Problem is that we're/they're bound by our #Nonprofit#PublicSector status to avoid discussing #capitalism as a problem or naming the political party responsible for this state of affairs @pluralistic, please advise...
My local library crew will take any advice I offer them but my challenge here is as described in the article: this is a monopoly and there is no alternative
and the real issue is that at the end of the day the privacy issues are much more abstract than “can I borrow the book I wanted to borrow”
Indulging these abuses may yet be the rational choice for libraries
I feel very powerless and frustrated on how successfully these vultures have enclosed the commons
@josh “convince the library to invest in blowback toward the capitalist crooks” is definitely actionable and helpful, thanks
much less optimistic on "convince the library to dump the thing that has the books people actually want for the more humane thing that has a fraction of those books”
believe me, helping seniors navigate the misery of Libby is already enough to make me want them to burn, but it's not an easy path to make it happen
My experiene is that librarians really do get the importance of patron privacy -- I know somebody who worked at a library in South Carolina where the (not particularly political) staff was so concerned about NSL's under the Patriot Act back in the day that they independently came up with a warrant canary-like approach to handle it.
Agreed though that without an alternative, it's a tricky situation right now. Enough pressure to try to get them to change their policy is probably the most promising short-term approach, are any of the privacy/civil liberties orgs like EFF, ACLU, Media Justice engaged on this? If so, librarians working with them could be very effective.
@josh@jdp23@danilo@eff Yeah this is sort of breaking news and librarians (the bulk of them) get things done at the speed of email and committee meetings so it may take a while to get to an action point on this. The tech-savvy among us are talking about it. We can't stop using Overdrive overnight. But also there are patron privacy laws in 48 of the 50 US states (and strong suggestions from AGs in those other two states) so putting pressure on Overdrive w/r/t this might help in the short term.
It has more options, but can integrate with Overdrive, so not a solution
to the immediate problem.
..The Palace Project enables libraries to serve content to patrons from all the major e-content providers, including the Palace Marketplace, the only non-profit, library-centered ebook marketplace. The Palace Project also integrates with existing content providers your library might have an existing relationship with, including OverDrive, Baker & Taylor, Bibliotheca, and BiblioBoard.
@danilo@josh Our librarians in Canada are very sensitive to privacy: years ago they guided my university computing services department to understand privacy and confidentiality
@josh Audible is a premier audiobook service offering a vast selection of titles across all genres, from bestsellers to exclusive originals. With high-quality narrations and a user-friendly app, it's perfect for enjoying books on the go. Sign up now to try Audible's one-month free offer, with the flexibility to cancel anytime without any hassle. Dive into a new listening experience today! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audible-Free-Trial-Digital-Membership/dp/B00OPA2XFG?tag=jackos1999-21
@josh@karawynn@longobord
Private equity firms have become a phantom menace. I'm so sick of them inserting their late stage capitalism to line their own pockets.
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