February 2024
NOPL Librarian Erin spied some interesting news pieces this month that she would love to share with you!
Authors vs. AI
First, this Ars Technica article outlines a California court case that pits OpenAI against book authors. The article states that the tech giant (valued at $80 billion dollars in October 2023 and at the forefront of artificial intelligence), largely succeeded in the US district judge’s ruling. Book authors who brought suit claimed that OpenAI’s product, ChatGPT, was trained on pirated copies of their copyrighted books.
I suspect this or a similar case will make it to the Supreme Court this year, as there is not only a lot of money, but also intellectual property rights, at stake. Any precedent set by such a case will have far-reaching consequences for publishing and artificial intelligence training and would likely have pivotal repercussions for libraries that straddle both the publishing and information sectors.
Gen Z Caught Reading
Next, libraries are welcoming members of Gen Z, the loose cohort of 12ish-27ish-year-olds, in record numbers. This Guardian article from February reports that reading has become quite fashionable, “sexy” even, for the post-millennial generation. Some “caught reading” posts on social media are being criticized for being performative, that is: gaining the benefits of readers through the pretense of reading while not actually caring about reading. However, this librarian would never shame anyone for being seen with a book, whether it is for real or just for show. Internet-famous Gen Zers such as Kaia Gerber and Kendall Jenner have started book clubs or sites that showcase their recommended reads. A library near you will be sure to stock these picks for our patrons!
BookTok vs. Instagram
On a tamer topic, BookTok literacy among children’s authors is the subject of this Publishers Weekly piece. The Instagram vs Tiktok debate rages on, with some publishers preferring one or the other platform for promotion. One publisher indicates that breaking into the rarified air of the most successful on BookTok is still very difficult, and suggests it takes luck more than savvy.
A Book Store on Wheels
Finally, on a lighter note, I must shout out Ariel Bissett, a book enthusiast and content creator, who I have been following since 2020 for her entertaining foray into, surprisingly enough, house renovation content. Why not both, right? Ariel’s newest YouTube video, released on February 13th, is a return to form and chronicles the ups and downs of her journey through Canadian bureaucracy as she strives to *just* be able to drive her new mini truck home.
What does this have to do with libraries? Well, in this video Ariel announces her aspirations to become a travelling book seller by outfitting her new right-hand drive, cute-as-heck truck as a bookmobile! We hope she will seek advice from her local librarians when she has book selection, organization, storage, and retrieval questions, ‘cause we have all the answers! I look forward to following her journey as it progresses. Best of luck to Ariel!
