[Libs-Or] Multnomah County Library's Intellectual Freedom Newsletter –December 2024

[Jennifer Keyser]

Dear Oregon Library Community,

The final edition (of the year) of Multnomah County Library's Intellectual
Freedom Newsletter is out, see below and attached PDF.  With the end of the
year brings a few articles that look back at the past year as well as make
predictions for the coming year, especially in terms of censorship and
legislation. Information literacy continues to be a popular topic in the
news with different angles and observations on the creation and
prevalence of disinformation. And of course, copyright is getting some
attention with new items entering the public domain at the start of 2025.
AI Spotlight covers tools, copyright and information literacy.

Thanks for reading and all your work in supporting intellectual freedom!

-Multnomah County Library's Intellectual Freedom Committee

Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions
Intellectual Freedom Newsletter – December 2024

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

Digital Public Library of America's The Banned Book Club
<https://ebooks.dp.la/the-banned-book-club/> is soliciting reviews of your
favorite banned book: Submit your "Banned Book of the Week"!
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf8urMeyAWg0o8PwJtkJpM4I5NQdKRNf7vDSLs-sQ9v_d89xg/viewform>


In Oregon: Does a book challenge constitute discrimination? A bill in the
Oregon Legislature offers an answer
<https://www.orartswatch.org/does-a-book-challenge-constitute-discrimination-a-bill-in-the-oregon-legislature-offers-an-answer/>
(Oregon Arts, x min -this article is the last in a 3 part series on Freedom
to Read in Oregon, see Part 1
<https://www.orartswatch.org/efforts-to-ban-books-in-oregon-libraries-are-on-the-rise-library-patrons-and-supporters-are-pushing-back/>
and Part 2
<https://www.orartswatch.org/oregon-libraries-see-record-challenges-to-books-and-record-checkouts/>).
Popular Information reports on an Ohio teacher suspended for books with
LGBTQ characters in her classroom library
<https://popular.info/p/ohio-teacher-suspended-for-including> (5 min).
While in Arkansas, the parts of a new law that targets librarians and
booksellers are dismissed: Judge strikes down portions of Arkansas law
<https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/us/arkansas-book-ban-law.html> (New
York Times, 4 min). (censorship, legislation)

In Florida, efforts against censorship: Groups urge school officials to
keep health-related books in schools
<https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/12/13/groups-urge-school-officials-to-keep-anatomy-other-health-info-related-books-in-school-libraries/>
(Florida Phoenix, 4 min) and Citing tax dollars spent, judge urges Florida
school district to settle book ban lawsuit
<https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/state/2024/12/17/florida-school-district-urged-to-settle-costly-book-ban-lawsuit/77029016007/>
(Tallahassee Democrat, 4 min). (censorship)

Looking forward: Censorship Trends For 2025, Part I
<https://bookriot.com/censorship-trends-for-2025/> and Part II
<https://bookriot.com/more-censorship-trends-for-2025/> (BookRiot, x min).
Noted: 'Nothing's going to stop me': Florida's No. 1 book banner on 'The
Daily Show'
<https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/politics/2024/12/06/florida-book-ban-ringleader-bruce-friedman-gets-daily-show-spotlight/76821393007/>
(Tallahassee Democrat, 3 min). From a teen’s perspective: Freedom of
expression: The journey of navigating the political landscape of banned
books
<https://highschool.latimes.com/corona-del-mar-high-school/freedom-of-expression-the-journey-of-navigating-the-political-landscape-of-banned-books/>
(HS Insider, 6 min). (censorship)

LGBTQ community concerned about an event at Seattle Public Library
<https://southseattleemerald.org/news/2024/11/15/lgbtq-community-concerned-about-upcoming-event-at-seattle-public-library>
(South Seattle Emerald, 4 min). Meanwhile in Florida, Anti-LGBTQ+ lawmaker
files bill to ban Pride flags from government buildings
<https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/12/anti-lgbtq-lawmaker-files-bill-to-ban-pride-flags-from-government-buildings/>
(LGBTQ Nation, 5 min). (diversity, first amendment)

John Chrastka of EveryLibrary examines the intersection of libraries and
the First, Tenth, and Fourteenth Amendments
<https://katinamagazine.org/content/article/future-of-work/2024/public-libraries-intersection-first-tenth-fourteenth>
(Katina Magazine, 8 min). (first amendment, legislation)

The Washington Post unpacks how a conspiracy theory becomes news: When
online rumors and institutional distrust collide, you get drones
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/12/16/drones-rumors-institutional-distrust/>
(6 min). While Splinter dissects the presentation of information in news
articles: Here’s how the New York Times produces fake news
<https://www.splinter.com/heres-how-the-new-york-times-produces-fake-news>
(7 min). From The Atlantic, a look at the entanglement of media literacy
and political perspectives: Trump’s fans are suffering from Tony Soprano
syndrome
<https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/12/elon-musk-judge-dredd-autocrat/680881/>(10
min). Mother Jones covers how a podcast focused on dispelling conspiracies
ends up embracing disinformation
<https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/12/shane-smith-vice-podcast/>
(13 min). (information literacy)

More threats to curbing disinformation may surface in the coming
years, see This
company rates news sites’ credibility. The right wants it stopped.
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/12/24/newsguard-disinformation-censorship-free-speech/>
(Washington Post, 12 min) and Trump says he’d ban government from labeling
speech as misinformation
<https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/3776629-trump-says-hed-ban-government-from-labeling-speech-as-misinformation/>
(The Hill, 4 min). A new study published by the American Psychological
Association identifies the need to research and define disinformation due
to its societal impact: Why misinformation must not be ignored
<https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2025-57011-001.html> (1 hr 20 min). The
Japanese government is considering taking steps to regulate disinformation
<https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20241206_24/> (NHK World, 1
min). (information
literacy)

On the horizon: The University of Victoria in British Columbia received a
grant to digitize rare ‘hidden’ trans archives
<https://www.uvic.ca/news/topics/2024+hidden-trans-digital-archives+media-release>.
In the meantime, you can explore the collections in the Transgender Archives
<https://www.uvic.ca/transgenderarchives/index.php>. (diversity, access)

The Internet Archives’ Vanishing Culture blog taps into the importance of
preserving the past and providing access to that information for
journalists and others doing research: Vanishing Culture: Q&A with Philip
Bump from The Washington Post
<https://blog.archive.org/2024/11/04/vanishing-culture-qa-with-philip-bump-the-washington-post/>
(10 min). On the international level, online access to print content
reflects current information seeking patterns, but brings up copyright
concerns: Library Genesis: An in-depth examination of the biggest free
online library in the world
<https://www.oneindia.com/partner-content/library-genesis-an-in-depth-examination-of-the-biggest-free-online-library-in-the-world-4004061.html>
(Oneindia News, 5 min). (access)

Electronic Frontier Foundation offers an array of privacy tips: Top Ten EFF
Digital Security Resources
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/12/top-ten-eff-digital-security-resources-people-concerned-about-incoming-trump>
(7 min). Related, MIT Technology Review provides a deep dive into
biometrics: Inside Clear's ambitions to manage your identity beyond the
airport
<https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/11/20/1107002/clear-airport-identity-management-biometrics-facial-recognition/>
(30 min) and Apple, Android users on notice from FBI, CISA about texts amid
'massive espionage campaign'
<https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2024/12/05/apple-android-texts-hackers-encryption/76807100007/>
(USA Today, 5 min). (privacy)

Also, Google will begin tracking users' "digital fingerprints" again
<https://mashable.com/article/google-digital-fingerprinting-user-tracking>,
creating identifiable profiles of users based on aggregate data across
devices to benefit advertisers (Mashable, 5 min). While Google claims that
privacy-enhancing technologies protect individual users, Britain's data
regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office, has criticized the move
as irresponsible
<https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/19/google-advertisers-digital-fingerprints-ico-uk-data-regulator>
(Guardian, 3 min). (privacy)

An overview of the impact of age verification measures
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/12/global-age-verification-measures-2024-year-review>
to protect kids online is provided by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (9
min). (privacy)

The Washington Post reports that the words one uses matter to scam victims
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/interactive/2024/scam-victim-support-blame-statements-quiz/>
and may factor into whether they report the crime (5 min). (digital literacy
)

The new year brings new entries into the public domain. Learn more about
the additions from Duke Law’s Center for the Study of the Public Domain
<https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2025/> (41min)  and Public
Domain Review
<https://publicdomainreview.org/features/entering-the-public-domain/2025/>
(interactive + resources). (copyright)

AI Spotlight

Most Likely Machine
<https://substack.com/redirect/a5dff9f7-ea60-42e8-a472-933228e975f6?j=eyJ1IjoiMXhmajQwIn0.3OLI74tbr33vFPjFmtKnNmBFplMJrbQIzMXRsDXcgDw>
is a prototype developed by Artefact as a guide for educators, librarians
and students to better understand the output, algorithms and biases behind
AI.

Wired published a visual guide
<https://www.wired.com/story/ai-copyright-case-tracker/> of ongoing
copyright cases involving AI. (4 min). (copyright)

News coverage continues to highlight the positive and negative aspects of
AI:

The New York Times dives into how scientists are leveraging one of the
major concerns with AI: How hallucinatory A.I. helps science dream up big
breakthroughs
<https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/science/ai-hallucinations-science.html>
( 11 min).  In contrast, Tech Policy identifies key issues with applying AI
to solve complex issues: AI can’t solve government waste – and may hurt
vulnerable Americans
<https://www.techpolicy.press/ai-cant-solve-government-waste-and-may-hurt-vulnerable-americans/>
(Tech Policy, 5 min). Tech Policy also explains AI washing while calling
for regulations and more consumer awareness: Consumer protection officials
should learn From OnlyFans
<https://www.techpolicy.press/consumer-protection-officials-should-learn-from-onlyfans/>
(7 min). The Conversation likens AI to junk food: AI search answers are the
fast food of your information diet – convenient and tasty, but no
substitute for good nutrition
<https://theconversation.com/ai-search-answers-are-the-fast-food-of-your-information-diet-convenient-and-tasty-but-no-substitute-for-good-nutrition-230759>
(6 min). (information literacy, diversity)

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

Additional Resources

ALA Intellectual Freedom Blog: https://www.oif.ala.org A blog dedicated to
intellectual freedom issues, and includes the Intellectual Freedom News
<https://www.oif.ala.org/category/intellectual-freedom-news/> –a weekly
roundup of IF related articles

Oregon Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Toolkit
<https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/iftoolkit/home> (published February 8,
2022). A range of tools and resources relating to IF challenges and
policies created by the OLA Intellectual Freedom Committee.

Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions is a monthly roundup of Intellectual
Freedom News compiled by the Multnomah County Library Intellectual Freedom
Committee. We welcome suggestions at lib.ifc at multco.us.

*Jennifer Keyser *(she/her)
*Policy Coordinator Librarian*
Monday - Friday
971-429-4699
Multnomah County Library
multcolib.org

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