Stronger Together: A Webinar Series for Librarians and Journalists
Library Futures's fall 2026 series on how libraries, journalists, and local newsrooms can work together to build stronger communities.
Library Futures Blog
Posts
Meet the 2026 Interns!
Library Futures welcomes seven new interns to the 2026 cohort! Read all about them.
Introducing How to Publish Your Academic Paper without Publishers, Bosses, Gods, or Masters
Research Network member Jessica Farrell guides you through publishing outside the academy through building your own community.
Library Futures Presents… Imagine IF
Play our game-based introduction to intellectual freedom!
Library Futures Announces 2026 Research Network Grants
Meet our 2026 Research Network members and learn more about their projects!
Sick of your Spotify algorithm? Read this zine.
But what if algorithms were not an inevitable part of how we listen to music? Library Futures intern Thomas Gagnon-van Leeuwen explores the role of libraries in music.
Seeing with Words: An Intern’s Introduction to Accessible Infographics
Our intern takes a look at what it takes to make infographics accessible--and learns a lot along the way.
Four Questions with Layla Maurer
Meet the Library Futures Staff Attorney!
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Information Professionals
The AI and libraries series you've been waiting for.
The Future is Digital, Local, and Read All Over: Visions for Library-Newsroom Collaboration
How can libraries, journalists, and newsrooms collaborate to create the future of local digital news?
Tracking Digital Censorship
Help Library Futures in our ongoing attempts to track digital content suppression.
My Consumer Autobiography: Reflections on a Year of Digital Reading
AJ Boston breaks down the 34 mostly-digital books he read in 2024 with discussion of the books themselves and observations from borrowing or buying them.
Fight for Your Right to Digitize with New Zine
How the law might help libraries lend digital materials in novel ways.
Access for All: Bridging the Gaps in Library Accessibility
An overview of our webinar on digital accessibility.
Library Futures Research Network Information Sessions
Learn more about joining the Library Futures Research Network!
Meet the 2025 Interns!
Get to know the nine interns of the 2025 Library Futures cohort!
Library Futures Receives $2.5 Million Arcadia Foundation Grant
Thanks to the Arcadia Foundation for their support of our work to create an equitable digital future for libraries.
Introducing Controlled Chaos: Where the Wild Things Read
A zine by incarcerated library workers at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center.
Library Futures Presents… A Podcast About Ebooks!
Introducing A Podcast About Ebooks--the history of ebooks, ereaders, and libraries from the beginning to the present day.
Connecticut Passes Landmark Ebook Bill Based on Library Futures Model Legislation
Last week, lawmakers in Connecticut passed a landmark bill to regulate the sale of econtent to libraries.
Library Futures Statement on the Firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden
Introducing The Blue Skies Statement: An Equitable Policy Vision for Libraries
Part statement of values, part policy statement, this document presents a positive framework for libraries to thrive in an increasingly hostile environment.
Panel Reflections: Unpacking Digital Censorship in Schools and Libraries
Four experts in intellectual freedom discuss the findings in our report Neo-Censorship: An Investigation into Digital Content Suppression.
Meet the Spring 2025 Library Futures Interns!
Library Futures welcomes four new interns for Spring 2025!
Call for Interoperable Ebook Standards in the Academic Ebook Market
We welcome signatories from academic institutions to a new Interoperable Ebooks Standards Statement
New Research Report: Neo-Censorship in U.S. Libraries
An in depth look at how a vocal minority of activists are using "pornography" as a bogeyman to erode free speech and information access in schools and libraries.
A Few of Jessamyn's Favorite Things
A guest post from Jessamyn West on treasures from the public domain.
Libraries in a Material World: The Role of Repair, Energy, and Education in Library Sustainability
How can libraries expand their digital collections while centering an ethic of local and planetary repair?
New Research Report: OER in Public Libraries
Library Futures Announces Research Grant Recipients
Welcome to our first research network cohort!
Library Futures Welcomes First Advisory Board
Experts from the worlds of libraries, journalism, the law, technology, and public policy join our first Advisory Board.
CDL's Future Depends on Us All: A Response to Scholarly Kitchen's "Lessons Learned from a Fair Use Defeat"
A guest post on CDL from Charlie Barlow of the Boston Library Consortium.
Re:Create Welcomes Library Futures as its Newest Member
Library Futures joins the crew at Re:Create!
The Past, Present, and Future of the Copyright Specialist
How do you become a copyright librarian? And why do we need them? Our intern reports.
Hachette v. Internet Archive: We're Still Fighting for Fair Use
Our response to the Second District Court of New York's decision on fair use in Hachette v. Internet Archive.
How Much Does Obama's Summer Reading List Cost Your Library?
We took a concrete look at just how much a popular book list costs a library.
DPLA Introduces E-Books Libraries Can Own
38,000 ebooks more toward the goal of digital ownership!
Hoopla's Content Problem: Strange, Skewed Results Still Dominate Catalog
Hoopla, what is all that... junk in your catalog?
Introducing CATS from Library Futures!
Who let the CATS out? We did--but don't worry, it's just an acronym. Welcome to Copyright and Technology Scribblings from Library Futures!
Meet the 2024 Library Futures Interns!
A Response to Hachette v. Internet Archive from Mehtab Khan
Berkman Klein Fellow Mehtabh Kahn responds to the Hachette v. Internet Archive decision.
A Response to Hachette v. Internet Archive from Michelle Wu
Law librarian and CDL scholar Michelle Wu provides an analysis of the Hachette v. Internet Archive decision.
Stepping Down as Co-Chair of the National Information Standards Controlled Digital Lending Working Group
A statement from our ED Jennie Rose Halperin.
Litigation Round-Up
Legal Fellow Becky Chambers provides an overview of court cases that could affect libraries.
Legislation Round-Up
An overview of pending legislation that could affect libraries from Library Futures Legal Fellow Becky Chambers.
Introducing Principles on Library Ownership of Digital Books
Library ownership is key to an equitable digital future. These principles guide the way.
Library Futures Awarded Lounsbery Foundation Grant
Fighting for the Right to Internet: Amicus Brief in Sony v. Cox
How a court case could break internet access for those who need it most.
Connecting the Commons
What role can OER play in public libraries?
Necromancers of the Public Domain: Broadway Racketeers
A review of this year's public domain celebration with Theater of the Apes and the Engelberg Center.
Hachette v Internet Archive: The Case Marches On
Protecting digital lending means supporting innovative lending practices and celebrating the many ways that libraries, including the Archive, provide access to books to support an educated citizenry.
How to Read a Contract!
Learn to go through a contract with a fine toothed comb and get the best deal for your library and your patrons!
Celebrating 10 Years of Copyright First Responders
Copyright First Responders help librarians understand and advise on copyright questions for ten years. We talked to one of the first.
The Publisher Playbook: A Timeline
Introducing E-Books for Us!
Introducing E-Books for Us, an engaging, simple, and informative website with interactive games and quizzes to highlight critical e-book issues.
Four Questions with ALA Presidential Candidates Sam Helmick and Ray Pun
Sam Helmick and Ray Pun talk ebook legislation, digital privacy, the outsourcing of library services to corporations, and more.
Four Questions with Camille Thomas
Library Futures Fellow Camille Thomas on the lack of diversity in copyright librarianship, what shaped her belief in digital rights, and more.
Library Futures Files Amici in Two Key Cases
Library Futures files amici in Supreme Court case Netchoice and CCIA v Paxton/Moody and Second Circuit Court of Appeals Case Hachette v Internet Archive.
Libraries, You Got Rights!
Unlocking OER for Public Libraries
How Open Educational Resources can help public libraries--and how they already have.
Unacceptable Loss: Video Game Preservation Webinar and Q&A
More on video games, history, and preservation from our panel of experts!
From Art Museums to the Supreme Court: How Does the Decision in Warhol v. Goldsmith Go Beyond Art?
How does a Supreme Court case about a photograph apply to libraries--and what does it mean for the future of fair use?
Link Taxes Tax Library Values
Library Futures' intern delves into link taxes, related policies, and the impact on journalism and libraries.
Four Questions with Michelle Reed
Get to know our new Research Manager, open access champion and plant whisperer.
Section 230: More than a “Big Tech” Issue
Libraries need protection from repercussions for the speech users promulgate on library servers, and they need to retain the ability to moderate harmful speech.
Our Statement on Hachette v. Internet Archive and Controlled Digital Lending of Materials
Librarians should be able to purchase and lend reasonably priced materials, and patrons should have a choice to borrow those materials in a variety of formats, including as scans for CDL.`
The Kids Online Safety Act Denies Young People’s Freedoms of Expression and Privacy
An overview of the Kids Online Safety Act and the threats it poses to young people.
Mapping the Bronx: Where Digital Redlining Denies Access and How Libraries Can Help
Redlining is part of the long history of racism within the United States. Digital redlining is its next chapter.
Launching the eBook Pledge to Make eBook Markets Sustainable for the Long Term
The systematic undermining of user rights and permissions in the digital realm is a threat to libraries, authors, and cultural institutions, and we must address this encroachment as a community.
Library Futures Releases 2022 Annual Report
Announcing the release of the 2022 Annual Report
Introducing Learning Circles
Announcing Library Futures Learning Circles!
Toward a Cooperative Vision: Library Futures's Response to the Hachette v Internet Archive Summary Judgement
Judge Koeltl failed to recognize that copyright does not exist to protect an author or publisher’s right to profit.
Library Futures Releases Policy Paper: Digital Ownership for Libraries and the Public
Library Futures is excited to announce that we are launching our policy paper on digital ownership for libraries.
Library Futures Ebook Bills are on the Move
Updates on Library Futures' model ebook bill, current ebook legislative efforts, and the ways Library Futures is working with states to pass laws that empower libraries.
Library Futures Files Collaborative Amici in American Society for Testing and Materials, et al. v. Public.Resource.Org
Library Futures is excited to announce that we have filed a collaborative amici brief—joined by EveryLibrary Institute, Authors Alliance, and Public Knowledge—in American Society for Testing and Materials, et al. v. Public.Resource.Org.
The Mellon Foundation grants $1 million to support libraries in the digital age
The Mellon Foundation grants $1 million to support libraries in the digital age.
Library Futures and SPARC Condemn Wiley E-Textbook Withdrawal
Library Futures and SPARC condemn Wiley E-
Library Futures joins the Engelberg Center
We are delighted to announce that Library Futures is joining the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy at NYU Law.
Improving Digital Access to Local News Through Library-Newsroom Collaboration
The results of a three month news access pilot project between Library Futures, Albany Public Library, Hearken, and the Albany Times Union.
Five Lessons about Community Highlighted by Allied Media Conference 2022
From Thursday June 30th to Sunday July 3rd I had the pleasure to attend my first Allied Media Conference (AMC)
Connecting with our Community: ALA Annual 2022
Library Futures at the American Library Association Annual Conference.
Brief Filed in Hachette et al v Internet Archive
Library Futures is excited to announce that we have filed an amici brief – joined by EveryLibrary and ReadersFirst – in Hachette et al. v. Internet Archive, a case currently pending in the Southern District of New York.
Library Futures Releases Policy Statement and Draft eBook Legislative Language: Mitigating the Library eBook Conundrum Through Legislative Action in the States
Librarians in many states are seeking to develop eBook laws that address these concerns of cost and restrictive licensing terms. Our policy statement and model language are here to help.
Meet Our New Fellows! Policy Fellow Juliya Ziskina and Community Fellow Emily Finch
How thwarted access to a 19th century paper and a burned Girl Talk CD turned our new fellows into information rights activists.
Library Futures Joins Opposition Against the SMART Copyright Act
Library Futures strongly opposes the SMART Copyright Act of 2022, which would create a burden on libraries and censoring free expression online.
Four Questions with Emily Drabinski and Kelvin Watson
ALA presidential candidates Emily Drabinski and Kelvin Watson answer our questions about digital futures, ebooks, and access.
First Insights Report: Albany Public Library News Access Pilot Project
Today, we are pleased to release our first insights from our joint pilot project with the Albany Public Library (APL)
Four Questions with Dr. Jeanie Austin
Dr. Jeanie Austin is an expert on library services and incarated individuals and the barriers to information access faced by people in prison
Statement on the Association of American Publishers Suit Against the State of Maryland
Ultimately, this lawsuit demonstrates the commercial publishing industry’s continued disdain for the librarians, educators, and the public.
iFixIt and Library Futures Team up to Provide 100 Pro Tech Repair Kits to Public Libraries
How is your computer system similar to the library ebook on your tablet or the journal article you downloaded from a library vendor? In more ways than you might think!
Let's talk Systemic Market Failures: What the Penguin Random House/Simon & Schuster Merger Means for Libraries
Publishers make money merely by owning things. When fewer publishers own more things, we all suffer.
Library Futures Files in Crucial Canadian Copyright Case
Discussion of major copyright case in Canadian Supreme Court, how it might impact international copyright, and the ways Library Futures is involved.
Supporting Equitable Access to Local News
Announcing a collaboration with Albany Pub;ic Library and Hearken to provide access to local news content.
Eight Ways to Ban a Book
Discussion of methods used to directly or indirectly ban books.
Library Victory! Wyden and Eshoo demand answers from big publishers
Members of Congress demand answers from Big Five Publishers surrounding their library e-book business practices.
Protect Library Workers from the CASE Act
The CASE Act will harm library workers and make distributing library materials difficult under the guise of "protecting creators".
Controlled Digital Lending: Unlocking the Library's Full Potential
We are very excited today to announce the release of the Library Futures Foundation‚ (LFF) new policy document, Controlled Digital Lending: Unlocking the Library's Full Potential
Let's Broadband Together: A New Collaboration with Consumer Reports
Four Questions with Michael Blackwell on Ebook Advocacy
Michael Blackwell is the Director of the St. Mary's County Library in Leonardtown, Maryland and a long time advocate for eresources nationally through his work with Reader's First, a Library Futures coalition partner.
Content at any cost?
Discussion of how the DPLA's deal with Amazon Publishing impacts libraries and the wider issues of digital ownership.
Four Questions about the Promise of Libraries and the Internet with Author Joanne McNeil
Joanne McNeil is a writer, editor, and cultural critic of and for the internet.
Publishers Are Using E-Books to Extort Schools and Libraries
Our Executive Director on what happens when schools, pandemics, and publisher licensing restrictions meet.
Who can watch this year’s Academy Award nominees?
Some Oscar-nominated films will not be available to those who rely on libraries to access culture for the first time this year.
Four Questions about Fine Free Libraries with Scott Jarzombek of the Albany Public Library
For our inaugural ‚"Four Questions with" series, we interviewed Scott Jarzombek, Executive Director of the Albany Public Library, which went fine free in early 2019.
Big Tech and Access to Information Webinar Panel
Library Futures brought together an illustrious panel of experts to discuss the threats facing libraries and the public in the digital age.
Equitable Access is the Future for All of Us
Discussion of how e-book selling embargoes impact libraries and the importance of equitable access to books.
Supporting Broadband Access for All
Mythbusting Controlled Digital Lending: Watch the video, learn the facts!
Controlled digital lending uses library superpowers to expand access and equity to digital materials, enhancing discoverability, availability, and accessibility for creative works.
Ensuring a sustainable future for libraries: Announcing Library Futures
We are proud to announce the launch of Library Futures Institute, a 501c3 organization fighting for the technology-positive future of libraries.
Welcome to Library Futures
Welcome to Library Futures, a new nonprofit that champions the right to equitable access to knowledge.