Copyright affects so much of the creative content we interact with and create... not just a painting we may see in a museum or a novel we are reading, but also the emails we ourselves send, the blogs and articles we write, and the photos we take and post. Copy That! Copyright Basics for Library Professionals is a three-part series focusing on basic principles of U.S. copyright law and its impact on us as library professionals, and in our own creative lives. Part 1 will get into what intellectual property is, what copyright law in the U.S. protects (and what it doesn’t), and how long it lasts. We will also briefly touch on how U.S. copyright connects to other countries through treaties. Some key takeaways from the presentation will be: An understanding of the types of rights granted to creators under U.S. copyright law How the law determines copyright ownership of a particular work The duration of copyright protections and how works enter the public domain

About This Session What is the decentralized web, why is it important, and where is it along the path of development? How does Web 3 differ from Web 2? How does blockchain and cryptocurrencies fit into the ecosystem? Who are the players working to realize this vision? Why is the Internet Archive, a library, a leader in the decentralized web movement? Join us to hear from Wendy Hanamura, Director of Partnerships at the Internet Archive, and Brewster Kahle, founder and Digital Librarian of the Internet Archive on what the decentralized web means for library and archives workers. About This Series The World Wide Web started with so much promise: to connect people across any distance, to allow anyone to become a publisher, and to democratize access to knowledge. However, today the Web seems to be failing us. It’s not private, secure, or unifying. The internet has, in large part, ended up centralizing access and power in the hands of a few dominant platforms. What if we could build something better—what some are calling Web 3.0 or the decentralized web? In this series of six workshops, we’ll explore the ways in which moving to decentralized technologies may enhance your privacy, empower you to control your own data, and resist censorship. Join us to hear from experts in the leading peer-to-peer technologies, from identity to data storage. We’ll see demonstrations of blockchains, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and decentralized storage projects in action. Learn how Web 3.0 might yet create systems that empower individuals by eliminating central points of control. This series is a partnership between Internet Archive, DWeb, Library Futures, and Metropolitan New York Library Council. About Our Presenters Wendy Hanamura is the Director of Partnerships at the Internet Archive, one of the world’s largest digital libraries. She helps to steward the DWeb community (GetDWeb.net) that now encompasses ten global nodes of technologists, policymakers, artists and activists all working to build a better web. Hanamura produced the Decentralized Web Summits in 2016 & 2018, and DWeb Camp in 2019. At the Internet Archive, her areas of responsibility include communication and content strategy, strategic planning, and partnership building, all in service of the Internet Archive’s mission: universal access to knowledge. Hanamura was also an Emmy Award-winning television producer & correspondent (CBS, NHK, PBS, KCET/Link) and serves on the boards or advisory panels of the Filecoin Foundation, Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web, Earth Species Project, Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance, and Whose Knowledge? A passionate advocate for public Internet access and a successful entrepreneur, Brewster Kahle has spent his career intent on a singular focus: providing Universal Access to All Knowledge. He is the founder and Digital Librarian of the Internet Archive, one of the largest libraries in the world. Soon after graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he studied artificial intelligence, Kahle helped found the company Thinking Machines, a supercomputer maker. In 1989, Kahle created the Internet’s first publishing system called Wide Area Information Server (WAIS), later selling the company to AOL. Kahle is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Internet Hall of Fame. In 1996, Kahle co-founded Alexa Internet, which helps catalog the Web, selling it to Amazon.com in 1999. The Internet Archive, which he founded in 1996, now preserves 99 petabytes of data—the books, Web pages, music, television, and software of our cultural heritage, working with more than 800+ library and university partners to create a digital library, accessible to all.

Oak Park Public Library in Illinois built a comprehensive combined social services and public safety model over the past six years. Rob Simmons, Oak Park's Director of Social Services and Public Safety, has been instrumental in creating innovative programs including free mental health assessment and counseling services, educational support for low-income students, supportive housing advocacy, and employment assistance. Rob will share insights on what's worked best, highlighting the engagement strategies and strategic partnerships that play a crucial role in serving the library’s most vulnerable patrons. Attendees can expect to: Understand how a public library system can integrate a social services model into its organization Learn best-practice engagement strategies that are effective with vulnerable patrons Learn ways to engage community-based partnerships to help serve vulnerable patrons Rob Simmons started his role as Director of Social Services and Public Safety at Oak Park Public Library (IL) in March 2016. Rob is one of the first social workers hired to integrate a social services model into a public library system in the United States. His innovative work has resulted in programs that provide resources such as: free mental health assessments and counseling, educational support for low-income students, supportive housing advocacy, and employment assistance. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University, and a Master’s degree in Social-Service Administration from The University of Chicago.

2021 was quite a year for Facebook. New details that emerged from leaked documents proved that, as nefarious as Facebook is for users here in the United States, the reality for other countries is far worse. Join our data privacy + security experts Dan Ayala and Gary Price for a discussion on how Facebook functions behind the scenes, how their corporate decision-making makes its users vulnerable, and the implications of these decisions on populations around the world. In this session, you will learn: How likes, shares, and thumb-stoppers create an online environment where mis- and dis-information spreads rapidly How recent revelations shed light on how Facebook prioritizes the needs of governments over the needs of residents Why we as library workers should stay informed on the way Facebook (mis)uses information, and what it means for library patrons

Want to learn more about prison abolition? Looking to explore the role of information in the prison industrial complex? Excited to discuss ways we can collectively offer resources to address violence caused by mass incarceration? Join the club (literally!). This monthly discussion group with Prison Library Support Network will look at a rotating calendar of media resources for discussion, meeting the 2nd Monday of each month at 7:30pm. While the group's facilitators (and host) are affiliated with libraries, you do not need to be a librarian or information professional to attend this group. We will share our discussion calendar regularly through METRO and the PLSN listserv, so that folks can plan ahead to attend the months that sound interesting to them. Join us this month for a special Valentine's Day podcast discussion about love and romance behind bars. Ear Hustle episodes (45 minutes) can be listened to directly from the website, Spotify, or however you get your podcasts. For our discussion please listen to the following episodes: Prime Real Estate Hold That Space I Want the Fairy Tale Optional: The Boom Boom Room (note that this episode is about sex and while not explicit, listener discretion is advised)

Facebook broke news in 2021 that it is creating an umbrella company through which it is poised to create a virtual reality. Living life through avatars in a new world has long been the subject of science fiction; now, though, technology is moving closer to making virtual reality, well... a reality. Join our data privacy + security experts Dan Ayala and Gary Price for a discussion on what the Metaverse could mean for library services, how we might prepare for a new mode of human interaction, and how data privacy issues could fare as folks begin to imagine life as citizens of the Metaverse. In this session, you will learn: How and why data privacy issues will be impacted in virtual reality settings How library services might change should virtual reality become a thing The implications for a continued shift in how humans interact with the internet

Copyright affects so much of the creative content we interact with and create... not just a painting we may see in a museum or a novel we are reading, but also the emails we ourselves send, the blogs and articles we write, and the photos we take and post. Copy That! Copyright Basics for Library Professionals is a three-part series focusing on basic principles of U.S. copyright law and its impact on us as library professionals, and in our own creative lives. Part 2 will focus on exceptions and limitations in U.S. copyright law, and the ways they play a part in how libraries operate. These include the first-sale doctrine, library exceptions under Section 108 of U.S. copyright law, and fair use. We will also discuss protections for digital content under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Some key takeaways from the presentation will be: How exceptions in U.S. copyright law grant libraries the ability to lend physical materials and make copies for patrons An examination of the four factors of fair use, and how they apply to specific copyright cases Ways in which copyright law has adapted to the digital age

About This Session Libraries understand the headache of storing materials. How do you create room for an ever-expanding collection? What if you don’t want to weed materials to make room? Enter decentralized storage—a network of P-2-P servers that store materials across a global network in exchange for cryptocurrency. What problems does this solve? What problems does this create? Where is the state of decentralized storage today? About This Series The World Wide Web started with so much promise: to connect people across any distance, to allow anyone to become a publisher, and to democratize access to knowledge. However, today the Web seems to be failing us. It’s not private, secure, or unifying. The internet has, in large part, ended up centralizing access and power in the hands of a few dominant platforms. What if we could build something better—what some are calling Web 3.0 or the decentralized web? In this series of six workshops, we’ll explore the ways in which moving to decentralized technologies may enhance your privacy, empower you to control your own data, and resist censorship. Join us to hear from experts in the leading peer-to-peer technologies, from identity to data storage. We’ll see demonstrations of blockchains, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and decentralized storage projects in action. Learn how Web 3.0 might yet create systems that empower individuals by eliminating central points of control. This series is a partnership between Internet Archive, DWeb, Library Futures, and Metropolitan New York Library Council.

Want to learn more about prison abolition? Looking to explore the role of information in the prison industrial complex? Excited to discuss ways we can collectively offer resources to address violence caused by mass incarceration? Join the club (literally!). This monthly discussion group with Prison Library Support Network will look at a rotating calendar of media resources for discussion, meeting the 2nd Monday of each month at 7:30pm. While the group's facilitators (and host) are affiliated with libraries, you do not need to be a librarian or information professional to attend this group. We will share our discussion calendar regularly through METRO and the PLSN listserv, so that folks can plan ahead to attend the months that sound interesting to them. Join us this month for a discussion on the realities of motherhood and pregnancy while incarcerated. Digitized issue of Tenacious Zine #5 Mothers Day issue Excerpt from Tenacious Issue 27 Tutwiler: A Marshall Project/Frontline documentary (30 minutes, video) The Realities of Pregnancy and Mothering While Incarcerated (PDF article - recommended) Optional: Pregnant Behind Bars: What We Do and Don't Know About Pregnancy and Incarceration, NPR Radio Interview (4 minutes, audio) Mothers leaving prison try reconnecting with family (7 minutes, video)

Providing robust readers’ advisory service that values equity, diversity, and inclusion principles is essential to all library service. Moving from being a neutral, well-meaning library where systemic racism is acknowledged to an actively anti-racist organization involves work. In this program you will learn tangible skills to help build enthusiasm for reading and discovering diverse books, begin to deepen RA service through thoughtful inclusion of EDI principles in all interactions with leisure readers, and develop the skills necessary to be a steward of an anti-racist mindset for your organization. Readers’ advisory and collection development experts Becky Spratford and Robin Bradford will make a case for moving away from merely discussing "why" to put EDI concerns at the forefront of your work with readers to "how." Their presentation includes an honest look at actionable steps for all staff. While it may seem uncomfortable at first, Becky and Robin will help you shift your focus, allowing your entire organization to craft an actionable plan to incorporate EDI values into your normal RA practices. In Part 1, Robin will discuss strategies for building a collection development plan that begins actively breaking down the systems of oppression that have been built over centuries but cannot be allowed to stand any longer. About our presenter: Robin Bradford is currently a collection development librarian in Washington State. During her 29 years of library life, she has been recognized for service to readers, genre readers especially, from institutions like Library Journal to RWA’s Cathie Linz Librarian of the Year in 2016. Robin is a book addict and has a long-time dedication to helping others discover a love of reading. She has earned a BA and MA in English, a MS in Library Science, and a JD, but has found a home in building reader-focused, popular collections in public libraries. She has worked with authors to help get their titles into these collections, worked with librarians to push for equal treatment of genre fiction, and worked with readers so that they can find their favorite authors on their library's shelves.

Copyright affects so much of the creative content we interact with and create... not just a painting we may see in a museum or a novel we are reading, but also the emails we ourselves send, the blogs and articles we write, and the photos we take and post. Copy That! Copyright Basics for Library Professionals is a three-part series focusing on basic principles of U.S. copyright law and its impact on us as library professionals, and in our own creative lives. Part 3 will look at how licensing works for libraries, including licensed databases, e-book lending, open educational resources, and controlled digital lending. We will also discuss collection digitization and ways to minimize risk when using materials that are protected by copyright. Some key takeaways from the presentation will be: How copyright plays into database and e-book licensing Tips on researching the copyright status, and options for licensing or determining a fair-use argument for works you wish to use Why complying with copyright law and clearing necessary permissions with rights holders is important

About This Session Want your FedEx package? Now you must allow the company to scan your ID. Check into a hotel? Hand over your passport. Rent an e-bike? Key in your driver's license, which includes your address, birthdate, and weight. What if you could maintain control over your personal identity and share only what is needed? Enter decentralized or self-sovereign identity (SSI). In the future, we believe each person will hold an e-wallet and control his/her/their own personal information. About This Series The World Wide Web started with so much promise: to connect people across any distance, to allow anyone to become a publisher, and to democratize access to knowledge. However, today the Web seems to be failing us. It’s not private, secure, or unifying. The internet has, in large part, ended up centralizing access and power in the hands of a few dominant platforms. What if we could build something better—what some are calling Web 3.0 or the decentralized web? In this series of six workshops, we’ll explore the ways in which moving to decentralized technologies may enhance your privacy, empower you to control your own data, and resist censorship. Join us to hear from experts in the leading peer-to-peer technologies, from identity to data storage. We’ll see demonstrations of blockchains, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and decentralized storage projects in action. Learn how Web 3.0 might yet create systems that empower individuals by eliminating central points of control. This series is a partnership between Internet Archive, DWeb, Library Futures, and Metropolitan New York Library Council.

Providing robust readers’ advisory service that values equity, diversity, and inclusion principles is essential to all library service. Moving from being a neutral, well-meaning library where systemic racism is acknowledged to an actively anti-racist organization involves work. In this program you will learn tangible skills to help build enthusiasm for reading and discovering diverse books, begin to deepen RA service through thoughtful inclusion of EDI principles in all interactions with leisure readers, and develop the skills necessary to be a steward of an anti-racist mindset for your organization. Readers’ advisory and collection development experts Becky Spratford and Robin Bradford will make a case for moving away from merely discussing "why" to put EDI concerns at the forefront of your work with readers to "how." Their presentation includes an honest look at actionable steps for all staff. While it may seem uncomfortable at first, Becky and Robin will help you shift your focus, allowing your entire organization to craft an actionable plan to incorporate EDI values into your normal RA practices. In Part 2, Becky will outline ways to approach readers’ advisory so that the discovery and circulation of titles written by marginalized voices in all libraries is not treated as a trend, but as a requirement. About our presenter: Becky Spratford, MLIS, is a Readers' Advisor in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All. She is under contract to provide content for EBSCO’s NoveList database and writes reviews for Booklist and a horror review column for Library Journal. Becky is a 20-year locally elected Library Trustee (still serving) and a Board member for the Reaching Across Illinois Library System. Known for her work with horror readers, Becky is the author of The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, Third Edition (ALA Editions, 2021). She is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and currently serves as the Association’s Secretary and organizer of their annual Librarians’ Day. You can follow Becky on Twitter @RAforAll.

Providing robust readers’ advisory service that values equity, diversity, and inclusion principles is essential to all library service. Moving from being a neutral, well-meaning library where systemic racism is acknowledged to an actively anti-racist organization involves work. In this program you will learn tangible skills to help build enthusiasm for reading and discovering diverse books, begin to deepen RA service through thoughtful inclusion of EDI principles in all interactions with leisure readers, and develop the skills necessary to be a steward of an anti-racist mindset for your organization. Readers’ advisory and collection development experts Becky Spratford and Robin Bradford will make a case for moving away from merely discussing "why" to put EDI concerns at the forefront of your work with readers to "how." Their presentation includes an honest look at actionable steps for all staff. While it may seem uncomfortable at first, Becky and Robin will help you shift your focus, allowing your entire organization to craft an actionable plan to incorporate EDI values into your normal RA practices. In Part 3, join Robin and Becky for an open discussion as they help you craft an actionable plan to begin this important journey. About our presenters: Becky Spratford, MLIS, is a Readers' Advisor in Illinois specializing in serving patrons ages 13 and up. She trains library staff all over the world on how to match books with readers through the local public library. She runs the critically acclaimed RA training blog RA for All. She is under contract to provide content for EBSCO’s NoveList database and writes reviews for Booklist and a horror review column for Library Journal. Becky is a 20-year locally elected Library Trustee (still serving) and a Board member for the Reaching Across Illinois Library System. Known for her work with horror readers, Becky is the author of The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Horror, Third Edition (ALA Editions, 2021). She is a proud member of the Horror Writers Association and currently serves as the Association’s Secretary and organizer of their annual Librarians’ Day. You can follow Becky on Twitter @RAforAll. Robin Bradford is currently a collection development librarian in Washington State. During her 29 years of library life, she has been recognized for service to readers, genre readers especially, from institutions like Library Journal to RWA’s Cathie Linz Librarian of the Year in 2016. Robin is a book addict and has a long-time dedication to helping others discover a love of reading. She has earned a BA and MA in English, a MS in Library Science, and a JD, but has found a home in building reader-focused, popular collections in public libraries. She has worked with authors to help get their titles into these collections, worked with librarians to push for equal treatment of genre fiction, and worked with readers so that they can find their favorite authors on their library's shelves.

About This Session Facebook, Twitter... we’ve seen them go awry when faced with the scourges of misinformation and trolling. In authoritarian regimes, entire platforms are easily blocked. Would decentralized social media, where there is no central controlling entity, be better? How do you take down damaging posts when there is no central command center? We walk you through some of the top decentralized social media platforms, from Matrix to Twitter’s Blue Sky initiative. Expect possible break-out rooms to try to get you on some of these systems. About This Series The World Wide Web started with so much promise: to connect people across any distance, to allow anyone to become a publisher, and to democratize access to knowledge. However, today the Web seems to be failing us. It’s not private, secure, or unifying. The internet has, in large part, ended up centralizing access and power in the hands of a few dominant platforms. What if we could build something better—what some are calling Web 3.0 or the decentralized web? In this series of six workshops, we’ll explore the ways in which moving to decentralized technologies may enhance your privacy, empower you to control your own data, and resist censorship. Join us to hear from experts in the leading peer-to-peer technologies, from identity to data storage. We’ll see demonstrations of blockchains, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and decentralized storage projects in action. Learn how Web 3.0 might yet create systems that empower individuals by eliminating central points of control. This series is a partnership between Internet Archive, DWeb, Library Futures, and Metropolitan New York Library Council.

About This Session When artists, nonprofits, even the NBA are racking up seven-figure payouts for otherwise mundane pieces of media, the world takes notice. What are NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and why are they so popular? Why are they so despised? In this session, we look at the crazy breakthrough apps and items that have “broken” the decentralized web, from CryptoKitties to NFTs. We’ll show you some of the fun and wacky ways people are using the decentralized web. About This Series The World Wide Web started with so much promise: to connect people across any distance, to allow anyone to become a publisher, and to democratize access to knowledge. However, today the Web seems to be failing us. It’s not private, secure, or unifying. The internet has, in large part, ended up centralizing access and power in the hands of a few dominant platforms. What if we could build something better—what some are calling Web 3.0 or the decentralized web? In this series of six workshops, we’ll explore the ways in which moving to decentralized technologies may enhance your privacy, empower you to control your own data, and resist censorship. Join us to hear from experts in the leading peer-to-peer technologies, from identity to data storage. We’ll see demonstrations of blockchains, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and decentralized storage projects in action. Learn how Web 3.0 might yet create systems that empower individuals by eliminating central points of control. This series is a partnership between Internet Archive, DWeb, Library Futures, and Metropolitan New York Library Council.

About This Session Web 1.0 and 2.0 started out full of idealism, too. What is to prevent Web 3.0 from being corrupted by profit, market domination, and bad actors? What is the normative or social layer we need to build alongside the tech? About This Series The World Wide Web started with so much promise: to connect people across any distance, to allow anyone to become a publisher, and to democratize access to knowledge. However, today the Web seems to be failing us. It’s not private, secure, or unifying. The internet has, in large part, ended up centralizing access and power in the hands of a few dominant platforms. What if we could build something better—what some are calling Web 3.0 or the decentralized web? In this series of six workshops, we’ll explore the ways in which moving to decentralized technologies may enhance your privacy, empower you to control your own data, and resist censorship. Join us to hear from experts in the leading peer-to-peer technologies, from identity to data storage. We’ll see demonstrations of blockchains, cryptocurrency, NFTs, and decentralized storage projects in action. Learn how Web 3.0 might yet create systems that empower individuals by eliminating central points of control. This series is a partnership between Internet Archive, DWeb, Library Futures, and Metropolitan New York Library Council.