Pass it on.
#StandWithUkraine

How to defend your neighbors (or yourself) from ICE enforcement in D.C. Trump has threatened mass deportations, but D.C. residents still have rights. We've rounded up strategies to protect yourself and your community.

The more people understand their rights, the better they can protect themselves. We compiled this guide with the help of legal experts and advocates. Share it far and wide.

Thomas and Austen: a gay relationship in the MERL archives? - The Museum of English Rural Life For LGBTQ+ History Month 2025, researcher Tim Jerrome shares how he's using rural archives to research same-sex relationships in the countryside.

How can we trace same-sex relationships in rural archives, when love letters were heavily euphemistic or burned after reading?

For LGBTQ+ History Month, Tim Jerrome shares his research into queer rural relationships: from his first find, to the challenges faced.

merl.reading.ac.uk/blog/2025/02...

Today was a DAY. Glad to be home watching hockey.

AI-Generated Slop Is Already In Your Public Library Librarians say that taxpayers are already paying for low quality AI-generated ebooks in public libraries.

New from 404 Media: Low quality books that appear to be AI generated are making their way into public libraries, forcing librarians to sort through a functionally infinite number of books to determine what is written by humans and what is generated by AI.

www.404media.co/ai-generated...

Your Library's Hoopla Digital Collections Are Breaking Their Budget If you've noticed changes to the digital materials you can borrow from your library, that's because that access is costing libraries way more than ever before.

Did you know your public library's hoopla digital collections are absolutely destroying their budget? That prices have gone up in some instances of over 400%, while library budgets have been stagnant or cut?

Everything you should know as a library user: bookriot.com/library-hoop...

Graphic for Black History Month featuring abstract figures of various individuals engaging in different activities on colorful, interconnected puzzle pieces, with the words 'African Americans Labor.' Logo of DC Public Library included.

This February, celebrate Black History Month with DC Public Library. The 2025 Black History Month theme, 'African Americans and Labor,' emphasizes the diverse and significant impact that all forms of work have had on the collective Black experience. bit.ly/4bd8vk5

WTF is wrong with people?

Librarians aren't going to save us. Librarians aren't superheroes.

They're just people trying to keep largely underfunded and overwhelmed public services going.

Praise is nice; realistic expectations are better; material support is best.

Exclusive: Musk aides lock government workers out of computer systems at US agency, sources say Aides to Elon Musk charged with running the U.S. government human resources agency have locked career civil servants out of computer systems that contain the personal data of millions of federal employees, according to two agency officials.

This is a hostile takeover of the federal government by a private citizen of unlimited means with no restrictions and no transparency. Welcome to the Deep State www.reuters.com/world/us/mus...

A 20th Anniversary Cover Snark Retrospective We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary all week, because why not, right? Squeeze the joy out of every moment, y’all! Today: VINTAGE COVER SNARK.  One thing I’ve noticed doing the …

We're celebrating 20 Years of Smart Bitches all week!

Today is pretty special: co-founder Candy has returned to re-examine some romance covers we've snarked over the years!

smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/01/a-20...

Declassified CIA Guide to Sabotaging Fascism Is Suddenly Viral The World War II-era "Simple Sabotage Field Manual" is full of steps that office workers can take to resist leadership.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a declassified World War II-era CIA guide to sabotaging fascism in the workplace has become one of the most popular free ebooks on the internet:

www.404media.co/declassified...

It's been one week. Every morning I wake up and discover that he has taken something else away from all of us -- including the dipshits who voted for him -- that keeps us safe. Every morning he's attacked another vulnerable group of innocent Americans.

Tip from @snowjob.bsky.social

If you have a whitehouse.gov link you want to access and it is down, try replacing "www.whitehouse.gov" with "bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov"

The national archives is still doing its job for now.

adorable wombat alert!

Excellent merch. Do recommend.

The Items You Own That Don’t Contain Microplastics Two unglazed clay pinch pots you made in the third grade that your parents recently regifted you after Swedish death-cleaning their house. The mult...

"The multicolored wool throw blanket your grandma crocheted in 1982 before she switched to polyester yarns."

Troublesome Catalogers and Magical Metadata Faries Join the conversation

Hey all you that do #cataloging and #metadata! We have a starter pack to help get you connected.
go.bsky.app/BS7tKQo

Panel One: A scientist works at a blackboard. Diagrams and text on the blackboard contain the phrases: crushing darkness, seemingly no escape, time drags and, inhospitably cold. A second figure approaches and, seeing the blackboard, asks "Black Holes?" Panel Two: The scientist replies "January"

A timely cartoon for @newscientist.bsky.social

Please Don’t Idolize Me (or Anyone, Really) In the wake of the various recent allegations involving Neil Gaiman, people have been both very sad that someone who they looked up to as an inspiration has, allegedly, turned out to be something l…

I'm going to haul this one out again, about why it's not a great idea to idolize creative people, or indeed anyone, and certainly not me, because today really is the day to be reminded about that, isn't it:

whatever.scalzi.com/2024/08/15/p...

READ THIS.

THEN READ IT AGAIN.

There Is No Safe Word How the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman hid the darkest parts of himself for decades.

I hate every single possible thing about this, and I'm heartbroken about all of it.

www.vulture.com/article/neil...

The Undoing of Joss Whedon The Buffy creator, once an icon of Hollywood feminism, is now an outcast accused of misogyny. How did he get here?

In case you're not familiar with @lilashapiro.bsky.social, who wrote today's big Neil Gaiman exposé, she also wrote the 2022 investigation into Joss Whedon that we all read (among other achievements):

Here is a non paywalled version of the Vulture article. It includes horrific details so please do take care if reading it. archive.is/HJtxW

WTF?

I have had back to back meetings all day. This used to be the norm, but in my current job it is an exception. I had forgotten how much I loathed it.

If you subscribe to Microsoft 365 Personal, the 40% price increase is a con to upsell you AI. Your old plan and price is still there called "Classic" - but only if you try to cancel.

Microsoft should be ashamed if not prosecuted.

Including courses on #cataloging!

Cat...why must you snuggle ON me while I'm having a hot flash?!

Just a reminder that your local library has more than books! Many also have dvds, cds, video games, game systems, internet hot spots, streaming services, ebooks, audio books, park passes, museum passes, and so much more! Maybe it's time for a visit! ❤️📚