World War II; The New York Times, October 6, 2023

Jennifer Schuessler, The New York Times; How the Humble Paperback Helped Win World War II

"The paperbacks were intended to help soldiers pass the time. But they were also meant to remind them what they were fighting for, and draw a sharp contrast between American ideals and Nazi book burnings.

That’s an aspect of the story that has only grown more resonant, amid today’s partisan battles over book bans. And Manning, for one, sees a clear lesson.

“During World War II, the American public came out very much one way,” she said. “And that was that there should be no restrictions on what people read."...

Books were seen not just as diversions, but as weapons in the fight for democracy. In American propaganda, the dedication to the free exchange of ideas was explicitly contrasted with Nazi book burnings. In a 1942 message to booksellers, President Franklin D. Roosevelt extolled freedom of expression, which was at the heart of his idea of the Four Freedoms. “No man and no force can take from the world the books that embody man’s eternal fight against tyranny,” he said.

But just how to get those weapons into soldiers hands was complicated. Shipping heavy books overseas was impractical. So in early 1943, the Council on Books in Wartime, a publishers’ group formed in 1942, approached Ray Trautman, the Army’s chief librarian, with the idea of producing special paperbacks for soldiers overseas. The result was the Armed Services Editions. which were designed to fit in either the breast or pants pocket of a standard-issue uniform."

The US library system, once the best in the world, faces death by a thousand cuts; The Guardian, October 9, 2023

Brewster Kahle, The Guardian; The US library system, once the best in the world, faces death by a thousand cuts

"he US library system, once the model for the world, is under assault from politicians, rightwing activists and corporate publishers. Book bans are at record levels, and libraries across the country are facing catastrophic budget cuts, a fate only narrowly avoided by New York City’s public libraries this summer. In a separate line of attack, library collections are being squeezed by draconian licensing deals, and even sued to stop lending digitized books.

This war on libraries – and on the traditional values of equal opportunity, universal education and cultural preservation they represent – directly contravenes the will of the majority in the United States. Polls reveal that public support for libraries is as strong as ever. But the profession of librarianship has become a hazardous one, because of the actions of a hostile minority. It’s time to reverse course."

Star Trek: Enterprise's 20 Best Episodes, Ranked; ScreenRant, October 9, 2023

EMMA BIDDULPH , ScreenRant; Star Trek: Enterprise's 20 Best Episodes, Ranked

"Star Trek: Enterprise is a character-driven prequel that explores the origins and moral ambiguities of various topics, adding depth to the different characters. 

The premiere episode, "Broken Bow," is a gritty, adventure-filled introduction to an inexperienced crew facing prejudices and tackling ethical dilemmas. 

The series features thought-provoking episodes that examine themes of prejudice, ethics, loyalty, and the greater good while delving into the unknown depths of space."

Navigating the patchwork of U.S. privacy and cybersecurity laws: key regulatory updates from summer 2023; Reuters, October 9, 2023

Felicia Jafferies and Amanda Graham Brazinski, Reuters; Navigating the patchwork of U.S. privacy and cybersecurity laws: key regulatory updates from summer 2023

"The increasing patchwork of privacy and cybersecurity statutes, rules, and regulations on the state and federal level will likely result in further compliance costs to entities. In addition, these new laws create new grounds for governmental oversight that could result in a costly defense of regulatory investigations and exposure to civil penalties.

Indeed, federal and state regulators continue to enforce existing laws that may touch on privacy and cybersecurity with increasing frequency, and the addition of these new laws provide regulators with an increased ability to bring enforcement actions. Finally, the public disclosure requirements that many of these laws require expose companies to more potential lawsuits following any public notification resulting from an incident."

Get on the bus: banned books tour hits the road, from New York to Texas; The Guardian, October 5, 2023

Olivia Empson, The Guardian; Get on the bus: banned books tour hits the road, from New York to Texas

"The New Republic partnered with organizations like House of SpeakEasy and the American Federation of Teachers for the bookmobile tour and hopes to use it as a way to fight back against censorship. Organizers plan to hand out 20,000 books as they pass through the likes of Florida, Virginia, Missouri and Kentucky – a route chosen to align with the recent PEN data."

N.C. radio station reverses decision to withhold broadcast of contemporary Met operas; NPR, October 5, 2023

Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR ; N.C. radio station reverses decision to withhold broadcast of contemporary Met operas

"This story was updated on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 8:25 p.m. ET.

On Thursday afternoon, a listener-supported station in North Carolina, WCPE, reversed its decision to withhold the broadcast of six contemporary operas this season from the Metropolitan Opera saying, "After careful deliberation, due consideration, and hearing from our supporters, listeners and the public, The Classical Station has decided to broadcast the entire 2023-2024 season of the New York Metropolitan Opera." 

The reversal came after public outcry from notable figures including Pulitzer Prize-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens and author and journalist Celeste Headlee. 

WCPE's protest came at a time when the Metropolitan Opera is eager to showcase its commitment to recently written operas and works from outside the traditional canon of music written by white men. Three of the operas that WCPE planned to reject in the 2023-24 season were written by Black or Mexican composers. This past April, WCPE also refused to broadcast another Met-produced opera written by a Black composer that included LGBTQ themes."

Playing by the Rules: Ethics at Work; Montana PBS Series

Montana PBS Series: Playing by the Rules: Ethics at Work

"You see unethical actions at work. You raise your hand and are ignored. What would you do?"

Organizations Line Up Speakers and Demonstrations for Banned Books Week 2023; Publishers Weekly, October 3, 2023

Nathalie op de Beeck, Publishers Weekly; Organizations Line Up Speakers and Demonstrations for Banned Books Week 2023

"Banned Books Week runs October 1–7 this year. Although seven days won’t be enough to address the U.S. crisis over the right to read, BBW offers the chance to catch up on the issues and the grassroots actions under way in support of reading and writing.

Advocacy organizations have declared Saturday, October 7, a day to write a letter to an elected official, post about the freedom to read on social media, or put a local school board meeting on the calendar. American Library Association members call October 7 Freedom to Read Day, while PEN America followers refer to it as Banned Books Week Day of Action. Whatever the appellation, it’s an opportune time to champion the right to read."

Unpublished Letter Sent to New York Times Editor on 10/2/23 re “The Enemies of Literature Are Winning” by Matthew Walther (Oct. 1, 2023)

[Kip Currier: Unpublished Letter I sent to New York Times Editor on 10/2/23 re “The Enemies of Literature Are Winning” by Matthew Walther (Oct. 1, 2023).]

Nowhere in the author’s jeremiad does he address the two most important reasons for the continuing existence and relevance of Banned Books Week: providing readers with access to the broadest spectrum of information and including the voices of all, particularly BIPOC and LGBTQ+ persons who have historically been absent from library collections. In the words of the late Banned Books Week co-founder and longtime intellectual freedom champion Judith Krug, “We have to serve the information needs of everybody.” Not some, but everyone.

LeVar Burton Banned Books Week honorary chair discusses importance of access; American Libraries, October 2, 2023

 Megan Bennett, American Libraries; LeVar Burton

Banned Books Week honorary chair discusses importance of access

"When asked about the impact libraries have had on his life and work, LeVar Burton answered simply and succinctly: “Better to ask what role sunlight and water plays in the life and work of flowers.”...

Burton is honorary chair of the American Library Association’s 2023 Banned Books Week (Oct. 1–7), the first actor to be chosen for the role. This year’s weeklong commemoration of intellectual freedom comes at a time of record-breaking book challenges and bans, mostly directed at books by or about people of color or the LGBTQ community...

What kinds of messages do you think are being sent to young people from marginalized communities when books that reflect them and their experiences are the ones disproportionately being challenged?

The message it sends is that you do not matter. This is the old way. In today’s world it is essential that we make room at the table for all voices, for all peoples, and points of view."

Where the Supreme Court stands on banning books; The Conversation, October 2, 2023

Suzanne Eckes, Susan S. Engeleiter Professor of Education Law, Policy and Practice, University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Conversation; ; Where the Supreme Court stands on banning books

"My analysis of that 1982 case, Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District v. Pico, finds useful information that can help put these book ban lawsuits in context."

Clarence Thomas' recusal on 'frivolous' January 6 appeal is a 'low-stakes' opportunity for him to fight ethics allegations, Supreme Court expert says; Insider, October 2, 2023

Erin Snodgrass , Insider ; Clarence Thomas' recusal on 'frivolous' January 6 appeal is a 'low-stakes' opportunity for him to fight ethics allegations, Supreme Court expert says

"His apparent about-face on Monday suggests the increased scrutiny over his ethical conduct may be having a tangible effect on his judicial career, Scott Lemieux, a professor of political science at the University of Washington and an expert in constitutional law, told Insider.

"The fact that he didn't recuse himself in previous cases involving the 2020 election makes it hard to imagine these recent stories aren't playing a role here," he told Insider...

Regardless of his reasons, Thomas ultimately did the right thing in recusing himself from the Eastman appeal, Lemieux said.

"The justices have to be convinced if they do unethical things, it will hurt the legitimacy of the Supreme Court," he said."

It’s Banned Books Week. Here’s how to fight for libraries.; The Washington Post, October 2, 2023

Alyssa Rosenberg

 and 

Greg Sargent

, The Washington Post; It’s Banned Books Week. Here’s how to fight for libraries.

"This Banned Books Week, we wanted to share what we’ve learned about how book lovers can defend their schools and public libraries...

Look to the law. Suggesting that books be removed from library shelves on political grounds — because they advocate “gender ideology” or “communism” — might violate laws banning viewpoint discrimination in public schools and libraries. A group of Florida parents is testing that theory in the courts, hoping to establish a clear precedent. And some teachers are challenging restrictions on the grounds that they’re unconstitutionally vague. While those cases play out, library advocates can remind officials and administrators that censorship carries its own legal risks.

And politicians can get behind an anti-censorship legislative agenda. Illinois recently passed a state law that directs public libraries to adopt a “library bill of rights” declaring they won’t remove books under partisan or ideological pressure. Other ideas include transparency requirements for how school systems handle book challenges and contested classroom topics. More state legislators should push such ideas. It sends a clear signal that the law is not merely an instrument that can be wielded by censors but also a potential shield against them."

Faith in the Supreme Court is down. Voters now say they want changes.; Politico, September 30, 2023

 STEVEN SHEPARD, Politico; Faith in the Supreme Court is down. Voters now say they want changes.

"In addition to the 75 percent of voters — a bipartisan consensus of 81 percent of Democrats, 72 percent of Republicans and 69 percent of independents — who support a binding ethics code, roughly two-thirds of voters support term limits for the justices (68 percent). A similar percentage (67 percent) say the court should televise oral arguments, while 66 percent believe there should be an age limit for the justices. A smaller majority, 60 percent, think there should be an equal number of Democrats, Republicans and independents on the high court."

What we’re watching at the start of new Supreme Court term; The Washington Post, October 2, 2023

Tobi Raji

, 

Theodoric Meyer

 and 

Leigh Ann Caldwell

, The Washington Post; What we’re watching at the start of new Supreme Court term

"2. Lindke v. Freed, O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier (Oct. 31)

There are several cases on the court’s docket this term that will tackle the future of online speech. The first two — Lindke v. Freed and O’Connor-Ratcliff v. Garnier — will seek to answer whether the First Amendment prohibits public officials from blocking constituents.

• (“Two years ago, the justices dismissed a similar challenge to Trump’s efforts to block critics on Twitter, after he lost reelection and his Twitter account was suspended,” Robertwrites.)

The high court will also debate the constitutionality of laws passed in Texas and Florida that regulate the tech industry’s content-moderation policies. They are Moody v. NetChoice, LLC and NetChoice, LLC v. Paxton. Conservatives argue that social media platforms are censoring their viewpoints, while the companies argue that the new laws violate their First Amendment right to choose what to publish on their platforms."

For Supreme Court, ethics have become the elephant in the courtroom; The Washington Post, October 1, 2023

Robert Barnes

 and 

Ann E. Marimow

, The Washington Post; For Supreme Court, ethics have become the elephant in the courtroom

"Some of the issues and political stalemates that haunt the Supreme Court are returning for the term that begins Monday, accompanied by another concern: how to convince the public that the justices take seriously their ethical obligations."

EU legal advisor: disclosing identities of suspected copyright pirates "compatible" with EU privacy laws; Boing Boing, September 29, 2023

 ROB BESCHIZZA, Boing Boing; EU legal advisor: disclosing identities of suspected copyright pirates "compatible" with EU privacy laws

"Releasing pirates' identities is "Compatible With EU Privacy Laws," says a top legal advisor to the European Union's highest court following the discovery that the French government retains more than a decade of data collected about millions of people suspected of infringing copyrights."

The Enemies of Literature Are Winning; The New York Times, October 1, 2023

Matthew Walther, The New York Times; The Enemies of Literature Are Winning

"Banned Books Week is, or should be, eminently mockable. Its proponents trade on the moral currency of defiance (“See how brave we are, inviting people to read these daring books!”) but in practice they are doing the opposite — attempting to reify a consensus."

North Carolina bans ‘Banned Books Week’ but retracts after media backlash; The Guardian, September 30, 2023

Edward Helmore, The Guardian ; North Carolina bans ‘Banned Books Week’ but retracts after media backlash

"North Carolina’s Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district appears to be a bit confused as to where it stands in the ongoing battle against books around the US: they banned educators from participating in a weeklong series of events drawing attention to banned books and then … said there was no ban."