EveryLibrary Partners with Take Your Child to the Library Day for Awareness Building Training Initiative; FCC Announces Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program Webinar on July 23; & More Headlines

AI

• Chatbot Snapshot: How State, Local Government Websites Use AI Assistants (via StateScoop)

American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)

• ACLS Launches 2025 ACLS Open Access Book Prize and Arcadia Open Access Publishing Award Competition

Authors Guild

• Statement: Alabama Censorship Bill Would Allow Criminal Prosecution of Librarians (via AG)

EveryLibrary

• EveryLibrary Partners with Take Your Child to the Library Day for Awareness Building Training Initiative

E-Rate

• Statement: ALA Praises FCC Vote to Make Wi-Fi Hotspots Eligible for E-Rate Funding (via ALA)

Additional Comment by ALA President Cindy Hohl

Despite data showing the increase in connectivity from libraries and schools through pandemic-era programs, critics have challenged the use of E-rate funds for hotspots. According to the FCC, 8 million broadband connections and supported approximately 18 million students circulated by libraries and schools through the ECF program between 2021 and 2023. ALA believes that the FCC has clearly established their legal authority for this program. They outline this clearly in Section F of the draft Order and cite Congress’ recognition of evolving services in order to meet the goals of universal service. In June, ALA joined with 10 of our national education partners in filing an amicus brief in support of the FCC in the Wi-Fi on school buses court case. We believe that these expanded uses of E-rate are appropriate and lawful.

• Statement: Public Knowledge Applauds FCC Move to Update E-Rate Program in Next Step Toward Closing Digital Divide

FCC

• FCC Announces Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program Webinar on July 23

New Jersey

• N.J. Library Gets Free Internet in Settlement With Optimum Cable Over Poor Service (via NJ.com; paywall possible)

Publishing

• Oxford University Press Releases 2023-2024 Annual Report
  Summary ||| Full Text

Saskatchewan

Tennessee

• East Tennessee Students Rally Against State Book Bans (via WBIR)

University of Maryland Libraries

• Announcing 2024 Issue of University of Maryland (UMD) Libraries’ Illumination Magazine

Wisconsin

• Northwest Wisconsin Bucks Trend on Public School Library Book Challenges (via WPR)

Filed under: Associations and Organizations, Awards, Data Files, Funding, Libraries, News, Open Access, Publishing, Reports, School Libraries