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How Do the Seven Major Themes about the Algorithm Era Impact LIS?

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 How do these themes impact LIS? How can librarians and other information professionals work to mitigate themes four and five? How can librarians and others work to increase algorithmic literacy? Link to Pew's article Code Dependent:Pros and Cons of Algorithm Age: http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/02/08/code-dependent-pros-and-cons-of-the-algorithm-age/

To ALA or Not?

Someone on a list I'm on recently posted that they were hesitant to renew their ALA membership because of the recent ALA press release scandal.  You can read about it on Librarian in Black here:  http://librarianinblack.net/librarianinblack/alastatements/ . The person who posted asked the group what they thought about renewing their memberships.  Below is my response. I'm not a member of the ALA, but I work with them on issues concerning Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.  I'm on the ALA EDI implementation Work Group and I try to represent marginalized people who can't afford membership or conference participation (among other things).   I would say that ALA has been made progress due in large part to work by people like Melissa Cardenas-Dow, Trevor Dawes, Martin Garner and many others who are strongly committed to EDI in ALA and in libraries in general.  I would also say that the constituency should scrutinize candidate's actual wor...

MLK Day, 2017 #InnovationNOTRepetition

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One of the greatest tragedies of the civil rights era was the inability, or unwillingness, of people who achieved positions via affirmative action to create real change for other POC.   # BougieFucks # TapedMouths # RunAwayFromUS # Vendidos # JoinedTheOtherSide Then those same assholes have the audacity to tell me to act White. They use code-words like Professional and Educated--but what they really mean is try to be White. The best they could do was try to give us tips on how to act White and get money for ourselves. # MLKDay2017 # IDontWantTOBeLIkeYou  We need change, we don't need to be told how to watch ourselves, how to 'behave' and how to survive in a world dominated by White people.  We need to learn how to change the world into a world that is friendly toward Black and Brown faces... This is a criticism of the recipients of Affirmative Action. People who are given power,  but are too scared to use it. They have their hands ti...

Fake News Stories are Related to Culture and Information Literacy

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[This blog post is a sketch of ideas. I plan on fleshing these ideas out.  I want to share them now though.] Fake News as Related to Culture and Information Literacy: The recent information that has come out about fake news sites and stories   that were shared on social media and influenced the recent elections are directly related to the concept of Information and Culture .  The idea of controlling public perception via the control of media was perfected by the Nazis' Josef Goebbels.  Now the ideas of Edward Bernays have been combined with Goebbels  techniques to manipulate and reinforce the idea of Whiteness in US culture. In many ways, this election was about Whiteness versus the alternative developing multicultural worldview that exist within the USA.  These ideas, because a lack of access to education and publishing by people of color, are still developing.  The pace this development has picked up steam recently. The backlash by the Racis...

Library Folks in Solidarity

Hush Cartridge Review: YMF (You and Me Forever) Indica

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Hush --if you don't know the name--you soon will.  They are an artisan cannabis product company that produces fine BHO products among other things. They use locally grown organic product to create some of the best tasting BHO cartridges on the Oregon market.   You can get their BHO cartridges at your local dispensary.  If they don't carry Hush--tel them to get with it! Photo courtesy of Glisan Buds This time my friends at Hush sent me a treat. YMF (You and Me Forever--a local farm name)I have not had an opportunity to try any concentrates with higher CBD content. I was in for a treat. The taste is intense, sweet and strong. It is an Indica breed--so I was ready for something strong.  Clocking in at over 73% total cannabinoids.  This was an instant all time favorite for me!  YMF BHO cartridge  testing analysis  After my first draw I was hit with an intense head rush that felt really good.  I grew energized after the second dra...

Book Review: Hip-Hop Family Tree Vols. 1 & 2

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I love comics, hip-hop, history and beautiful books.  All these things helped form who I am today. As a librarian I still love comics, hip-hop, history, and beautiful books. I feel it is important to cover these aspects in a library collection. Rarely do all these categories come in one work, but this series has it all.  I was stoked to receive this collection as a gift, but didn't get around to reading it until now. Amazingly beautiful slipcase! The Hip-Hop Family Tree by Ed Piskor Vols. 1 & 2 exceeds the bar of comics, art, hip-hop, history and beautiful books standards. It will make an invaluable addition to your library collection.  This comic is published by the amazing Fantagraphics press . Buy it now --your community will appreciate it.  Vol. 1 traces the history of Hip-Hop from the 1970's to 1981.  It is filled with little vignettes about seminal figures and events in Hip-Hop history.  The stories it tells begin in the bronx with kids ro...