In The Loop: 2021 ALA Midwinter Virtual Conference

Libraries: Beacons of hope and history. Librarians: Feisty fighters for freedom

—Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress

In our fast-paced, rapidly changing world, a global pandemic and racial unrest of the summer were background noise amidst the accelerating events including the death of a Supreme Court justice (and subsequent rushed confirmation), a contentious presidential election, congressional infighting over relief bills, assault on the US Capitol, a historic second impeachment, and a presidential inauguration.

But the pandemic and racial justice played prominently in the lineup for the 2021 ALA Midwinter Virtual Conference. The featured speakers included legends Ruby Bridges, Cicely Tyson, Ziggy Marley, and Emmanuel Acho, and Dr. Jill Biden, any one of whom was worth the price of admission.

There were numerous sessions on the pandemic response, how libraries have once again led the way, and how we can care for our library workers in troubling times.

While the conference was blissfully free of presidential election politics, what came out was the importance of cultivating library champions in all levels of government, publicizing what libraries are doing in response to the issues of the day, and advocating for funding.

A complete look back a the conference is available online. #alamw21 Archives | American Libraries Magazine. I will link to specific highlights.

Technology

Libraries and Invasive Technology | American Libraries Magazine

Meeting the Future Head-on | American Libraries Magazine

If you read no other links, please read these. The sessions on Artificial Intelligence and Deepfakes were the most enlightening and disturbing of all the sessions.

Technology was accelerated by the pandemic.
AI tech was met with a mix of awe, fascination, and fear by participants.
Develops far faster than regulation & legislation.
Tech bias—Tech is not bias-free because it’s created by people.
Diversity in creation of technologies is paramount-gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic & cultural all need a voice in the development of new tech.
Deepfakes and “cheapfakes” are a new affront to traditionally trusted forms of media-- “our current information literacy tools are not up to the challenge of widespread synthetic media.” Jordan Peele uses AI, President Obama in fake news PSA - YouTube

Enrichment: The New Jim Code:

Politics and Advocacy

Senator Jack Reed Talks Library Advocacy | American Libraries Magazine

Jill Biden Closes ALA Midwinter Virtual 2021 | American Libraries Magazine

The pandemic has shone a light on the inequities in access to internet and broadband, as well as lack of devices in homes.
Internet access needs to be considered an essential utility, like water and electricity.
Libraries are at the cutting edge of pandemic response, both in St. Paul and across the nation—helping bridge the digital divide by lending hotspots, increasing wifi reach, putting wifi hotspots on school buses and driving to areas with little or no broadband.
Libraries are the BRIDGE, not the destination.
Our excellent, fast, stopgap measures to bridge the digital divide DO NOT GIVE GOVERNMENT A FREE PASS. We must constantly pressure lawmakers at all levels to address these inequities.
All politics is local. Get to know you congresspeople, senators, and their staff. Board members, chairpeople. If a constituent can find you in the grocery store, they can find you on the election ballot, too. When bills come up, it’s clear it pertains to their constituency, not just “over there.”