librarypunk

We’re talking with Abby and Hal about NYC Public Library Action Network (PLAN)! Learn about what they’re doing, how you can help, how you can copy them, and what’s working for them by having a community-led library advocacy group that is separate from the library itself. 

How can people get involved?

nycplan.org 

Email your city councilmember

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/city-council-we-demand-half-a-percent-of-the-overall-cit...

We’re joined by the authors of Organize Your Library to talk about library labor, the future, the ALA union drive, and more!

Media mentioned

Organize Your Library! Developing the Collective Power of Library Workers https://alastore.ala.org/oryrlib

ALA union letter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v8ACD_ltC3ZW1JBJX6qdheD11xq7tBdR/view 

ALA union announcement: https://afscme31.org/news/american-library-association-employees-formin...

This week we’re joined by Steph to talk about fashion and librarianship: how it works, how they intersect, and how fashion is interdisciplinary. We also learn about how you get into this gig!

Media mentioned Good general article: Frederiksen, Linda. “Fashion by Design.” Library Journal, vol. 131, no. 10, June 2006, pp. 79–81. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=297645b9-2580-3b4f-bdae-8ee2344a2633.

Costume Institut...

Part 2 of our discussion with Jonny and Jez about SciOp, a torrent-focused data preservation project that encourages academics to help with the act of making data available. It’s distributed, it’s robust, and SciOp is working on making it easy to do.

contact@safeguar.de 

Contact Jonny: 

Fedi: https://elektrine.com/remote/jonny@neuromatch.social Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/jo.nny.rip

Media mentioned

https://sciop.net/

https://fo...

We’re talking with Jonny and Jez about SciOp, a torrent-focused data preservation project that encourages academics to help with the act of making data available. It’s distributed, it’s robust, and SciOp is working on making it easy to do.

contact@safeguar.de 

Contact Jonny: 

Fedi: https://elektrine.com/remote/jonny@neuromatch.social Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/jo.nny.rip

Media mentioned

https://sciop.net/

https://forum.safegua...

This week we’re joined by Hagen to talk about their new book on AI and labor/power/knowledge/eugenics. We also discuss some library Reddit developments. 

Media mentioned

https://juandavidcampolargo.substack.com/p/naperville-library-spy 

https://www.juandavidcampolargo.com/projects/naperlibspy 

https://www.commonnotions.org/buy/why-we-fear-ai

Transcript: https://pastecode.io/s/gesekv6i 

Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/qWPTurTnk...

It’s a fun one! We’re talking with Jessamyn about the public domain, new and old technology, blogging at the DNC, and lots of inside baseball.

Media mentioned

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessamyn_West_(librarian)

https://www.librarian.net/stax/5566/the-mining-of-the-public-domain/

https://jessamyn.com/tweets/ 

https://tararobertson.ca/2016/oob/ 

Request to Verify Eligibility for Free Ebooks for the Print Disabled https://docs.goo...

We’re back! We’re talking about weeding and library collections as government speech. 

Media mentioned

https://www.techdirt.com/2025/07/25/is-including-hidden-ai-prompts-in-academic-papers-gaming-the-peer-review-system-or-keeping-it-honest/ 

https://buttondown.com/wellsourced/archive/CREW-Method-Manual/

https://bookriot.com/little-vs-llano-county-fifth-circuit/ 

Transcript: https://pastecode.io/s/dgpnufmm 

Join the Discord: https:/...

We’re talking with Kevin again about workers inquiry as an organizing tool and the example of the pamphlet The American Worker from 1947.

Twitter: https://x.com/AmericanWork47 

readingstruggles.info

notesfrombelow.org 

Media mentioned

The American Worker on COVER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikphd5bNza4&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Ff9eaa73e-0b64-4316-a994-c97369b4e555.usrfiles.com%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY

“S...

This week we have Kay back on to talk about AI and what the refusal of AI means in terms of library practice and theory. 

Bsky: @kslater.bsky.social

Media mentioned

Kay’s article in Library Trends: Against AI: Critical Refusal in the Library

The AI Con (book) https://thecon.ai/ 

“Synthetic literacy” forthcoming from Dr. Kishonna Gray https://www.kishonnagray.com/ 

librarians doing infolit session part of that is telling the stude...

This week we’re talking with Young Adult author and children’s librarian Hal to talk about hir new book, vampires, monstrosity, the Old Internet, and the publishing landscape. 

Pre-order Fawn’s Blood here: https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4753-fawn-s-blood 

halschrieve.com 

Media mentioned

https://www.tumblr.com/librarycards

https://www.tumblr.com/gatheringbones 

Books/Literature

Small changes over long periods of time https://...

This week we’re talking about workers’ inquiry with the Blue Bottle Independent Union for cafe workers! Learn about workers’ inquiry, organization, and how you can do it too!

Media mentioned

Part 1 (on what cafe workers think and do while at work): https://notesfrombelow.org/article/class-composition-in-the-cafe-sector-part-1   

Part 2 (exploring how cafe workers are organizing at work): https://notesfrombelow.org/article/class-com...

Recording of our first ever live show! Guests Alison and Jennie talk with us about organizing, contracts, AI nonsense, updates, and more! You don’t want to miss the audience participation either! 

info@libraryfreedom.org Email for LFP mailing list. 

Media mentioned

SPARC contracts library: https://sparcopen.org/our-work/big-deal-knowledge-base/contracts-library/ 

Data Cartels, Sarah Lamdan - https://www.sup.org/books/law/data-carte...

We have David Demchuk on to talk about his new book The Butcher's Daughter. We also talk about more Canada updates, including how the backlash against queer and Black literature is evolving in the Canadian landscape with US backing. 

Media mentioned

https://www.techdirt.com/2025/03/19/youtube-apparently-unsure-if-shakespeare-is-in-the-public-domain/

Get the book here:

https://sohopress.com/books/the-butchers-daughter-the-hitherto-...

We’re talking with Kelly about the IMLS executive order and fallout. 

Kelly on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/heykellyjensen.bsky.social 

Literary Activism Newsletter: https://bookriot.com/newsletter/literary-activism/ 

Media mentioned

https://mn.gov/mmb/budget/federal-investments/data-and-reporting/

https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/virginia/virginia-beach-moca-museum-of-contemporary-art-federal-grant-terminated/29...

We're doing a commentary track for Party Girl! Download this and manually sync up while you listen.

You can also download a version with the Party Girl audio ducked while we talk here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/krw8v6bq8hh5d6b2svmif/149final.mp3?rlkey=925eywxqlana90acil7eeaqsd&st=hbgjxs3n&dl=0 

You can also join the discord to see other ways to enjoy this track!

Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/zzEpV9QEAG

Transcri...

This week we’re talking with the editors of the new book Censorship is a Drag. We talk about putting yourself on the line, personal and professional risks, and reacting to the latest administration’s onslaught against queer people. 

Order Censorship is a Drag here: https://litwinbooks.com/books/censorship-is-a-drag/

Media mentioned

The Joy of Gay Sex: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-joy-of-gay-sex-charles-silversteinfeli...

We’re talking with Josh from TWOAPW about Patmos Public Library, his personal connections to it, and the issues around public library funding and censorship of LGTBQ materials. 

https://www.worstpossible.world/ 

https://www.twitch.tv/traditional_scrench 

TWOAPW Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kp7xkxfutoinhqeg3sfswghd

Media Mentioned

Segment: https://www.kcrg.com/2025/02/25/bill-ban-obscene-material-iowa-libraries-advances...

We’re talking with Nicole of Brave Co-op about their overdose sensors, and Samantha of Guelph Public Library. Trigger warning: death by overdose is mentioned several times

Media mentioned

https://www.brave.coop/about

Welcoming Streets Guelph: https://guelphchc.ca/welcoming-streets/

Hope House Guelph: https://www.hopehouseguelph.ca/

Facts on Narcan and fent test strips in Texas: https://www.trs.texas.gov/Pages/healthcare-news-202301...