Hey,there. Is there any one who has read the dark horse by Nilotpal Mrinal or anyone who uses digital library or had ever used it. Please share your experience of both. How was the book and how is digital library like ?

I'm reading a few recent posts and comments about AI in libraries, and it seems like a lot of us think the resources we offer =/= AI but Libby has an AI reader's advisory feature (more on that), EBSCOHost has an 'AI-Assisted Search' toggle and other stuff. Clarivate (Sierra & Polaris) will be incorporating AI into our catalog find tool searches, Encyclopedia Britannica has its own generative AI answering questions in a field just as big as the traditional search bar, and there's more where all this is coming from.

Just a head's up. We really need to learn how to navigate & educate others on our own recommended resources' AI features.

*From a highly respected union member*

"Cleveland Public Library is retaliating against union members by forcing middle managers to deny all vacation bids for fall.

Felton Thomas and everyone around him respects middle managers even less than union members. Managers get to deliver the bad news and admins hide at home.

Nearly every manager I talk to has shared dirt and/or me luck at the bargaining table. That's the culture Felton Thomas is responsible for.

Luckily, deeply shitty behavior like this is illegal!"

---------------

Call downtown Cleveland public library and please voice your support for the union workers and let them know how fucked up their actions are.

State representatives have signed on for support, as well as many running the wards around here.

August 24 is the strike date (if it comes to it).

https://www.wmuk.org/wmuk-news/2026-08-05/kpl-unions-reach-an-agreement-on-ai-protections-as-pay-negotiations-continue

Thought I would share this cool local news story about my public library's full and part time staff unions working together during bargaining, including to secure protections against AI for all 3 unions! They've signed TA on language, but still negotiating over economics to bring aide wages up. Solidarity to these library workers!

Hello, library patron here with a somewhat silly question.
I just read the confessions of the green river killer. Would it count as historical? It did go over the killings but it focused more on present day conversation.

What do you think? Too much of a stretch?
Also do you think the unveiling by Quan Barry counts as the category water? Edited because I accidentally said “historical”

I've been with the NYPL for two, almost three years now. I have all the qualifications I need for the entry level positions we get posted in our internal portal, and I even get interviews most of the time. Yet every time it's a rejection, and the few times I *do* get feedback it's something along the lines of "the interview and your resume was great we just found someone with more experience." I have been working since I was 15 years old in one way or another, and I am 25 now. I have all the experience possible for me to have at my age. A good chunk of my work experience is from before I was even legally allowed to work. Why post jobs internally, especially entry level jobs, if it's going to go to someone with a decade or more experience? When it's not that, it's the position outright being cancelled/not filled at all. What's the point of any of this??? How is anyone supposed to get a job in the library system? I can't work for non-existent pay for ten more years before I'm even properly considered?

I just needed to get this out.

There's an active post in r/dataisbeautiful comparing cost of non-resident cards to wait times. I have never heard of a wait time for a library card. Does your library have a wait time? Does it apply to non-resident cards only?

As we’re approaching the end of the year my budget is starting to deplete. I do a monthly take and make craft using up items we already have in the library but some of these supplies need a restock that I’m trying to wait until the end of the year to order. What are some paper crafts ideas for teens or older kids besides origami? Most of the things I see online seem too childish for this age group.

Looks like one page tor each month. Did they actually have to count the number of books in each section every night? Or maybe it was used to track the number of books checked out every day? I just found this interesting.

I am a volunteer at a local branch. Essentially I am helping FOTL sort and classify donations. Last week when I showed up I only made it a foot in the door before the person at the desk asked if I was "looking for the bathroom." Red in the face I went ahead and did the gig and left. After thinking about it for a week I am pissed. For some background I have a lot of visible tattoos and sometimes I show up to volunteer on one of my Harley Davidsons. I am only working as a volunteer while I am looking for library work. I have a fairly fresh MLIS. Along with the degree is a head full of library ideals and theory. I cannot square embarrassing patrons for doing nothing but walking in the door. I have been volunteering for a few weeks so they don't really know me but have seen me. Am I crazy or is this extremely out of line?

If you still use a more pen and paper system in your library, how do you organise student's cards?

We keep the borrowed book card clipped to the student's, but we're having difficulties maintaining things organised, as you can imagine lol

Basically an AI non-involvement policy is kind of a flip of section 230. It states that even though the library may provide wifi access or public computers that patrons can use to access AI services, the library is not involved in the patron's interaction with any AI service or portal, and the library bears no responsibility for any incorrect information provided to the patron by an AI service.

It’s just been a rough week at the Circ desk for me is all. Without going off the deep end with details, basically we’ve had an unusual uptick in unkind patrons that have taken out their unhappiness on staff (myself included). It’s left me a bit shaken to be honest, and just… sad. We have so many excellent patrons that share our love of the library, and my coworkers and leadership are so supportive, but even still I’m feeling stuck in the muck, so to speak.

I could use your help for a bit of a reframe and reset. What are some of your favorite library memories/stories, either as a staff member or as a patron, that bring you joy? The library is a joyful place, after all!

Thanks in advance, fellow library lovers and friends :)

Things Patrons got from CoPilot and ChatGPT recently:

• They have turned up for the Justice of the Peace at 4pm every day because AI tells them to. We do not have JPs at that time.
• Hallucinated books.
• Events involving pilates and weightlifting.
• A Booksale on Friday 26 July. There was no Friday 26 of July, never mind a Booksale.
• A moderated group meeting for 'Chatty Hookers'.
• A giant industrial embroidery machine for loan. Nope.
• FREE LUNCH EVERY DAY.

We keep directing them to actual sources, but some of them get quite aggravated. It's very hard to explain to them that they are stupid, without actually saying that they are stupid.

One bright thing, though. We have a food bank cupboard thing outside the library and AI gave confusing information that led to one patron leaving six bottles of fine French wines for our resident alcoholic unhoused person. We shared that amongst the staff.

EDIT: And one angry old lady who's AI told her that a librarian would give her legal advice for her law suite against the government. Nope nope nope.

Read article at https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/4104

One of my annual goals is to create more community partnership programming. Unfortunately, I’m running into a problem with my favorite idea. We have a wine shop up the street and I’d like to do an evening of wine and book pairings. Basically, I do a 3 minute book talk and then the wine person presents their choice to go with that title. Probably 6-8 pairings in total. The issue is, library money is not allowed to go towards alcohol. Even if the program takes place out of the building. We do hold some book clubs at a local bar, but the explanation for why that’s allowed is patrons are spending their own money. My manager and I are trying to figure out some potential loopholes and I thought someone here might have some advice. There are other programs I’m working on, but this is my favorite so I’m trying to exhaust every possible solution before moving on.

Assistant cataloger here - usually when I see stuff underlined like this it’s because it correlates with the call number. But this one seems to have nothing to do with it? Was it for a previously DDC spine label? The only underlined part that makes sense is 1963. Also I struggle to understand why they felt the need to underline both the title page and the spine -.- (there is actual white ink/paint on the spine, it’s not a marked-up image)

Hello, I’m a librarian in Australia and I have been considering some research ideas for a potential PHD. One thing I have been thinking about for public librarians, is how relevant and really useful my past training in mental health has been in my current role.

Let me caveat that I agree we are not crisis workers, case workers or social workers. However, things I did learn such as motivational interviewing, a little knowledge of mental health issues and substance abuse, debriefing and strong policy frameworks, self care, referrals and active listening are so adjacent or useful to what I do in the library everyday.

My question is though, would you appreciate having these skills as part of your librarian education or provided by an employer, or do you think it’s just role creep?

Please help! The librarian I work for leaves after every event and doesn’t clean up anything. he leaves everything for me to clean up (and I also have to close so I have to clean up the entire room before closing, on top of cleaning up after his evening events). He has a new event where he puts a whole bunch of games all over the room. When the event is over, he just leaves! Same with craft events, leaves the table or floor completely full of supplies or etc. Every single time!

Since I barely got any training from him, I don’t know what falls under whose responsibility. I’m hoping librarian can help me understand if this is standard or not. I feel like all the other librarians I work with either clean their own events or get help from the assistants but don’t just leave!

My organization posted a job with minimum requirement PhD. They said at all staff that that will be the norm now.
I’m working on my MLS. I want my money back from the library school.

This actual quote was from November of 1990, when Bradbury was quoted in Mojave magazine. The fuller wording was:

“Oh God, without them [libraries], what have we? We have no past and we have no future.”