Homeland Security “does not make policy determinations for local communities.” READ MORE: Library’s Tor relay—which had been pulled after feds noticed—now restored | Ars Technica
Tag Archives: government
No Library For You: French Authorities Threatening To Close An #App That Lets People Share Physical #Books | Techdirt #libraries
[O]ver in France, they really are taking the idea of attacking new forms of libraries to incredible new heights. There’s a French startup called Booxup that is taking the above personal lending library concept and making it digital. You get an account, scan your books, upload a list of those you’re willing to lend to others, and the service connects willing lenders with willing borrowers, putting books that would otherwise be collecting dust on shelves to good use actually being read and educating and entertaining the public. Neat. Except… not so neat, according to French authorities who are claiming the whole thing could be illegal: READ MORE: No Library For You: French Authorities Threatening To Close An App That Lets People Share Physical Books | Techdirt
U.S. #DHS and Local #Governments Cracking Down on #Libraries | #email #privacy #intellectualfreedom #community #LittleFreeLibrary #WTF
First Library to Offer Anonymous Web Browsing Stops Under DHS Pressure | Gizmodo
A library in a small New Hampshire town started to help Internet users around the world surf anonymously using Tor. Until the Department of Homeland Security raised a red flag.
Local Governments Crack Down On The Monstrous Evil of Tiny Free Lending Libraries | io9
It’s good to know that people are focusing on what’s really important. Local governments in a few different U.S. cities and towns have looked past the problems of homelessness, crumbling city services and displacement, to tackle the real crisis: people are putting up tiny “take a book, leave a book” libraries. This is clearly a major crisis in our culture, and one that can only be addressed by the full busy-bodiness of local busybodies.
Inside Obama’s Stealth Startup | Fast Company #tech #government
There may not be many of you interested in government bureaucracy, operations and technology…but if you are, this long form article from FastCompany is a very good read! Its also a reminder of the sad state of government affairs in Canada and how important it is for a country to be run by an insightful leader focused on building and creating instead of an authoritarian focused on suffocating innovation, responsiveness and transparency.
President Obama has quietly recruited top tech talent from the likes of Google and Facebook. Their mission: to reboot how government works. READ MORE: Inside Obama’s Stealth Startup | Fast Company | Business + Innovation.
Why Do Presidents Get Their Own #Libraries? | Atlas Obscura #POTUS #museums
In May, the Obama Foundation announced that Chicago will be the future location of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, which will include a library and museum. The center will become the 14th institution in the National Archives and Records Administration’s presidential library system, which includes centers dedicated to all presidents from Herbert Hoover onwards.
Over the years, millions of public and private dollars and ostensibly, man hours, have been spent curating these institutions. Which begs the question: why?
Franklin D. Roosevelt began this tradition when, in 1939, he decided to hand over his personal and presidential records to the federal government when leaving office. Two years later, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum was built in Hyde Park, New York to house these records. READ MORE: Why Do Presidents Get Their Own Libraries? | Atlas Obscura.
The Great Canadian Copyright Giveaway: Why Copyright Term Extension for Sound Recordings Could Cost Consumers Millions | Michael Geist #copyright
Despite no study, no public demands, and the potential cost to the public of millions of dollars, the government announced that it will extend the term of copyright for sound recordings and performances from 50 to 70 years…
…Canada will extend term without any public discussion or consultation, yet other studies have found that retroactive extension does not lead to increased creation and that the optimal term length should enable performers and record labels to recoup their investment, not extend into near-unlimited terms to the detriment of the public. For Canadian consumers, the extension could cost millions of dollars as works that were scheduled to come into the public domain will now remain locked down for decades.
9 Facts About Computer Security That Experts Wish You Knew | Gizmodo
Every day, you hear about security flaws, viruses, and evil hacker gangs that could leave you destitute — or, worse, bring your country to its knees. But what’s the truth about these digital dangers? We asked computer security experts to separate the myths from the facts. Here’s what they said.
READ MORE: 9 Facts About Computer Security That Experts Wish You Knew | Gizmodo
The Insane History of How American Paranoia Ruined and Censored Comic Books | Vox
One of the most hurtful things you can say to a comic book reader is that comic books are for kids.
It’s a chilling insult that the stuff they read — the stuff they love — never advanced beyond its funny-page beginnings. But it’s also — often unknown to comics fans — a blunt reminder of one of the worst things to ever happen to comic books.
Some 60 years ago, during the era of McCarthyism, comic books became a threat. The panic culminated in a Senate hearing in 1954. This, of course, isn’t to say that McCarthyism and the comic book panic were comparable in their human toll. But they share the same symptoms of American fear and a harsh, reactive response to it.
The reaction to the suspected scourge was the Comics Code — a set of rules that spelled out what comics could and couldn’t do. Good had to triumph over evil. Government had to be respected. Marriages never ended in divorce. And it was in the best interests of publishers to remain compliant.
What adults thought was best for children ended up censoring and dissolving away years of progress and artistry, as well as comics that challenged American views on gender and race. Consequently, that cemented the idea that this was a medium for kids — something that we’ve only recently started disbelieving.
READ MORE: The insane history of how American paranoia ruined and censored comic books | Vox
Museums And Heritage Sites In Syria Are Under Siege | Co.Design
The civil war devastating Syria and spilling into Iraq has claimed yet another casualty: museums and cultural heritage sites. As evidence of destruction mounts, the international community is moving to action…
…To minimize the damage, U.S. museums are partnering with the Syrian Interim Government’s Heritage Task Force to train local curators and civilians in emergency packing and other practices designed to safeguard cultural treasures.
READ MORE: Museums And Heritage Sites In Syria Are Under Siege | Co.Design | business + design.
U.S. Navy Launches NeRD, a Security Enhanced E-Reader | The Digital Shift
The U.S. Navy General Library Program NGLP last month announced the release of its new Navy e-Reader Device NeRD, which comes preloaded with 300 titles including popular fiction, recent bestsellers, and content from the Chief of Naval Operations Professional Reading Program. The new e-ink readers were designed by preloaded digital content provider Findaway World perhaps best known in the library world for its Playaway and are the first devices to feature Findaway’s new “Lock” ereader security solution.
These preloaded devices do not have wifi connectivity or accessible data inputs or outputs, and are designed to be manipulation free. This design adheres to the Navy’s security protocols, which include restrictions on many types of personal electronic devices with rewritable media or recording capabilities on board ships. In an earlier interview during the request for information stage of the project in 2012, Nilya Carrato, program assistant for the NGLP told LJ that preloaded, manipulation-free devices would also help ensure that titles are not accidently deleted during long deployments, and that sailors would not use their personal credit cards to add content to the devices.
via U.S. Navy Launches NeRD, a Security Enhanced E-Reader | The Digital Shift.
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