The labor librarian
@laborlibrarian.bsky.social
Grew up in a UFW/IWW household. Now I’m a librarian (public to academic), union thug, and general roustabout.
Anonymous because I’m not tenured yet.
Pro-Palestinian, pro-trans, anti-racist, and not fit for human consumption.
Anonymous because I’m not tenured yet.
Pro-Palestinian, pro-trans, anti-racist, and not fit for human consumption.
Pinned
It’s Labor Day weekend and that means it’s a great time to teach kids about the context of the holiday. I’ve compiled a list of books for a variety of age ranges that talk about labor and unions. Feel free to add more!
#booksky #skybrariona #libraryunions #labor #unions
#booksky #skybrariona #libraryunions #labor #unions
Every Veteran’s Day I think about Leonard Matlovich’s headstone.
November 11, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Every Veteran’s Day I think about Leonard Matlovich’s headstone.
Reposted by The labor librarian
"We move from data to information to knowledge to wisdom. And being able to distinguish among and between them, knowing the limitations and danger of exercising one without the others, while respecting each category of intelligence, is generally what serious education is about..." 1/
- Toni Morrison
- Toni Morrison
September 19, 2024 at 2:49 PM
"We move from data to information to knowledge to wisdom. And being able to distinguish among and between them, knowing the limitations and danger of exercising one without the others, while respecting each category of intelligence, is generally what serious education is about..." 1/
- Toni Morrison
- Toni Morrison
This is giving off big “freshman who forgot to read their Lit 101 homework and is trying to bullshit their way through an essay” vibes.
November 11, 2025 at 1:16 AM
This is giving off big “freshman who forgot to read their Lit 101 homework and is trying to bullshit their way through an essay” vibes.
“People may die, but at least the Republicans will lose!”
Just another reminder that politicians have forgotten their purpose is not to “win”, but to help better people’s lives.
Just another reminder that politicians have forgotten their purpose is not to “win”, but to help better people’s lives.
That December vote is a huge moment we can turn into a victory. People are watching. Good bill, we win; they cheat, they will lose. If we fight united.
November 11, 2025 at 12:05 AM
“People may die, but at least the Republicans will lose!”
Just another reminder that politicians have forgotten their purpose is not to “win”, but to help better people’s lives.
Just another reminder that politicians have forgotten their purpose is not to “win”, but to help better people’s lives.
Some good news in the Seattle mayoral race!
November 10, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Some good news in the Seattle mayoral race!
Quote, and article, from Jimmy Williams, president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.
November 10, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Quote, and article, from Jimmy Williams, president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.
Reposted by The labor librarian
BIG NEWS OUTTA PITTSBURGH 🔥
BREAKING: We won!
Today the 3rd Circuit Court ordered the @post-gazette.com to restore our contract it illegally tore up 5 years ago. That’s our health care, PTO, right to a 40-hr. work week, short-term disability and so much more we’ve struck for 3+ years.
pghguild.com/2025/11/10/p...
Today the 3rd Circuit Court ordered the @post-gazette.com to restore our contract it illegally tore up 5 years ago. That’s our health care, PTO, right to a 40-hr. work week, short-term disability and so much more we’ve struck for 3+ years.
pghguild.com/2025/11/10/p...
November 10, 2025 at 6:02 PM
BIG NEWS OUTTA PITTSBURGH 🔥
I’m sure you’ve all seen this by now, but I regret the mean things I said about Joyce Carol Oates when I was a bookseller (mostly due to her taking up too much real estate on the shelf).
November 10, 2025 at 7:17 PM
I’m sure you’ve all seen this by now, but I regret the mean things I said about Joyce Carol Oates when I was a bookseller (mostly due to her taking up too much real estate on the shelf).
Reposted by The labor librarian
November 10, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by The labor librarian
November 10, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by The labor librarian
It wasn’t caving in when universities slashed entire programs and policies that supported students, staff, and faculty to appease conservatives…and its not caving in when the Democrats concede to the Republicans.
They want this. They are superficially oppositional, not enemies.
They want this. They are superficially oppositional, not enemies.
November 10, 2025 at 3:04 AM
It wasn’t caving in when universities slashed entire programs and policies that supported students, staff, and faculty to appease conservatives…and its not caving in when the Democrats concede to the Republicans.
They want this. They are superficially oppositional, not enemies.
They want this. They are superficially oppositional, not enemies.
Reposted by The labor librarian
The 8 Dems who surrendered: @SenAngusKing @timkaine @SenCortezMasto @JohnFetterman @SenatorDurbin @SenatorHassan @SenatorShaheen @SenJackyRosen
November 10, 2025 at 3:12 AM
The 8 Dems who surrendered: @SenAngusKing @timkaine @SenCortezMasto @JohnFetterman @SenatorDurbin @SenatorHassan @SenatorShaheen @SenJackyRosen
So when do we think Schumer is going to announce he’s not running for re-election but Cuomo is going to run for his seat?
November 10, 2025 at 2:52 AM
So when do we think Schumer is going to announce he’s not running for re-election but Cuomo is going to run for his seat?
Reposted by The labor librarian
Donald Trump’s approval rating has tanked and Republican suffered heavy losses in last week’s elections. There’s never been a better time for Senate Democrats to cave on the ACA extension.
November 9, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Donald Trump’s approval rating has tanked and Republican suffered heavy losses in last week’s elections. There’s never been a better time for Senate Democrats to cave on the ACA extension.
I was a union president for several hundred members during the Covid lockdown. I had regular meetings to check in, but folks just came to yell at me. It was brutal. Nobody could agree how they wanted us to respond. But I was always there, listening to them. And I was always available by email.
November 9, 2025 at 10:46 PM
I was a union president for several hundred members during the Covid lockdown. I had regular meetings to check in, but folks just came to yell at me. It was brutal. Nobody could agree how they wanted us to respond. But I was always there, listening to them. And I was always available by email.
Reposted by The labor librarian
BREAKING: Starbucks baristas at Downtown Disney couldn’t stand another day of their managers’ unfair labor practices & kicked off our nationwide strike this weekend. These workers have shut down one of largest Starbucks stores in the country — and we’re just getting started! #NoContractNoCoffee
November 9, 2025 at 5:18 PM
BREAKING: Starbucks baristas at Downtown Disney couldn’t stand another day of their managers’ unfair labor practices & kicked off our nationwide strike this weekend. These workers have shut down one of largest Starbucks stores in the country — and we’re just getting started! #NoContractNoCoffee
Reposted by The labor librarian
Leftists really have to prioritize public libraries in budget fights.
November 8, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Leftists really have to prioritize public libraries in budget fights.
Reposted by The labor librarian
Chicago Public Library's budget cuts would mean losing HALF of the materials budget. It would mean losing 90 staff members.
Cop budget's fine, though.
Cop budget's fine, though.
The People Want to Read: on the massive budget cuts proposed for Chicago Public Library. What's at stake and what you can do, whether or not you live in Chicago.
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
buttondown.com/wellsourced/...
The People Want To Read: On Massive Budget Cuts Proposed in Chicago
If passed, Chicago Public Library will lose half their budget for acquiring new books and materials.
buttondown.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Chicago Public Library's budget cuts would mean losing HALF of the materials budget. It would mean losing 90 staff members.
Cop budget's fine, though.
Cop budget's fine, though.
So who’s cancelling their travel plans to Core Forum?
November 8, 2025 at 6:28 PM
So who’s cancelling their travel plans to Core Forum?
Reposted by The labor librarian
"If discovery tools return hallucinated results, the credibility of the library itself could be undermined. Students may come to see the library’s systems as just another unreliable search engine."
BINGO
BINGO
November 7, 2025 at 9:06 PM
"If discovery tools return hallucinated results, the credibility of the library itself could be undermined. Students may come to see the library’s systems as just another unreliable search engine."
BINGO
BINGO
Reposted by The labor librarian
Aside from my "was this really written in 2025, not two years ago" snarky response, I couldn't help thinking throughout this entire blog post that a huge part of why so many libraries are STUCK on dealing with AI is because we literally don't have the staff time or funding to deal with it.
Do Academic Libraries Have a Strategy for AI? 📚
"...while two-thirds of libraries are exploring AI features in vendor products, only about half are offering guidance to their communities on how to use AI responsibly in academic work."
scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2025/10/30/g...
"...while two-thirds of libraries are exploring AI features in vendor products, only about half are offering guidance to their communities on how to use AI responsibly in academic work."
scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2025/10/30/g...
Guest Post — Do Academic Libraries Have a Strategy for AI? - The Scholarly Kitchen
If libraries are civic institutions that structure society’s relationship to knowledge, and generative AI is poised to reshape discovery whether libraries act or not, will library leaders will develop...
scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org
November 7, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Aside from my "was this really written in 2025, not two years ago" snarky response, I couldn't help thinking throughout this entire blog post that a huge part of why so many libraries are STUCK on dealing with AI is because we literally don't have the staff time or funding to deal with it.
Reposted by The labor librarian
SPD out here on Northgate shutting down the taco stand between 8th and Roosevelt due to "multiple licensing and health code violations" that they wouldn't provide anymore info about.
November 8, 2025 at 6:52 AM
SPD out here on Northgate shutting down the taco stand between 8th and Roosevelt due to "multiple licensing and health code violations" that they wouldn't provide anymore info about.
Reposted by The labor librarian
Wondering why no one likes your posts anymore, even among your friends? It's because @jay.bsky.team and team have decided to hide a huge amount of content from all of our feeds by default.
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
November 6, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Wondering why no one likes your posts anymore, even among your friends? It's because @jay.bsky.team and team have decided to hide a huge amount of content from all of our feeds by default.
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
Reposted by The labor librarian
@libbyapp.com I love you so much. Please reconsider using generative AI in your app. Just like @thestorygraph.com, we don’t need generative AI to make book suggestions that you can already make based on our interests.
November 5, 2025 at 11:57 PM
@libbyapp.com I love you so much. Please reconsider using generative AI in your app. Just like @thestorygraph.com, we don’t need generative AI to make book suggestions that you can already make based on our interests.
Reposted by The labor librarian
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.
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
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.
But more broadly, AI maximalism across society is supercharging the ideological war on libraries, schools, government workers, and academics.