How to avoid 10 common ethics pitfalls; ABA Journal, June 1, 2020

DAVID L. HUDSON JR., ABA Journal; How to avoid 10 common ethics pitfalls

"Lawyers are stewards of their clients’ most sensitive and personal information. They serve as officers of the court and are in positions of public trust. But these high standards can lead to steep falls, and a lawyer who doesn’t carefully mind ethics obligations can quickly run afoul of the rules of professional responsi-bility. 

Most states require ethics training as part of continuing legal education requirements. But a quick scan of disciplinary records reveals lawyers behaving badly on a spectrum of issues—from improper advertising to mishandling private information and everything in between.

Whether intentionally flouting ethics rules or unwittingly succumbing to the many pitfalls that can appear, lawyers regularly face discipline for crossing the line. Being hauled in front of a disciplinary board can cause professional embarrassment, suspension of a law license and even disbarment. 

We asked legal ethics experts for a primer on the most pressing and pernicious ethics traps out there for the modern lawyer, along with best practices to avoid problems on the front end.

The lesson is to not only beware, but be aware."

The Great Faculty Disengagement; The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 19, 2022

Kevin R. McClure

 and Alisa Hicklin Fryar

, The Chronicle of Higher Education; The Great Faculty Disengagement

Faculty members aren’t leaving in droves, but they are increasingly pulling away.

"As many observers have pointed out, the “Great Resignation” doesn’t perfectly capture what’s happening in the U.S. labor market. Data suggest many people, especially those with jobs in fields like hospitality, aren’t quitting the work force but rather jumping to better opportunities.

In much the same way, the Great Resignation doesn’t perfectly capture what’s happening on college campuses. Faculty members, as unhappy as many of them are, are largely staying put. What has changed is how they approach their jobs...

In response to our Twitter thread, people said they were doing what they must, but nothing extra. They said they used to be a “rah-rah team player,” but not anymore. They used to feel strong ties to their institution, but they have since felt so undervalued that they’re cutting back. One response that especially stood out to us: “Faculty might not be quitting, but they’ve left the building — sometimes departure is a state of mind.”

It’s important to note that disengagement doesn’t suggest laziness or that faculty members and necessarily shirking their core responsibilities. We know — on a deep, personal level — that many faculty members are working very hard. Doing the bare minimum in a global pandemic is sometimes a herculean effort. In some ways, disengaging is a perfectly rational response if your employer signals through their words and actions that your engagement isn’t welcome. Many faculty members are being asked to do their jobs in a way that puts their safety at risk, and when they raise concerns, they are ignored and invalidated. It’s hard to bounce back from that...

Our big fear is that college leaders won’t do anything. We get the sense that some leaders think that if we can just get on the “other side” of the pandemic, things will magically improve. Like we’ll flip the switch back on and the faculty will reanimate. Going silent on this issue right now severely underestimates its magnitude.

The pandemic will eventually transition into something else, but its effects will linger. For how long and with what consequences depends on what college leaders decide to do right now."

Cynthia Chavez Lamar becomes the first Native woman to lead a Smithsonian museum; NPR, January 20, 2022

Joe Hernandez, NPR; Cynthia Chavez Lamar becomes the first Native woman to lead a Smithsonian museum

"The Smithsonian Institution has tapped Cynthia Chavez Lamar to become the director of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., which has one of the largest collections of Native and Indigenous items in the world.

She will be the first Native woman to serve as a Smithsonian museum director, the institution announced Wednesday."

2022–2026 Strategic Plan: Fostering Creativity and Enriching Culture; U.S. Copyright Office, January 20, 2022

U.S. Copyright Office; 2022–2026 Strategic Plan: Fostering Creativity and Enriching Culture

"The Copyright Office has released its 2022–2026 Strategic Plan: Fostering Creativity and Enriching Culture. The plan seeks to benefit the public by expanding the Office’s outreach, improving integration of data and technology, and continuing to provide expertise to the copyright community as a whole.

For more information about the strategic plan, download or view the complete document here."

Free Webinar: Students and Freedom of Expression on Campus: Tuesday, January 25, 2022 2 PM EST

Free Webinar: Students and Freedom of Expression on Campus

"Today’s students are challenging free-speech norms and are more likely than older generations to support restrictions that limit offensive speech. What’s more, the rise of social media, new sexual-harassment policies, and demands for more racial diversity and inclusiveness have sometimes complicated free expression on campus. In this environment, how can colleges promote open inquiry and discussion while balancing changing attitudes?

Join us for a virtual forum that brings together Michael S. Roth, the president of Wesleyan University, and other experts to share their perspectives on these topics:

• How is free expression evolving on college campuses?
• How do college leaders respond to claims that their institutions have become unwelcoming places for certain views?
• How can colleges mitigate potential conflicts when they do arise?

With Support From the Knight Foundation"

Register here.

The public library is the latest place to pick up a coronavirus test. Librarians are overwhelmed.; The Washington Post, January 19, 2022

Julie Zauzmer Weil , The Washington Post; The public library is the latest place to pick up a coronavirus test. Librarians are overwhelmed.

"Melanie Huggins, the president of the American Library Association’s Public Library Association, said library leaders have been eager to turn their buildings into test distribution sites: “We’re in neighborhoods. We know these communities. We know the people that are walking in the doors.”"

Are You Ethical-Ish? Take This Ethics Quiz And Find Out!; Forbes, January 11, 2022

 Bruce Weinstein, Forbes ; Are You Ethical-Ish? Take This Ethics Quiz And Find Out!

"Are you ethical-ish? That is, how committed are you to doing the right thing? Take this multiple-choice quiz and find out. Keep track of your answers, and tally the points at the end. A key, followed by an analysis of the results, will reveal all."

IFLA Trend Report 2021 Update released!; IFLA, January 6, 2022

 IFLA; IFLA Trend Report 2021 Update released!

"IFLA is happy to share the 2021 Update of its Trend Report, based on the ideas submitted by emerging library leaders ahead of our World Library and Information Congress. We invite you to look through, and think how these trends will interact and impact upon our institutions, our profession and our communities. 

The future has, arguably, rarely been more uncertain.

To ensure the sustainability of our communities, institutions and profession, we owe it to ourselves to think through the trends and forces that may shape the world around us in the years to come, be they political, economic, technological, cultural or environmental.

IFLA’s Trend Report series – launched in 2013, and with updates in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 – is there to support this reflection as a key part of individual and organisational development.

We are therefore very happy today to launch the the 2021 Update of IFLA’s Trend Report, with a foreword by IFLA President Barbara Lison, and an introduction by Secretary General Gerald Leitner.

The Update focuses on the ideas shared by emerging library leaders from around the world that provided the foundations for the President-elect’s session at the World Library and Information Congress.

The Update shares 20 different suggested trends – some complementary, some contradictory – that the people who will be leading our field in ten years felt would mark their professional lives. For each one, a short section highlights key questions and aspects, as well as potential responses for the library field. The trends are:

1. Tough times ahead
2. Virtual is here to stay
3. The comeback of physical spaces
4. The rise of soft skills
5. Diversity gets taken seriously
6. An environmental reckoning
7. A mobile popupation
8. The impatient user
9. An analogue backlash
10. Scale matters
11. Data domination
12. Search transformed
13. Race to the extremes
14. Lifelong learners
15. A single, global collection
16. The privatisation of knowledge
17. Qualifications matter
18. Information literacy recognised
19. ‘Open’ raises questions about libraries’ unique selling point
20. Inequalities deepen

It also shares ideas about how to work with the trends, including carrying out your own version of the President-elect’s session within your association or other group, and variations on this model.

Read the Trend Report 2021 Update at the link below. It is also available on the Trend Report website."

New Vikings regime could be 'breath of fresh air' as improving culture plays key role; ESPN, January 14, 2022

Courtney Cronin ESPN Staff Writer, ESPN; New Vikings regime could be 'breath of fresh air' as improving culture plays key role

"Whomever the Minnesota Vikings (Links to an external site.) hire as their next head coach has an important order of business: fix the disconnect between players and coaches.

When Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf fired coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman on Monday, it became clear that players, ownership and many inside the organization felt a culture shift was needed to move the franchise in the right direction...

“I don't think a fear-based organization is the way to go,” linebacker Eric Kendricks (Links to an external site.) said.

How the culture needs to change within a team that missed the playoffs the last two seasons takes center stage for the Vikings, who aren’t looking for the new regime to oversee a rebuild, but rather to make essentially the current roster a Super Bowl contender."

How can employees and businesses deal with bullying in the hybrid workplace?, Lexology, January 11, 2022

Stewarts - Charlie Thompson , Lexology ; How can employees and businesses deal with bullying in the hybrid workplace?

"Bullying at work reflects the culture of a workplace. Certain conditions create a hospitable environment for bullying, whether it is leadership failures, excessive work pressure, a workplace full of cliques, policies that are not enforced, lack of training or an HR team that is not empowered to tackle problems. In this article, originally published in HRM Guide, Charlie Thompson considers how workplace bullying has changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and what employees can do about it."

Your Company's Diversity Efforts Need to Include Learning Differences; Time, January 10, 2022

FRED POSES , Time ; Your Company's Diversity Efforts Need to Include Learning Differences

"There’s no denying that the past two pandemic years have been uniquely challenging for managers and employees alike. But amid all the upheaval Covid has brought to our working lives, it’s also sparked two trends that, taken together, signal a moment of real change for workers with thinking and learning differences.

The first is companies’ increased commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Despite the fact that one in five people in the United States is born with ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, or other atypical abilities, they’ve often been left out of discussions about DEI. But when an organization can honestly reflect on how its systems prioritize some groups over others—on whose needs get elevated and whose needs get sidelined—it creates new space for those with learning differences to make themselves heard."

How I learned to find work-life balance during the COVID-19 pandemic; ABA Journal, January 11, 2022

SATEESH NORI, ABA Journal; How I learned to find work-life balance during the COVID-19 pandemic

"I now realize that I did not have a healthy work-life balance for most of my career. I was sleep-deprived, constantly moving from meeting to meeting, and was never able to reflect on what was and is most important to me as a human being. I need to protect myself from the exhaustion, burnout and cynicism that was building within me about my work. I need to save time for those moments in life with my friends and family that I will cherish at the end of the road.

I will move forward with this perspective, grateful for it, fortunate about the privilege that I relied upon during the pandemic, and eager to pass this insight on to others."

Americans are tuning out as omicron rages. Experts call for health messaging to adapt; NPR, January 12, 2022

YUKI NOGUCHI, NPR; Americans are tuning out as omicron rages. Experts call for health messaging to adapt

"Some say the messaging needs to shift to become shorter and simpler and even nod to a brighter future when the pandemic is over...

The problem with COVID-19 messaging, of course, is that the pandemic is not simple to understand. And public health recommendations are based on an evolving understanding of new science, so messages are necessarily complex and they change frequently.

Normally, whether it's seat belt recommendations or smoking cessation, messages do not change often. Yet even consistent messages take time for the public to absorb.

"The challenge we always have with communications, they always say people need to hear things seven times before it really sticks," says Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association...

But vaccines also offer an opportunity for more effective messaging, Benjamin says. Vaccines have altered the threat that COVID-19 poses to people who are vaccinated, he says, and public health leaders can acknowledge that progress and give people a road map for the future, based on how previous pandemics have ended. He argues that people might be more receptive to listening to messages if they're focused on looking forward.

"There is a reluctance to give people information because we're afraid of being wrong three months from now, but I think we do need to give people a sense of hope and we need to tell people what we anticipate going forward and how this ends," he says."

Meet the 2022 I Love My Librarian Award Winners; American Libraries, January 10, 2022

 Chase Ollis, American Libraries ; Meet the 2022 I Love My Librarian Award Winners

ALA honors 10 librarians for outstanding service

"On January 10 the American Library Association (ALA) announced the 10 winners of this year’s I Love My Librarian Award, nominated by patrons for their expertise, dedication, and profound impact in their communities. Three academic librarians, three public librarians, three school librarians, and one prison librarian are receiving the award this year...

John Paul Mahofski

Correctional Librarian

Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, Maryland

During his time at Eastern Correctional Institution (ECI), Mahofski (or “Mr. M,” as most of his patrons know him) has introduced programs that have improved library and information services for the prison population he serves, notably creative writing, typing, and summer reading. For some programs, participants received a certificate of completion.

When the pandemic forced the library space to close, Mahofski pivoted library services to a bookmobile model, delivering materials and information requests to and from inmates multiple times a week. The bookmobile model was extended to similarly transport homework between teachers and students in ECI, and it was later adapted by other institutional libraries.

Mr. M “does everything in his power to make the brief time we have in the library an enjoyable and useful experience,” his nominator wrote."

When Librarians Unionize; Inside Higher Ed, January 12, 2022

 Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed; When Librarians Unionize

"‘These Are Incredibly Hard Times’

A 2020 study from the National Center for the Study of Collective Bargaining in Higher Education and the Professions at the City University of New York’s Hunter College found that more than a dozen new higher education bargaining units formed between 2013 and 2019 included librarians. William Herbert, executive director of the center, noted that student library workers at the University of Chicago formed a union in 2018, and he said he wouldn’t be surprised to see future library unionization efforts, particularly by nonfaculty librarians and library workers at other private institutions.

Honn said, “I think these are incredibly hard times for libraries and library workers everywhere. From public libraries being taken over by corporate and conservative boards bent on destroying a massively important public good to universities manufacturing austerity despite record returns on their endowments, libraries are definitely under attack.""

How to Get People to Speak Up in Virtual Meetings; Harvard Business Review (HBR), January 10, 2022

Joel Schwartzberg, Harvard Business Review (HBR); How to Get People to Speak Up in Virtual Meetings

"There’s no question that virtual meetings have made workplace communications easier. Not only are virtual meetings easier to arrange and attend (just count how many more Zoom meetings you have now compared to live meetings you had then), but features like chat, Q&A, breakout rooms, reaction icons, virtual whiteboards, and a range of apps have made it easier than ever to ask questions and request ideas from meeting attendees.

But proposing a question and receiving meaningful answers are two very different things, which brings up an age-old question with a modern twist: How do you ask for ideas or feedback during a virtual meeting in a way that returns valuable answers (and not just from the usual extroverts)?

Based on my experience leading meetings, working with meeting leaders, and exploring ways to improve virtual meeting effectiveness, below are eight tactics to get responses from even the most mute-happy meeting members.

1. Share Your Questions Ahead of Time

If you’re asking people for insight, it’s only fair to give them as much time as possible to think about the problem at hand. Once you’ve established who’s attending the meeting, email them up to five of the questions you will be asking. Place those questions in the meeting agenda and the calendar listing so everyone knows what’s coming and can prepare."

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts gives an incomplete history lesson on judicial ethics; NBC News, January 4, 2022

Steven Lubet, Williams Memorial Professor at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, NBC News ; Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts gives an incomplete history lesson on judicial ethics

In his end of the year report, Roberts' argument for the court's independence from oversight omitted a key part of its history.

"His comments come amid increased calls for the Supreme Court to be subject to a code of ethics, like all other U.S. courts. As chief justice, though, Roberts has consistently defended the court’s refusal to adopt one, rejecting all suggestions of congressional or other oversight. His referring to Taft’s support for judicial independence seems to bolster that argument. But the story Roberts presented is oddly incomplete, omitting a crucial aspect of Taft’s legacy: Taft also believed that judges should be accountable for their conduct according to ethical standards developed outside the judiciary – a proposition that Roberts has politely but firmly rejected...

Another financial scandal, resulting in the resignation of Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas in 1969, spurred the ABA to re-examine the by-then-antiquated canons. The ABA promulgated the much-strengthened Code of Judicial Conduct in 1972. The Judicial Conference of the United States, with authority over the lower federal courts, officially adopted the code in 1973, as did every state judiciary in the following years. Though the code itself doesn’t include penalties, violations can lead to discipline in some circumstances.

That progress stopped at the Supreme Court steps. The Supreme Court has declined for over 50 years to adopt the Judicial Conference code, or any other, making it the only court in the U.S.without a formal set of ethics rules."

NYC Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB)

 NYC Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB)

"The main purpose of ethics laws lies not in punishing wrongdoing, but in preventing it, not in catching people, but in teaching them.

The Conflicts of Interest Board is the independent New York City agency tasked with administering, enforcing and interpreting Chapter 68 of the New York City Charter, the City's Conflicts of Interest Law, and Section 12-110 of the Administrative Code, the City's Annual Disclosure Law. We hope you'll enjoy learning more about this agency, and government ethics in general, by exploring the tabs on the left and the other offerings on our site.

Through a combination of engaging training, confidential advice, and vigorous enforcement, the Board seeks to prevent ethics questions from becoming ethics problems for public servants. Ultimately, however, integrity in City government rests upon all of us, public servant and private citizen alike. Only when each of us plays his or her part will the public trust inherent in public service be ensured."

New York mayor Eric Adams faces nepotism claim over job for brother; The Guardian, January 9, 2022

 Edward Helmore , The Guardian; New York mayor Eric Adams faces nepotism claim over job for brother

"Adams is a retired [sic] NYD officer. So is his brother, Bernard Adams, who most recently worked as assistant director of operations for parking and transportation at the medical campus of Virginia Commonwealth University but has now been appointed as deputy police commissioner with a $240,000-a-year salary. The move has exposed the mayor to accusations of nepotism.

Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, a good governance group, told City & State: “New Yorkers expect that public servants are hired based on their unique qualifications and not because they are the mayor’s brother.”

Lerner said the approval of the city conflict of interest board would be required, but “even with a waiver, the appointment of the mayor’s close relative does not inspire public confidence”.

On CNN, Adams said the board would “make the determination and we have a great system here in the city”.

“But let me be clear on this. My brother is qualified for the position. Number one, he will be in charge of my security, which is extremely important to me in a time when we see an increase in white supremacy and hate crimes. I have to take my security in a very serious way.""

UNESCO AI Ethics Impacting 2022 Global Startups And Humanity’s Billions; Forbes, December 30, 2021

Stephen Ibaraki, Forbes; UNESCO AI Ethics Impacting 2022 Global Startups And Humanity’s Billions

"AI influences nearly 8 billion people and human & earth diverse ecosystems on an unprecedented scale. Startups accelerate to incorporate AI innovation as AI tools proliferate. UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The UNESCO recommendations on the ethics of AI recently adopted by member states provides a foundational global agreement on AI Ethics. The global UNESCO AI recommendations in 2022 guides governments, industry, education, academia, non-profits, media, investments, and startups. This filters into national and international policies and regulatory frameworks and operational guidance across all industries. The objectives ultimately drive emerging AI driven technologies that are trustworthy, safe, human-centered for the benefit of people and humanity. 

The focus in this article is the IRCAI – International Research Center on Artificial Intelligence under the auspices of UNESCO. The article is guided by the daily pro bono work I do across more than 100,00 CEOs, investors, experts, and scientists." 

President Biden, creatives need copyright champions in the federal government ; The Hill, January 7, 2022

  

RUTH VITALE, THE HILL; President Biden, creatives need copyright champions in the federal government 

"The copyright industries bring not only cultural but also economic prosperity to our country. They contribute $1.5 trillion per year of value to the U.S. GDP, accounting for 7.41 percent of the national economy. U.S. copyright products sold overseas amounted to nearly $219 billion in sales in 2019 – more than other major industries including pharmaceuticals, aerospace, and agriculture. 

President Biden has personally demonstrated long-standing support for the creative industries. As a senator 20 years ago, he convened a hearing called “Theft of American Intellectual Property: Fighting Crime Abroad and at Home.” As vice president, over 10 years ago, he helped to implement a new law that created the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator. Unequivocally, he stated, “Piracy is theft. Clean and simple.”...

Infringing content draws users to platforms, helping to fuel BigTech’s ascent to previously inconceivable heights of wealth. Meanwhile, digital pirates are stealing the rightful earnings of hard-working Americans, facilitated by Big Tech. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates that digital piracy takes between $29.2 billion and $71 billion from the national economy every year. It also takes away between 230,000 and 560,000 American jobs...

I remain hopeful that President Biden’s future appointments will better reflect his lengthy and strong record in support of respect for copyright. Specifically, the position of U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) is open once again.  

As the president knows better than anyone else, the person serving in the IPEC’s role oversees Executive Office efforts to curb piracy, domestically and abroad. The previous IPEC was confirmed by the Senate in August of 2017 – today, during a critical moment for the creative communities, the position is vacant."

How Emotionally Intelligent People Use the 'Emergency Exit Rule' to Win Almost Every Argument; Inc., January 9, 2022

BILL MURPHY JR., Inc.; 

How Emotionally Intelligent People Use the 'Emergency Exit Rule' to Win Almost Every Argument

Give the other side an emotional victory, so you can achieve your ultimate goal.

"Here’s the key takeaway: People who have high emotional intelligence understand that if you want to be more persuasive and even win most arguments, it’s important to do two things:

• Avoid distracting, emotional mini-controversies.
• Offer easy ways for people to overcome emotional objections, and more easily follow the path you want them to take.

I call this the whole concept the "Emergency Exit Rule." It's about planting seeds that allow people to save face and maintain their pride-;while ultimately agreeing with you."

Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, on what physicians need to know about ethics in 2022; American Medical Association (AMA), January 5, 2022

American Medical Association (AMA); Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, on what physicians need to know about ethics in 2022

"AMA's Moving Medicine video series amplifies physician voices and highlights developments and achievements throughout medicine.

Kicking off 2022 with the AMA's "Look Forward/Look Back” series, AMA Chief Experience Officer Todd Unger talks with Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, the AMA's vice president of ethics, about the AMA's critical work in medical ethics and what to expect in the months ahead.

Speaker

• Audiey Kao, MD, PhD, vice president, ethics, AMA...

Unger: One of the things I've learned, I know over the past year of talking to so many different physicians is, whatever was wrong with health care going into the pandemic certainly became a lot worse, exposed so many issues. When physicians make decisions on things like a prognosis, we have found that the cards are already stacked against patients who've been medically underserved. What ethical guidance did the AMA provide about responding to health inequities that we've seen during the pandemic?

Dr. Kao: Respecting human dignity is one of the core principles underlying the AMA Code of Medical Ethics. And so, the Code, for example, offers guidance to physicians in how to realize their ethical responsibility to address health disparities and inequities. That said, we have also seen how the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected historically marginalized and minoritized populations who have been long oppressed by racist policies and structures.

This past June, the AMA Journal of Ethics published an entire issue on the topic of transgenerational trauma and how clinicians can respond to individuals and communities to address the health inequities created by such trauma.

Unger: Dr. Kao, you have talked to a lot of physicians and other experts throughout the pandemic on ethics-based issues. I'd love to hear about any standout conversations, any meaningful stories that come to mind when you think about those conversations?

Dr. Kao: Yeah. As you know Todd, when the pandemic started, the journal got creative and developed a series COVID-related in interviews, and I had the privilege of interviewing many thoughtful and engaging individuals. Some that come to mind include Doctors Ceasar and Charles, who helped to start White Coats for Black Lives.

The interview I conducted with Professor Ibram Kendi about what it means to be an anti-racist also stands out in my mind. I also had the opportunity to interview physician poet, Rafael Campo and political cartoonist Matt Wuerker, about the pandemic through the lens of their respective art forms.

I'm particularly of our focus on the pandemic's impact on some of the most vulnerable among us, including individuals experiencing homelessness, those who are living in jails and prisons and those working in low wage jobs, who frankly didn't have the luxury working from home."

2021 Year in Review; American Libraries, January 3, 2022

American Libraries ; 2021 Year in Review

Looking back at the news that affected libraries

"Wong’s election makes ALA history

At the conclusion of the 2021 Annual Conference Virtual, Patricia “Patty” M. Wong began her term as the first Asian American to serve as ALA president...

Biden, Obama address librarians

First Lady Jill Biden delivered the Closing Session speech at ALA’s 2021 Midwinter Meeting Virtual, and former president Barack Obama closed the 2021 Annual Conference and Exhibition Virtual...

Core values come under fire

The year saw increasing challenges and protests at library and school board meetings over materials and curricula, particularly those addressing race and the legacy of slavery. On August 18 ALA’s Executive Board joined dozens of other institutions in defense of intellectual freedom and social justice in the classroom: “As members of a profession committed to free and equitable access to information and the pursuit of truth, we stand firm in opposing any effort to suppress knowledge, to label ‘controversial’ views, or dictate what is orthodox in history, politics, or belief...

ALA speaks out against anti-Asian hate crimes

On March 11, the ALA Executive Board issued a statement in solidarity with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association’s stance recognizing and condemning anti-Asian violence. The Executive Board called on ALA members to condemn the “wave of anti-Asian language, hate speech, and physical assaults on streets across the country, in media reports, in statements by politicians, and on social media related to the origins of COVID-19.”"

What Libraries Need to Know about the Digital Equity Act; American Libraries, December 28, 2021

Michelle Frisque, American Libraries ; What Libraries Need to Know about the Digital Equity Act

Tips to maximize support and funding for your library’s digital inclusion goals

"What does the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) mean for libraries?

Signed into law by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021, IIJA includes a historic investment in advancing digital equity and an opportunity for libraries to leverage and expand their roles in that work.

The Digital Equity Act (DEA), a provision within IIJA, includes a federal investment of $2.75 billion over five years to promote digital equity, literacy, and inclusion initiatives at the local, state, and national levels. Libraries of all types will be eligible to apply.

As DEA states, broadband connections are critical for participation in society, the economy, civic institutions, health care, education, and digital careers."