Our Impact
Over the past six years, Library Futures has led a shift in global policy conversations around digital rights advocacy and information accessibility.
- 25 — Interns graduated
- 15 — Members of research network
- 200+ — Community supporters
- 5,000+ — Event registrants
- 97% — Say our virtual educational programming is useful for their work
- 100% — Would recommend our presentations to a colleague
Where we show up
Who we work with: Librarians, community leaders, policymakers, organizers, lawyers — and you!
What we build: Training and mentorship, funded research, convenings, professional education, legal and contract support.
Where we have influence: Press and public debate, coalitions, professional associations, legislators and the courts, institutional practice.
Press — National and international coverage, from an interview about AI slop on the CBC to features in Publisher’s Weekly, the Washington Post, 404 Media, Vice, and TechDirt.
Speaking and professional gatherings — Regular invitations to give keynotes and speak at professional conferences on libraries and access to knowledge, tech law, information activism, and digital rights, plus op-eds and think pieces in The Objective, The Hill, and the Daily Beast.
Coalitions — Active membership of the Re:Create Coalition, Access to Knowledge Coalition, and United Against Book Bans, with close collaboration alongside the Digital Public Library of America, American Library Association, New York Public Library, Knowledge Rights 21, Library Freedom Project, and Authors Alliance, among others.
Policy — Major influence on digital rights, libraries, the right to read, and balanced copyright, from state model legislation on access to digital books, passed in Connecticut, to our Supreme Court brief in Moody v. NetChoice.
Community voices
“I feel better prepared to advocate for fairer digital rights for libraries, and to advance the kind of innovative community-building library programs that I want to see in the world.” — Thomas Alexander, 2024 Intern
“I had never been in a program nearly as well designed as this. To, while still a student, work on projects that I meaningfully care about is amazing.” — Quentin Kitchell, 2026 Intern
“I came to appreciate the importance of contract literacy in shaping the information environment.” — Hayley Park, 2025 Intern
“The experience gave me a pathway to pursue a career in the digital humanities.” — Wendyliz Martinez, 2023 Intern
“Professionally, our group’s research and discussions convinced me that I needed to act in my work capacity as well to help amplify the concerns about, and ramifications of, generative AI content in the marketplace… Libraries should feel confident that they understand what they are getting before they purchase and our work aims to provide them some transparency on that front. Overall, working in this group has motivated me to make positive impact on the library community in my own small way.” — Tara Carpenter, 2026 Research Cohort
Testimonials
“[Library Futures] provided one of the most practical, grounded discussions of AI that I have experienced.”
“Excellent webinar — I use the insights from it daily.”
“Library Futures is a really important critical voice and site of connection for so many who need it.”
“These webinars have been incredibly helpful for hearing from professionals in the field and finding additional resources to help myself and my patrons.”
Our supporters
- Arcadia Foundation — 2025–2029
- Mellon Foundation — 2023–2027
- Richard Lounsbery Foundation — 2022–2025
- Google News and Policy — 2021–2022
- Kahle-Austin Foundation — 2020–2021