Julia Bullard
julzbullard.bsky.social
Julia Bullard
@julzbullard.bsky.social
Associate Professor at the UBC iSchool. knowledge organization, thinking too hard about subject terms. She/her.
Reposted by Julia Bullard
I wrote about some of the unreasonable requests I've gotten as a candidate for library jobs, and how employers might make the interview process less dehumanizing. acrlog.org/2026/02/05/m... 📚
Making the Academic Librarian Interview Less Painful - ACRLog
To be unexpectedly unemployed in the U.S. is to be in a state of desperation. If you haven’t been out of work lately, it’s a particularly challenging time. The labor market is cooling, and people are ...
acrlog.org
February 5, 2026 at 11:31 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
An immigrant worker shares his story of paying thousands to secure a low-paying Canadian job - then, his employer took a cut of his wage.

Reporting by @isaacphannay.bsky.social & @zakvescera.bsky.social in collab with @theijf.org thetyee.ca/News/2026/02...
How Canada’s Labour Traffickers Trap Workers | The Tyee
Reports warn a growing number of foreign workers are being victimized. But criminal charges are rare.
thetyee.ca
February 4, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
❤️
January 30, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
I think I might take one of these "under 20 minutes" AI skills courses the UK Govt. seems very keen on everyone doing and live-post it here... Maybe we can all learn something together! The press release sends me to aiskillshub.org.uk/aiskillsboost/ - let's go and see!
AI Skills Boost - AI Skills Hub
aiskillshub.org.uk
January 28, 2026 at 12:07 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
LNG Canada has known there was an issue with its flaring equipment for over a year. While locals raised concerns about noise, smoke and emissions, until now, they didn’t have answers. The Narwhal reviewed more than 2,000 pages of documents for this story: thenarwhal.ca/lng-canada-f... #bcpoli
Equipment issue led to excessive LNG Canada flaring, docs reveal | The Narwhal
LNG Canada delayed reporting ‘integrity issue’ to regulators and never fully informed the public, while locals raised concerns about noise, smoke and emissions
thenarwhal.ca
January 21, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
For @msnownews.bsky.social, I wrote an article about how ICE Watch is grounded in sociological theories of violence prevention.

The reality is that most men will only commit public violence in extremely specific scenarios and ICE Watch disrupts the conditions necessary for escalation.
Opinion | I'm a Minneapolis sociologist who studies violence. Here's how ICE observers are helping.
Research into how violence occurs shows that disapproval from the people around you can help reduce it.
www.ms.now
January 16, 2026 at 6:55 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
Sure. AI companies have ALWAYS been training their models on Wikipedia content, which under the free and open access model is available to anyone — including AI companies. Agreements like these require AI companies to limit and offset the strain they place on Wikimedia infrastructure.
Hoping that @molly.wiki can help explain.
Wikimedia Foundation announces new AI partnerships with Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Perplexity and others
January 15, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
Call for papers: the 54th Canadian Association for Information Science conference, 22-26 June 2026, free online, hosted by UBC iSchool.

Theme: "Information in Repair."

Submissions due 31 January.

cais2026.ca/call-for-pap...

📚📜
January 8, 2026 at 5:28 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
Call for Proposals: Canadian Association for Information Science (CAIS) 2026 Annual Conference librarianship.ca/news/cfp-cai...

Conference Dates: June 22-26, 2026
Theme: Information in Repair
Location: Online
Deadline for proposals: January 31, 2026
January 5, 2026 at 1:59 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
and finally, if you are seeking something that affirms there are still new things under the sun AND you are neither squeamish nor prudish, I wish for you to read Spread Me by @sarahgailey.bsky.social and revel in the feeling of "yes, that’s certainly a new feeling to have while reading"
December 30, 2025 at 10:48 PM
I read [redacted] books this year! Here are my earnest recommendations for a fraction of them:
December 30, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
Very happy to introduce a new tool, BookReconciler!

You can take spreadsheets with book data and add subject headings, descriptions, ISBNs, HathiTrust IDs, & more. You can also cluster editions & variations of the same "Work."

Led by @thisismattmiller.com and supported by @post45data.bsky.social.
December 17, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Stay tuned next week for #LIBR509 memes! The students came through for me yet again and I am rich with incredibly specific jokes about information organization and my course.
November 28, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
Not to bury the lead, but it worked, for now. Last Thursday the premier announced that the project would not go ahead. Notably however, he chose his words carefully. It’s not a no. It’s just a no for now. And he spoke like it was no big deal, a proposal that barely existed www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
West Mabou Beach golf development proposal won't proceed, premier says | CBC News
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston told reporters Thursday the proposal 'won't get to the next step.'
www.cbc.ca
November 19, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
NEW: US airlines (Delta, United, American, etc) will shut down a program in which it sold hundreds of millions of your flight records to government agencies, including ICE, FBI, ATF, more. Comes after intense lawmaker-pressure and 404 Media's months-long reporting
www.404media.co/airlines-wil...
Airlines Will Shut Down Program That Sold Your Flights Records to Government
The move comes after intense pressure from lawmakers and 404 Media’s months-long reporting about the airline industry's data selling practices.
www.404media.co
November 18, 2025 at 6:45 PM
The CFP for the @cais-acsi.bsky.social 2026 conference (free and online!) is now up at cais2026.ca. Join us to talk about repair, maintenance, and all things information science!
CAIS2026
cais2026.ca
November 14, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
Librarians told 404 Media they're being inundated with new pitches for AI library tech and catalogs are being flooded with AI slop books.

But more broadly, AI maximalism across society is supercharging the ideological war on libraries, schools, government workers, and academics.
AI Is Supercharging the War on Libraries, Education, and Human Knowledge
"Fascism and AI, whether or not they have the same goals, they sure are working to accelerate one another."
www.404media.co
November 6, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
You know what's urgently needed? Basic software. Reliable database systems, accessible interfaces, privacy oriented design. It's super mundane stuff like asking, "how can software make your life better", not telling people "this is how software is going to solve all your problems." Because it won't.
November 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
Any Canadian from any province while in BC can get vaccinated for FREE!

Call 1-833-838-2323 a couple weeks in advance to make an appointment.

Because we are good neighbors, we believe in science & medicine, and we love you ❤️🇨🇦🍁🇨🇦❤️

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Albertans can get COVID-19 vaccinations for free in B.C. | CBC News
People who don’t qualify for free COVID-19 vaccinations in Alberta can get one in British Columbia, the province’s ministry of health confirmed with CBC News.
www.cbc.ca
October 25, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
Here is what I said. I am proud to be a Cape Bretoner, a Nova Scotian, a Canadian. And I am with the Mi’kmaw land defenders on Hunters Mountain. (1)
October 22, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
“The deaf community had a lot of excitement because it would have changed things that previously were causing harm…

“To now see them say, ‘Oh, we’re going to rework this,’ is devastating.”

#bcpoli
BC Reneges on New Supports for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children | The Tyee
A language skills program was set to go, until the government pulled the plug.
thetyee.ca
October 16, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Reposted by Julia Bullard
Here's my story on how the conversation on bringing a SkyTrain to UBC is almost old enough to be a student on a B-Line trying to get to UBC
17 years and counting: Why plans for a rapid transit line to UBC have barely left the station | CBC News
Why has this long-debated project not come to fruition?
www.cbc.ca
October 14, 2025 at 4:26 PM