Lorcan Dempsey
@lorcand.bsky.social
Facilitating our work is a great army of library staff, who are also cultural workers. Without them, the library does not function, the books do not get read, the culture does not come to pass. buff.ly/riUOc4I
Does Britain value culture any more? Ask the striking workers at the British Library | Zadie Smith
The dispute over pay at this great national institution gets to the heart of our misplaced priorities, says novelist Zadie Smith
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Facilitating our work is a great army of library staff, who are also cultural workers. Without them, the library does not function, the books do not get read, the culture does not come to pass. buff.ly/riUOc4I
A key component, the AI Fluency initiative, was announced in June and ensures that every student, beginning with the Class of 2029, graduates fluent in applying AI within their field of study.
Ohio State to hire 100 new faculty with AI expertise
The Ohio State University has announced a major Artificial Intelligence (AI) Faculty Hiring Initiative that will add 100 new tenure-track faculty with expertise in AI over the next five years. The…
buff.ly
November 8, 2025 at 4:02 PM
A key component, the AI Fluency initiative, was announced in June and ensures that every student, beginning with the Class of 2029, graduates fluent in applying AI within their field of study.
AI with everything > "The Ohio State University has announced a major [AI] Faculty Hiring Initiative that will add 100 new tenure-track faculty with expertise in AI over the next five years. The initiative will expand AI research and education across disciplines ... "
Ohio State to hire 100 new faculty with AI expertise
The Ohio State University has announced a major Artificial Intelligence (AI) Faculty Hiring Initiative that will add 100 new tenure-track faculty with expertise in AI over the next five years. The…
buff.ly
November 8, 2025 at 2:15 PM
AI with everything > "The Ohio State University has announced a major [AI] Faculty Hiring Initiative that will add 100 new tenure-track faculty with expertise in AI over the next five years. The initiative will expand AI research and education across disciplines ... "
The Columbus Metropolitan Library has pressed pause on plans to build the city's 24th library branch > uncertainty in library funding due to recent state funding policy changes and the move to reform Ohio’s property tax laws buff.ly/6qeucjQ
Columbus library pauses plans for northwest Columbus branch, citing funding limbo - Columbus Business First
Columbus Metropolitan Library pauses plans for new branch in northwest Columbus.
www.bizjournals.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:32 PM
The Columbus Metropolitan Library has pressed pause on plans to build the city's 24th library branch > uncertainty in library funding due to recent state funding policy changes and the move to reform Ohio’s property tax laws buff.ly/6qeucjQ
Very nicely done. Intriguing font choice. Two freely available fonts, one open source. Each font is created by an interesting designer who publishes a small range of distinctive fonts. Great to see this thoughtfulness.
We’re thrilled to unveil OAPEN’s refreshed visual identity – including a new logo – that better reflects who we’ve become, what we stand for, and where we’re headed.
Read more about it in the announcement: oapen.org/article/intr...
Read more about it in the announcement: oapen.org/article/intr...
November 3, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Very nicely done. Intriguing font choice. Two freely available fonts, one open source. Each font is created by an interesting designer who publishes a small range of distinctive fonts. Great to see this thoughtfulness.
Chegg's CEO once said he's the 'poster child' for AI shock. Now, the company is slashing 45% of staff | Fortune fortune.com/2025/10/28/c...
Chegg's CEO once said he's the 'poster child' for AI shock. Now, the company is slashing 45% of staff | Fortune
The edtech pioneer is cutting 388 jobs and bringing back Dan Rosensweig as CEO, underscoring how generative AI and shrinking Google traffic are reshaping student learning.
fortune.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Chegg's CEO once said he's the 'poster child' for AI shock. Now, the company is slashing 45% of staff | Fortune fortune.com/2025/10/28/c...
British Library workers to strike > “The employer’s well-paid executives need to take the blinkers off and understand that our hard-working members are what makes the British Library the vital cultural institution that it is."
British Library workers to strike in pay dispute
Workers at the British Library in London have voted to take strike action in a dispute over pay. Over 300 Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members who work at the British Library will walk…
buff.ly
October 27, 2025 at 1:15 PM
British Library workers to strike > “The employer’s well-paid executives need to take the blinkers off and understand that our hard-working members are what makes the British Library the vital cultural institution that it is."
Cal State > As part of the effort, the university is paying OpenAI $16.9 million to provide ChatGPT Edu, the company’s tool for schools, to more than half a million students and staff — which OpenAI heralded as the world’s largest rollout of ChatGPT to date.
Cal State Invited Tech Companies to Remake Learning With A.I. (Gift Article)
Spurred by titans like Amazon and OpenAI, California State wants to become the nation’s “largest A.I.-empowered” university.
buff.ly
October 27, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Cal State > As part of the effort, the university is paying OpenAI $16.9 million to provide ChatGPT Edu, the company’s tool for schools, to more than half a million students and staff — which OpenAI heralded as the world’s largest rollout of ChatGPT to date.
Really? ... > Cal State’s partners, like Amazon, said they were eager to help students use a range of A.I. tools in different ways — not just use chatbots to look up answers. buff.ly/nFLiKPH
Cal State Invited Tech Companies to Remake Learning With A.I. (Gift Article)
Spurred by titans like Amazon and OpenAI, California State wants to become the nation’s “largest A.I.-empowered” university.
www.nytimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Really? ... > Cal State’s partners, like Amazon, said they were eager to help students use a range of A.I. tools in different ways — not just use chatbots to look up answers. buff.ly/nFLiKPH
Anil Dash > But Atlas is a browser that actively fights against the web, and in doing so, it's fighting against the very idea that you should have control over what you see, where you go, and what watches you while you're there. ilo.im/167ut1
ChatGPT's Atlas: The Browser That's Anti-Web - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
www.anildash.com
October 26, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Anil Dash > But Atlas is a browser that actively fights against the web, and in doing so, it's fighting against the very idea that you should have control over what you see, where you go, and what watches you while you're there. ilo.im/167ut1
"The special initiative aligns with the foundation’s overarching goal of reducing political polarization." > Hundreds of Carnegie Libraries to Receive $10,000 Gifts in Celebration of United States’ 250th Anniversary | Carnegie Corporation of New York
Hundreds of Carnegie Libraries to Receive $10,000 Gifts in Celebration of United States’ 250th Anniversary | Carnegie Corporation of New York
The foundation established in 1911 by Andrew Carnegie, Carnegie Corporation of New York, honors the country’s democratic ideals with $20 million in new funding to support America’s civic institutions
buff.ly
October 25, 2025 at 6:12 PM
"The special initiative aligns with the foundation’s overarching goal of reducing political polarization." > Hundreds of Carnegie Libraries to Receive $10,000 Gifts in Celebration of United States’ 250th Anniversary | Carnegie Corporation of New York
Reposted by Lorcan Dempsey
New From @lorcand.bsky.social: The Informational Disciplines www.lorcandempsey.net/the-informat... #infoscience #librarianship #libraries
October 23, 2025 at 4:49 PM
New From @lorcand.bsky.social: The Informational Disciplines www.lorcandempsey.net/the-informat... #infoscience #librarianship #libraries
UK Gov. AWS exposure > "until significant diversification or sovereign cloud adoption occurs, the UK government’s own stance shows an uncomfortable contradiction with the very resilience principles regulators have advocated.”
‘Significant exposure’: Amazon Web Services outage exposed UK state’s £1.7bn reliance on tech giant
Cloud computing disruption highlights risk of deepening ties despite warnings from UK’s own regulators, including the Treasury
buff.ly
October 22, 2025 at 1:02 PM
UK Gov. AWS exposure > "until significant diversification or sovereign cloud adoption occurs, the UK government’s own stance shows an uncomfortable contradiction with the very resilience principles regulators have advocated.”
Discuss > "Technologies like LLMs have utility, but the absurd way they've been over-hyped, the fact they're being forced on everyone, and the insistence on ignoring the many valid critiques about them make it very difficult to focus on legitimate uses where they might add value."
The Majority AI View - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
buff.ly
October 20, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Discuss > "Technologies like LLMs have utility, but the absurd way they've been over-hyped, the fact they're being forced on everyone, and the insistence on ignoring the many valid critiques about them make it very difficult to focus on legitimate uses where they might add value."
'Data centres accounted for 22% of the electricity consumed in Ireland last year — up from 21% in 2023, and significantly higher than the 5% share they held in 2015.' buff.ly/U7K3drd
Ireland’s data centres now consume more than a fifth of national electricity
Data centres now account for 22% of Ireland’s electricity use, prompting warnings about grid strain and climate goals
www.irishexaminer.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:14 PM
'Data centres accounted for 22% of the electricity consumed in Ireland last year — up from 21% in 2023, and significantly higher than the 5% share they held in 2015.' buff.ly/U7K3drd
[Stephen Hawking's] disks are now part of a project at Cambridge University Library to rescue hidden knowledge trapped on floppy disks. The Future Nostalgia project reflects a larger trend in the information flooding into archives and libraries around the world. buff.ly/5FfQU3H
A digital dark age? The people rescuing forgotten knowledge trapped on old floppy disks
From lectures by Stephen Hawking to the letters of British politician Neil Kinnock – it's a race against time to save the historical treasures locked away on old floppy disks.
www.bbc.com
October 14, 2025 at 2:32 PM
[Stephen Hawking's] disks are now part of a project at Cambridge University Library to rescue hidden knowledge trapped on floppy disks. The Future Nostalgia project reflects a larger trend in the information flooding into archives and libraries around the world. buff.ly/5FfQU3H
'Graphic designers love Helvetica. Type designers hate it.' buff.ly/doWlmZQ
Klim Type Foundry · Die Grotesk design information
Die Grotesk was shaped in the long shadow of Helvetica, a typeface both revered and resented in equal measure. Graphic designers love it. Type designers hate it. Endlessly revived and resold,…
klim.co.nz
October 13, 2025 at 9:05 PM
'Graphic designers love Helvetica. Type designers hate it.' buff.ly/doWlmZQ
Lovely to see this nod from somebody whose work is central here.
Great reading for LIS folks - covers development of LIS related disciplines through to contemporary concerns for information professionals and LIS students.
I like the 'boots of concrete' phrase :-) > 'Large companies have built vast consolidated infrastructure - we are used to thinking of information as immaterial, however, AI has also emphasized how the cloud has boots of concrete.' buff.ly/MAzHirK
October 13, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Lovely to see this nod from somebody whose work is central here.
'More and more families are measuring a school’s worth by what it delivers rather than what it represents.' buff.ly/GfbMVaQ
The ‘Best’ Colleges Aren’t the Best Forever
Prestige isn’t permanent.
www.theatlantic.com
October 11, 2025 at 7:05 PM
'More and more families are measuring a school’s worth by what it delivers rather than what it represents.' buff.ly/GfbMVaQ
I like the 'boots of concrete' phrase :-) > 'Large companies have built vast consolidated infrastructure - we are used to thinking of information as immaterial, however, AI has also emphasized how the cloud has boots of concrete.' buff.ly/MAzHirK
Information: a brief schematic history
In a piece on the informational disciplines and the iSchool, I sketched this very schematic and informal overview of information, broadly construed. My focus is pragmatic, related to library…
www.lorcandempsey.net
October 11, 2025 at 6:03 PM
I like the 'boots of concrete' phrase :-) > 'Large companies have built vast consolidated infrastructure - we are used to thinking of information as immaterial, however, AI has also emphasized how the cloud has boots of concrete.' buff.ly/MAzHirK
'University of California faculty and alumni won five Nobel Prizes this week, highlighting the ongoing contributions of America’s #1 public research university and the central role of federal funding in advancing world-changing scientific inquiry.'
UC wins 5 Nobel Prizes in 3 days — and sets a new world record
These discoveries span decades and disciplines, but they all have one important thing in common: They’ve all relied on competitive funding from the federal government.
buff.ly
October 11, 2025 at 1:00 PM
'University of California faculty and alumni won five Nobel Prizes this week, highlighting the ongoing contributions of America’s #1 public research university and the central role of federal funding in advancing world-changing scientific inquiry.'
Harsh words for FIFA > 'Dynamic pricing, crypto detritus and corporate doublespeak have made the task of buying 2026 World Cup tickets a grim case study in the monetization of emotion' buff.ly/n5B4v3K
A World Cup preying on Fomo: Fifa’s 2026 ticket scheme is a late-capitalist hellscape
NFTs, dynamic pricing and double resale fees have turned the 2026 World Cup into a fintech carnival where fandom meets late-capitalist absurdity
www.theguardian.com
October 11, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Harsh words for FIFA > 'Dynamic pricing, crypto detritus and corporate doublespeak have made the task of buying 2026 World Cup tickets a grim case study in the monetization of emotion' buff.ly/n5B4v3K
The pope has condemned clickbait as a “degrading” part of journalism, at a private audience with global newswires.
You won’t believe what degrading practice the pope just condemned
Communication must be freed from clickbait and misguided thinking, head of Catholic church tells journalists
buff.ly
October 10, 2025 at 1:15 PM
The pope has condemned clickbait as a “degrading” part of journalism, at a private audience with global newswires.
'The median student is willing to pay up to $2,617 (12.5%) more to attend a college where the share of students with opposing political views is 10 percentage points lower, suggesting that political identity plays a meaningful role in the college choice process.' buff.ly/d4cSoNZ
Political Views and College Choices in a Polarized America
We examine the role of students’ political views in shaping college enrollment decisions in the United States. We hypothesize that students derive utility from attending institutions aligned with…
edworkingpapers.com
October 9, 2025 at 7:36 PM
'The median student is willing to pay up to $2,617 (12.5%) more to attend a college where the share of students with opposing political views is 10 percentage points lower, suggesting that political identity plays a meaningful role in the college choice process.' buff.ly/d4cSoNZ
Feeling a slight touch of imposter syndrome as I prepare for my keynote at Charleston ... Libraries, librarianship and cross-LAMination. I discuss education and career preparation.
www.charleston-hub.com/the-charlest...
www.charleston-hub.com/the-charlest...
Agenda - Charleston Hub
March 5, 2015 - This is a publicly searchable version of the preliminary conference agenda. We will once again be using the Whova event platform for both our in-person -
www.charleston-hub.com
October 7, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Feeling a slight touch of imposter syndrome as I prepare for my keynote at Charleston ... Libraries, librarianship and cross-LAMination. I discuss education and career preparation.
www.charleston-hub.com/the-charlest...
www.charleston-hub.com/the-charlest...