Author: Ross Sempek
Hulu Shushes “Sunny”
Hulu is a streaming platform where you can choose the content you want to watch. And with a recent upgrade, it’s now a platform that chooses the content you really shouldn’t watch.
Conspiracy Theories and Intellectual Freedom
Ryan Dowd is great. He really is – his positive attitude and commitment to empathy for all human beings is something the world needs, especially in this current moment. But, I have to remind myself, Ryan Dowd is not a librarian.
Every Canceller Its Book, and Every Book Its Canceller
Harper’s Magazine recently ran an open letter calling for the reestablishment of open debate in this culture war being fought on the front lines of social media. It was refreshing to learn of a written rebuttal to this open letter, but the cause would benefit more if you didn’t read it at all.
Your Bookshelf May Be Part of the Problem: A Rebuttal
I’m relieved that Juan Vidal is not a librarian. The condescending and short-sighted tone of his article “Your Bookshelf May Be Part of the Problem” is so anathema to librarianship and the joy of reading it made my face contort.
Meta-Information Literacy: Checking-in on Twitter’s Battle Against Disinformation
Twitter’s format of quick-bite information does more harm than good to one’s information literacy development. But the company’s recent partnership with UNESCO to promulgate this modern-day imperative is a step in the right direction.
Oregon’s Stand-Against-Hate Initiative: DOJ compelled to document extralegal speech under amended intimidation statute.
Oregon’s new stand-against-hate initiative is, in part, a reaction to the fatal MAX stabbings in Portland three years ago. But asking the government to intervene in our extralegal interactions does more to divide us than it does to unite. Especially when these interventions call for the compiling of data on speech that is of no legal consequence whatsoever.
Woody Allen’s Book Cancellation is Apropos of Today’s Discourse
The ability to stymy humiliation, to withhold judgement about intellectual pursuits is a pillar of intellectual freedom. Hachette’s recent move to cancel Woody Allen’s memoir represents an irreparable crack in this pillar as it buckles to sentiments anathema to an adult’s right to read.
American Dirt: Book Review and Controversy Analysis
The controversy surrounding American Dirt has eclipsed the novel entirely. And while it has spurred a worthy dialogue about the right to read (and write), the core message of the book has been lost in the midst.
Meeting Rooms and Sacred Spaces Cause Schisms in Seattle
The library as a shared space naturally brings people together, yet it can simultaneously foster deep divides within a community. The latter has taken shape recently in Seattle in a conflict between the transgender community and the Women’s Liberation Front.
The First: Book Review
Fish’s matter-of-fact arguments (as well as his humorous parenthetical-style) are disarming enough to make you go “huh!” and challenge a deeply-held perspective or two.