University of Rochester's incoming head librarian looks to adapt to AI; WXXI, January 2, 2026

 Noelle E. C. Evans, WXXI; University of Rochester's incoming head librarian looks to adapt to AI

"A new head librarian at the University of Rochester is preparing to take on a growing challenge — adapting to generative artificial intelligence.

Tim McGeary takes on the position of university librarian and dean of libraries on March 1. He is currently associate librarian for digital strategies and technology at Duke University, where he’s witnessed AI challenges firsthand...

“(The university’s digital repository) was dealing with an unforeseen consequence of its own success: By making (university) research freely available to anyone, it had actually made it less accessible to everyone,” Jamie Washington wrote for the campus online news source, UDaily.

That balance between open access and protecting students, researchers and publishers from potential harms from AI is a space of major disruption, McGeary said.

"If they're doing this to us, we have open systems, what are they possibly doing to those partners we have in the publishing space?" McGeary asked. "We've already seen some of the larger AI companies have to be in court because they have acquired content in ways that are not legal.”

In the past 25 years, he said he’s seen how university libraries have evolved with changing technology; they've had to reinvent how they serve research and scholarship. So in a way, this is another iteration of those challenges, he said."

Trademark Center—a new way to apply to register your trademark; United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), December 18, 2024

 David S. Gooder , United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO); Trademark Center—a new way to apply to register your trademark

"We recently shared that on January 18, 2025, Trademark Center will become the only way to apply for a trademark registration. While you can still submit applications in the Trademark Electronic Application System (TEAS) until then, I invite you to join the thousands of customers who have already tried Trademark Center. I think you’ll appreciate some of the updates and new capabilities as you get familiar with the system.

Modernizing our systems has been a key focus at the USPTO, and it’s one of the goals of our 2022-26 strategic plan to ensure all trademark applicants and owners have the best experience possible when doing business with our agency. One way we're doing this is through our open beta rollout of Trademark Center, which was launched this past summer. You can now draft and file your trademark application in this new system at trademarkcenter.uspto.gov, and we’ve recently added some exciting new features. Over the next few years, it will become the single platform for not only your trademark registration needs but searching and other trademark services."

Sean Rowe wants to realign the Episcopal Church; Religion News, October 14, 2024

Yonat Shimron, Religion News; Sean Rowe wants to realign the Episcopal Church

"The Episcopal Church’s membership dropped just below 1.6 million in 2022, down 21% from 2013. Over the past two years the decline appears to be accelerating rather than slowing, occasioning headlines such as “Episcopal Withering on the Vine,” and “The Death of the Episcopal Church is Near.”

When casting for a new leader to replace Michael Curry, the denomination’s first Black presiding bishop, Episcopalians nominated Rowe on the first ballot. Rowe had been serving as bishop of Northwestern Pennsylvania, and under a novel partnership, he also served as provisional bishop of the Western New York diocese, a collaborative model now being tried in other places.

At the same General Conference in which Rowe was elected, he was tasked with developing a plan to save $3.5 million on staff over three years.

Rowe, who has a Ph.D. in organizational learning and leadership, has already talked about cutting back the church’s hierarchy and moving resources down the ladder to church ministries.

His first two weeks in office have been busy. First, Donald Trump was elected president. Rowe issued a letter saying the mission of the church — striving for justice and peace, and protecting the dignity of every human being — would continue.

Then, Archbishop Justin Welby, spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, resigned over his handling of a child sex abuse scandal. The Episcopal Church is one of 42 autonomous churches that make up the worldwide Anglican Communion, with about 80 million members in 160 countries.

“Abuse in any form is horrific and abhorrent, and it grieves me that the church does not always live up to its ideal as a place where all of God’s children are safe,” Rowe said in a statement Tuesday. He also pledged to address any failures in safeguarding children in the Episcopal Church.

Rowe lives in Erie, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Carly, the executive director of the Cathedral of St. Paul. The couple have a 12-year-old daughter, Lauren. RNS spoke to Rowe, the youngest presiding bishop ever, about the challenges ahead. The interview was edited for length and clarity."

Keyboard warriors: Ukraine’s IT army switches to war footing; The Guardian, March 12, 2022

Mark Sweney, The Guardian; Keyboard warriors: Ukraine’s IT army switches to war footing

"Sensing the threat, the IT Ukraine Association tested the sector’s readiness at the start of February with a survey question that would be unthinkable coming from a trade body in most countries: “Does your company have an emergency response plan for such cases as large-scale combat operations, lack of internet access, power outage etc?”

More than 90% said they already had, or were developing, plans to keep Ukraine’s tech sector able to continue to service domestic and international clients.

“It is about measures and actions to protect and make operations safe and able to continue,” says Konstantin Vasyuk, the association’s executive director. “Relocating vulnerable workers, ensuring data is in the cloud, alternative internet connections, transferring staff and specialists to western parts of Ukraine and countries in Europe. Things that can, and have, to be implemented very fast.”

And so far, the plans to maintain digital resilience have helped defy expectations about the level of disruption expected from the full-scale invasion by Russian forces...

“Not everyone is good with a gun,” says the IT Ukrainian Association’s Vasyuk. “People should be used as efficiently as they can. We are fighting with guns, with laptops, we will keep on going.”"

Help wanted: What Metro needs from its next general manager; NPR, January 24, 2022

JORDAN PASCALE, NPR; Help wanted: What Metro needs from its next general manager

"With Paul Wiedefeld stepping down in six months, Metro's board will be looking for a new leader to steer WMATA through some of its most trying times.

Using what we know about the system, and through interviews and statements from politicians and transit advocates, we put together a "job posting" to highlight what the next general manager will face when they come on board. (And no, this is not the official job posting. Metro's board is still working on that, we just hope this is a clever way to present the news)."

Elon Musk Details ‘Excruciating’ Personal Toll of Tesla Turmoil; The New York Times, August 16, 2018

David Gelles, James B. Stewart, Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Kate Kelly, The New York Times; Elon Musk Details ‘Excruciating’ Personal Toll of Tesla Turmoil

"Mr. Musk said that “to the best of my knowledge,” there is “no active search right now.” But people familiar with the matter said a search is underway, and one person said it had intensified in the wake of Mr. Musk’s tweets. 

[The Tesla board “now must ask a sensitive but vital question,” our columnist writes. “What was Mr. Musk’s state of mind” when he tweeted?] 

In response to questions for this article, Tesla provided a statement that it attributed to its board, excluding Elon Musk. “There have been many false and irresponsible rumors in the press about the discussions of the Tesla board,” the statement said. “We would like to make clear that Elon’s commitment and dedication to Tesla is obvious. Over the past 15 years, Elon’s leadership of the Tesla team has caused Tesla to grow from a small start-up to having hundreds of thousands of cars on the road that customers love, employing tens of thousands of people around the world, and creating significant shareholder value in the process.”

Mr. Musk said he had no plans to relinquish his dual roles as chairman and chief executive.

But, he added, “if you have anyone who can do a better job, please let me know. They can have the job. Is there someone who can do the job better? They can have the reins right now.”"

Cuts to Welsh libraries see paid staff fall by 20%; BBC News, February 21, 2018

BBC News; Cuts to Welsh libraries see paid staff fall by 20%

"Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) figures reveal full-time paid staff fell from 1,112 in 2012-13 to 890 in 2016-17 - a 20% drop.

Meanwhile, the number of volunteers increased 13-fold, from 93 to 1,288.

The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) said councils were finding "innovative ways" of keeping services in a climate of cuts.

CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman said the overall budget cut to Welsh libraries in the last decade had been less than that in England - 18% compared to 25%."

Navigating choppy waters: why good leadership is essential for managing change; HR Director, January 23, 2018

David Willett, HR Director; Navigating choppy waters: why good leadership is essential for managing change

"The key to effective leadership

Many roles in the UK jobs market are expected to change over the next few years, which means that business leaders must become all-rounders; able to adapt to changing economic, political and technological climates.

Increasing automation and digitisation are likely to have the most significant impact on the workforce, with the Institute for Public Policy Research recently suggesting that machines threaten jobs worth up to £290 billion in UK wages, both creating new roles and making others redundant.[2] An agile business must be led from the top, with those in leadership positions being capable of implementing new technology, processes and procedures, and also communicating change effectively to staff without damaging motivation, retention and productivity."

[Letter to the Editor] No Food in the Library; New York Times, 6/22/16

Mimi Sheraton, New York Times; [Letter to the Editor] No Food in the Library:

"To the Editor:

Re “After an 8-Year Wait, a New York Library Like No Other Opens” (news article, June 21):

As intriguing and promising as the changes to the 53rd Street Library are, allowing food at its “laptop bar” is a terrible mistake. It will become intrusively noisy, what with papers, foil and cans being opened.

It will create aromas offensive to many (unless raw onions, garlic, fermented foods and a host of other odoriferous treats are excluded), and it will lead to carelessly handled trash. Also, it will inspire too much commotion in a site meant for contemplation.

Plenty of places to eat in New York, far too few quiet oases for intellectual pursuits.

MIMI SHERATON

New York

The writer was a food and restaurant critic for The New York Times."

PNC Presents--Transforming Pittsburgh, Again; Town Hall Series, Wednesday, 1/27/16 at 6 PM

Town Hall Series: PNC Presents--Transforming Pittsburgh, Again:

"Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Senator John Heinz Regional History Center

Admission Info: Free Event...

Introducing PNC Presents, a new town hall series featuring conversations hosted by the Post-Gazette with the most fascinating people making news in Pittsburgh today. The inaugural event, Transforming Pittsburgh, Again, will welcome Mayor Bill Peduto and a roundtable of Pittsburgh luminaries to explore the future of our city’s revitalization. Audiences will be engaged, enlightened and entertained by the discussion and lively Q&A session.

Register for this event at www.post-gazette.com/pncseries or call at 412-263-1541.

Brought to you by: PNC + Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"

A New Kind of Leader: Transition time at the Library of Congress; Library Journal, 7/1/15

John N. Berry III, Library Journal; A New Kind of Leader: Transition time at the Library of Congress:

"The Librarian of Congress needs to be a modern library administrator, capable of curating the great collections, leading the exemplary staff of more than 3,000, and keeping LC’s array of vital services current and on technology’s cutting edge.

LC must be led by a person who understands and not only can deal effectively with the huge cultural, economic, and political differences in America but can deliver information services that enlighten our Congress and the people of the nation. The Librarian of Congress must lead us out of the jungle of conflicting claims, rival demands, and legal interpretations that obscure our implementation of the rules and regulations of intellectual property and copyright.

Simultaneously, the Librarian of Congress must be an intellectual inspiration, with an acumen and articulateness that capture the attention of an argumentative society of free people struggling to govern themselves amid the tempests of a world so complex that true cultural understanding is rare and difficult to achieve.

If that formidable job sounds like the one most librarians work at every day, then that suggests an excellent place for our president to begin the search for candidates: in our nation’s libraries.

It is our duty, through ALA and through all of our most effective connections to government, to help the president find the right librarian to lead our national library. We all know she or he is out there ready and waiting to accept the challenge."

Pennsylvania State System approves first plans for differing tuition, fees by campus; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 1/23/14

Bill Schackner, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Pennsylvania State System approves first plans for differing tuition, fees by campus:

"Efforts by Edinboro to attract out-of-staters were hampered by rules requiring it and Pennsylvania's 13 other state-owned universities to charge nonresident students thousands of dollars more to attend.

But a vote Thursday by the State System of Higher Education's board of governors to let Edinboro slash its out-of-state tuition to within a few hundred dollars of what Pennsylvanians pay could begin leveling the playing field, school president Julie Wollman said.

The experiment is already being watched by other border campuses within the State System that have faced enrollment losses since 2010, due in part to declining numbers of Pennsylvania high school graduates...

The board also approved a systemwide strategic plan setting goals through 2020, including a higher number of degrees and certificates awarded yearly, increasing working adult students and transfers and promoting more diversity and better graduation rates."

After Forcing Rapid Change at U. of Wyoming, President Abruptly Resigns; Chronicle of Higher Education, 11/15/13

Lindsay Ellis, Chronicle of Higher Education; After Forcing Rapid Change at U. of Wyoming, President Abruptly Resigns: "In an interview last week, Mr. Sternberg said that he had not arrived on the campus expecting to change its personnel. Though he received advice from trustees and board members of the UW Foundation about the university's leadership, he said he had made his own decisions. The president also said in the interview that he was not surprised by the criticism of the pace of change at the university. "When someone comes in as a disruptive innovator, metaphorically, it's like an antibody attack," he said. "They attack objects not because they're harmful but because they're foreign. The result is predictable."... Ms. Persichitte, the former education dean, said she thought Mr. Sternberg had not fit into the institution's culture well. She said she hoped Mr. McGinity would move forward carefully, listening to the faculty and staff. "If he does that as we search for a new president," she said, "we have every opportunity to rebuild the leadership gap that now exists.""

The Education of Tony Marx; New York Times, 10/10/12

Jacob Bernstein, New York Times; The Education of Tony Marx: "As the dispute over the central library plan dies down, Mr. Marx is choosing to see the sunny side of things. “The good news,” he said after leaving the Doris Duke Foundation event, walking toward the nearby Time Warner Center, “is that people are talking about the library. What they want it to be and what they don’t want it to be, rather than taking it for granted and letting it sink. Right?”"