TED Talk called “Defend Our Freedom To Share (Or Why SOPA is a Bad Idea)

Shirky summarizes the evolution of online content law leading up to the Stop Online Piracy Act and its sister bill, the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). He tells how the two controversial bills were preceded by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 and Audio Home Recording Act of 1992.

Shirky not only explains what SOPA and PIPA want to do, but also serves as a call to action for opponents of the legislation to preserve their ability to share, remix, and discuss.

Learn more about digital rights management and privacy issues

Libraries and individuals are spending money on ebooks and other digital files which they may no longer have access to (because we technically don't own them) in the decades to come because of the current user agreements with Amazon and other vendors. We are all locked into these proprietary "ecosystems" of ipad, Kindle, Nook, etc.  Amazon is the clear leader currently and Amazon knows everything the library patrons are checking out! A private company now has this data for the first time ever: this is not what we're accustomed to because libraries have always prized patron privacy.

Must see interview with Sarah Houghton, Librarian-in-Black from the School Library Monthly Blog:

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Exciting professional development opportunity:

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