i genuinely hope that boop day inspires everyone to interact more with other tumblr users. because it’s clearly way more fun this way!! even once the boop button is gone, there’s still asks, tag and ask games, comments, dms, fuck it let’s bring back blog rates i don’t care. part of the reason that tumblr is dying is that its way less social than it used to be. let’s fix that!!
what if public libraries were open late every night so that:
- children and teens who cant get home until a later time have a safe, warm, well lit, populated area to socialize, charge devices, rest, etc
- children and teens have a safe place to go to stay away from danger
- people who have jobs that take up most of the day would still have time ANY DAY OF THE WEEK to go use the libraries facilities (printing, computers, etc)
This is exactly what public libraries are trying to achieve - public libraries as a third place is a whole thing - it’s just that the funding isn’t there (yet).
Libraries need and deserve so much funding
I’m going to apologize if this post comes off as sounding very aggressive, but having just been through one of the most stressful experiences of my entire career in libraries:
if you want this, you need to be at your local community government meetings. you need to be talking to your representatives. you need to be out there Lobbying.
Just a few weeks ago, my library, me, my coworkers, we had to write letters, send emails, make phone calls, speak at council meetings, just to beg our aldermen to give us our usual funding. Which they didn’t even give to us last year. Losing last year’s funding forced us to cut staff, hours, and all of our databases. If we’d lost this year’s funding? two positions would have been gone and we would have likely had to close on Saturdays. On Saturdays. The day of the week most of y’all working M-F jobs actually have time to go to the fucking library.
And do you want to know how much money we were asking? We were asking for an increase of approximately 13 cents a person.
13.
Fucking.
Cents.
ACROSS AN ENTIRE YEAR.
No one seems to understand how libraries are funded. It’s not just Free Stuff. It’s your tax dollars being paid back into your community. It’s crowdfunding. The highest cost anyone in my community pays for the library a year is approximately $250. Divide that up. That’s just $4 a week. That’s less than a coffee. It’s the equivalent of purchasing about 10 hardcover books a year. For that price, you could have access to every book that has ever been written, a place to go that’s not a bar, programs for kids, teens, and adults, educated staff that can help you find the answers to your questions, and so much more.
You want these late-night libraries? You want all this stuff? Start fighting for it. Start showing up. Start making phone calls. It’s not going to come out of thin air. Start fighting to erase the idea that taxes = evil. Start fighting to spread the understanding that taxes are what help us build a better society.
Make sure the people who represent you know that you want this. That this is where you want your tax dollars to go. That this is what you want them to support. That you are willing to see your tax bill go up a few more dollars for this.
Because otherwise? None of this is going to happen. Libraries are going to keep cutting their opening hours. Keep cutting staff. Keep cutting programs and databases and collections.
We NEED your support, and we need more than just a post on Tumblr. We need to see people show up and speak out.
Ever wondered how libraries are funded? Here’s a very informative post, along with a plea for our help.
The IA’s “Open Library” is Not a Library, Yesterday’s Lower Court Decision does Not “Hurt Authors,” and the Planned Appeal Is (Almost Certainly) NOT a Good Way to Try to Change Bad Law (In Fact, It’s More Likely to Make Bad Law Worse)
Ok, so a day later, I’m still mad about this. If anything, I’m even madder. I’m going to write this as a response to the Internet Archive’s “The Fight Continues” blogpost, but before we begin, let’s get some facts straight:
Copyright law in the United States, especially the law around digital lending, currently sucks. It’s really really bad, and anyone with a stake in the game - except the big publishers and e-book services that profit from it - hate it.
That said, copyright law exists as a thing. As I said in a previous post, you *can* try to change it through court cases, but there are certain things you cannot change. And there are certain things you can try to change, but it will be an uphill battle to change them in a positive direction. And notably, as bad as digital lending law is in the U.S., it still could always get worse! And one general rule of impact litigation: if you are trying to change the law, you want to make sure you have the best possible facts. Because the worse your facts are, the worse your case is likely to go.
Yesterday’s district court ruling DID NOT CHANGE ANY SUBSTANTIVE COPYRIGHT LAW IN THE U.S. I cannot emphasize that enough. Regardless of whatever you think of the ruling, it was applying already existing law to the facts.
This is because the Internet Archive’s “Open Library” absolutely violates existing copyright law. It just does! They broke the law, they had plenty of notice they were breaking the law and harming authors (more on that below) and just think the law shouldn’t apply because they don’t like it.
The Internet Archive’s “Open Library” is not a library. Some big ways it differs:
While it pretends to have a one-to-one owned-to-loaned ratio, as the opinion granting the publisher’s motion for summary judgement notes, IA concedes that it allows “partner libraries” to add books to its collection and then doesn’t check (and has no way of checking) if the book is out of circulation at the “partner library” at the same time it’s being “checked out” of the Open Library. In other words, it’s like if you took a book, scanned the pages, and then gave the scans to your friend who then loaned the scans out to other people but totally promised they were only lending the scans to one person at a time so it’s basically like there is still just one copy! And meanwhile you still own, are reading, and lending out the physical copy of the book. Except instead of one book, they were doing this on a massive scale. NO, THAT’S JUST THEFT.*
Speaking of which, the “Open Library” didn’t keep that promise! Their “Emergency Library” just let everyone borrow as many copies at a time as they could! Again, THAT’S JUST THEFT.
Like I’m sorry if you don’t like the idea of copyright at all: right now, we live in a capitalist system where authors need to be paid for their work in order to, like, not die. If you take their work, scan it into your computer, and give it away for free to anyone and everyone, THAT’S JUST THEFT.
Also, most authors love libraries! Libraries allow more people to access their books while not substantially impacting their revenue and not impacting their rights! AUTHORS - not just publishers, authors - DO NOT LIKE AI’S “OPEN LIBRARY.” Why haven’t authors sued to stop this before, why is this the publishers suing? From the above letter: “Even simple copyright lawsuits must be brought in federal court, and often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. A challenge to the Internet Archive could easily cost millions.” Publishers have deep pockets that authors and authors’ groups don’t. Also, authors who object to AI stealing their work are frequently subject to harassment.
If IA won this case, the new law that would be made is this: it would be legal to steal an author’s works.
*I’m using “theft” and “steal” instead of “piracy” throughout this write-up to make it clear what this is. “Pirating books” is just stealing them.
So to sum up the facts above: copyright law in the U.S. sucks, but it exists. Attempting to change it for the better through the court system would be very difficult. Even then, changing the law for the better would likely require a case with good facts. Unfortunately, the law could also change for the worse. Yesterday’s ruling did not change any law. The facts in this case are very bad, because the IA absolutely violated copyright law. That is in part because the IA’s “Open Library” is not a library; they just steal books. Many (if not most) authors and author’s groups don’t like that IA is stealing from them. If IA won this case, that victory would mean that anyone was allowed to steal an author’s works.
“Today’s lower court decision in Hachette v. Internet Archive is a blow to all libraries and the communities we serve.”
The Internet Archive is not a library.
No it’s not. It is a blow to the Internet Archive, specifically, because you broke the law and it ruled you broke the law. As stated above, it does not change anything with regard to copyright, including digital copyright, law in the U.S., and therefore does not impact libraries or the communities they serve. If you appeal this ruling, as you have stated you intend to, and the law does change for the worse (which is always a risk of appeal, and a risk that gets worse when you have bad facts), THEN libraries might be affected.
“This decision impacts libraries across the US who rely on controlled digital lending to connect their patrons with books online.”
I mean yes, in the sense that “controlled digital lending” isn’t normal e-book lending. It’s the thing you made up where you steal books and illegally redistribute them.
This genuinely sucks for libraries and communities that don’t have other ways of accessing digital books because the current copyright scheme sucks so bad! Real libraries are doing things to try to help, and not just steal from authors! More on that below!
“It hurts authors by saying that unfair licensing models are the only way their books can be read online.”
OH GO FUCK YOURSELVES
Ok this line, this line right here? That is honestly why I wrote this whole thing.
How DARE you cloak your theft in the real struggles authors face with unfair licensing models. How DARE you pretend you are on the side of authors when you are stealing their works, and they have made it quite clear that they would like you to stop, please. And how DARE you frame it in this “for exposure” bullcrap that ignores the real struggles that authors have to eat, to get healthcare, to get any sort of fair pay and wages for their work, and instead pretend that all authors should care about is whether or not their books can be read online.
And bluntly? If you - not IA, YOU, tumblr user reading this - if you shared this bullcrap statement and told people to donate money to the IA because of this? If you told people they should steal more books in response (because it’s the publishers fault, ignore the real authors who are actually harmed)? How DARE you. How DARE you pretend to be on the side of authors and writers.
“And it holds back access to information in the digital age, harming all readers, everywhere.”
Except for those readers who are also authors, and need to eat.
And readers who want to read books that will never get written if authors can’t write (because they need to eat).
And also, no it doesn’t, because it doesn’t change the law. It just applies the law that already exists to you. Because you are not above the law.
“But it’s not over—we will keep fighting for the traditional right of libraries to own, lend, and preserve books.”
You are not a library.
You were not (and are not) fighting for “the traditional right of libraries.” Plenty of other organizations are fighting against bad copyright law in the U.S. This court case, however, was literally just about you stealing books.
Like I cannot emphasize enough that you were just stealing and you got caught.
“We will be appealing the judgment and encourage everyone to come together as a community to support libraries against this attack by corporate publishers.”
You aren’t a library.
Fuck you for borrowing the (justified) hatred of corporate publishers to paper over your bad actions.
Does “coming together as a community to support libraries against this attack” mean giving you money, as suggested by the calls to action at the bottom of this page? Because you aren’t a library.
“We will continue our work as a library.”
You aren’t a library.
“This case does not challenge many of the services we provide with digitized books including interlibrary loan, citation linking, access for the print-disabled, text and data mining, purchasing ebooks, and ongoing donation and preservation of books.”
First, and most important: these are all uncritically good and important things that the IA does! Despite the rest of this post, I am really really glad the IA exists, that it is doing these things, and I hope that it will continue to do this things!
You are correct that this case does not challenge those services! Because those services aren’t just stealing books from authors, which is what you were doing, which is what this case is actually about!
I’m skipping the statement from Brewster Kahle because it’s just more of the same. The statement then invites you to Take Action! by donating to IA and positing themselves as standing up for libraries! (They are not a library.)
But real libraries and librarians are actually fighting the good fight over lack of access to materials, especially digital materials and bad laws, and you can support them!
If you actually do want to “come together as a community to support libraries,” and support digital access, may I suggest instead donating to The Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned program?:
While they aren’t directly challenging bad copyright law, they are directly fighting back against laws that are much more actively and materially impact people’s access to books, including providing free e-book and database access to everyone in the U.S. age 13-21. It’s a great and important program, and your donations can really help!
IAs open library is piracy
Why didn’t they just leave piracy to the pirates? There already exists Anna’s archive and all those shadow “libraries”. Why break the law to provide a service which you won’t be paid for when there’s someone much better at doing so already providing the service?
How did they not realise that their scanning and “lending” scheme is not founded on any law?
Forever baffled by the fact that Tim Burton is still thought of as a defender of oddness. He treats monsters as things to be gawked at, to be drawn and imagined, then put away in a safe little box. He doesn’t love monsters, he loves freak shows.
“Tim Burton is a defender of oddness!” Tim Burton can’t stand the idea of not treating fat people as carnival freak shows who are usually some flavor of cruel, disgusting, and/or just flat-out evil. He thinks he loves monsters so long as the monsters are coded as conventionally attractive skinny white people.
Y'know, if a formerly well-behaved straight A student suddenly starts almost not passing their classes and crying all the time and getting into trouble, maybe the default conclusion from every authority figure should not be that they are lazy and simply need to pull themselves together. Maybe instead you should give them stimulants or HRT or let them kill their parents and see if one of those three things resolves the issue.
The Koh-i-Noor Diamond is a 186 carat diamond with a curse affecting only men. According to folklore, a Hindu description of the diamond warns that “he who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God or a woman can wear it with impunity.”
Source (and is also a very well known story in India)
Currently, it is set as one of the jewels within a British monarchy crown that is kept at the Tower of London Jewel House.
Coincidence? I THINK NOT. Desis, it’s Our Moment *flips hair*
btw. by the way. By The Way. BY THE WAY. if you gleefully boop you can also gleefully reblog edits. you can gleefully support content creators. you can gleefully leave compliments in the tags. i know you are all capable of pressing buttons now!!!!!!!!!!!!! REBLOG.
Can everyone who reads this PLEASE reblog it?!?!? Libraries literally saved my life as a child!
Being abused at home, bullied at school and lost in the world, the library and all the books I could escape to the most amazing worlds, kept me alive!
I would walk to the library, and spend all day, from 10 am to 9 pm reading there!! I got special awards for how many books I read, I wrote little blurbs on why i loved the books (probably why I love to BETA and do ARCs)
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Just hit the green arrows and the reblog!!!
As a 50 year old woman, the library offers me so much. Digital art pads to borrow, 3D printing, book clubs that are face to face (yeah, the introvert likes face to face because a moderator will stomp on anyone getting snarky)
New books in LARGE PRINT! I’m visually challenged and as much as I love my kindle, The feel of a real book in my hands will always be a beloved feeling!
Our library also has quarterly books sales of almost free books!! For 5$USD we get in a day early and can buy as many as we want. Anyone else has to wait and there is a limit for the first 2 days.
Also many, many libraries have inter library loan(it may be called something different). This means if they don’t have the item you want, they can get it for you. This may include photocopy/pdf of articles. This can also include along with books and DVDs, microfilm/fiche which is also a huge resource. Check around for libraries that are listed as depositories if you want to look at government documents.
Remember that many colleges and universities have open stacks for the public. You will likely have to pay a membership fee but you will get to stuff.
I love the library ☺
The library was one of my favorite places to go as a kid and I still live to go and just. Sit and read. Or do homework. The university I’m at has a massive 8-story one I love to just wonder around in~ Great places
Libraries are amazing places, we need to protect them to ensure their continued existence.
I used to wander about the fiction section in my local library, and choose books with the most interesting titles - I discovered two amazing authors that way
If you feel disconnected from your local community & want to find ways to get involved, seriously consider spending some time at the library. Go to some events! Organize a reading group!
Support your libraries!
Read banned books!
People who don’t learn can be more easily controlled and told what to think!
libraries are some of the best use for taxes. i love mine. it’s really a safe space because you don’t have to spend money. you feel welcome just as you are.
“The soul always knows what to do to heal itself, the challenge is to silence the mind.”
— Book of serenity
my therapist told me this earlier this week, that the mind’s job is to keep my body safe, but it has no respect for my soul evolving— it, in fact, is working against me. she told me to be grateful to my little self for learning how to keep me safe, but to thank her and move on.
the shame I feel for all my patterns isn’t entirely warranted because they *did* keep me safe for years. but now that my world is safe… I don’t need those patterns anymore, they’re hindering my spiritual growth. safety and security is so foreign to me, my mind continues to work against me and convince me that they are not real
it’s the coming to terms with the concept of “safe” as anything other than isolation for me
brain helps us to survive but not to thrive. i recognize that but it’s difficult to actually listen to it and apply it.
twitter: *proudly* In one day, I host 500 million tweets, facilitating the global conversation that binds us all together.
facebook: *even more proudly* In one day, I create over twenty billion ad impressions, thereby enhancing shareholder value at one of the world’s leading technology companies.
tumblr: *super duper proudly* In one day I got I people to push a button like 150 million times. This accomplished absolutely nothing.
And they’re better for it
over a billion times op. get your numbers right please.
Republican grievance politics are based on bullshit. Here is your obvious example.
Wake up, Republicans, there is no woke agenda, gay people aren’t going to make your kids gay, LGBT is not fetish. You’re living in a world of lies perpetrated by people who don’t give a shit about americans, just about themselves.
I think some people, especially those debating these issues from outside the U.S. or people who have just now reached voting age, are a little confused as to what “the primaries” actually are.
The primaries are used to determine who will go on to run for the presidency. Right now they’re how the Republicans will decide whether they send Trump or Haley to the final presidential election.
The democrats are so confident in Biden that barely anyone has contested him.
If you vote “uncommitted” in the primaries, it simply tells them that you want to vote, but you don’t like any of their candidates. It won’t make conservatives more likely to win the white house; it will just at the very least let Democrats know people are angry and dissatisfied.
This is why we vote in every election and every time. I bet you not a single one of those folks are the Perfect Politician ideally pure as the driven snow, but they are still out here protecting us.
I just. The bar is so low, guys. It’s so fucking low. “Don’t tell violently marginalized people they’re wrong about their own experiences of marginalization and violence, and if you do and are called out on it, don’t double down and act like you’re being victimized”.
That’s it.
How are we still finding new, exciting ways to miss that bar every second of every day?
The remake reboot prequel sequel industrial complex is killing me but the good thing is I don’t have to watch any of that. I can just think “that sounds boring or otherwise doesn’t interest me in any way” and do something other than watch it
“They’re making a willy wonka origin story with timothee chalamet,” you might say to me. “They’re doing a live action the last airbender again, didn’t you love avatar?” I don’t find it necessary. This is nothing to me
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