Rhode Island Bill Would Mandate More School Librarians

Bill would require more school librarians in Rhode Island

Rhode Island currently has a law in place that requires all buildings with 250 or more students to have a full-time school librarian. Buildings with fewer students will require a half-time librarian. Legislation like this is essential, especially in a world with a literacy crisis. School librarians play a critical role in teaching young people how to navigate a world of misinformation, disinformation, artificial intelligence, and propaganda. It’s always interesting to hear low-budget numbers that make lawmakers balk. It would cost just over $2 million to meet the bill’s requirements. The cost of ensuring a vital education for young people in public schools is lowespecially compared to other things covered by state governments.

Character.ai launches AI-powered “books” feature that lets users enjoy classic literature such as “Pride and Prejudice” and “The Great Gatsby”

On the plus side, this seems to be using characters that are already in the public domain rather than stealing the author’s intellectual property. On the other hand, it’s hard to see how allowing self-insert gameplay of classic characters “makes classic literature more accessible and interactive for modern audiences. By lowering the barrier to entry, the company is betting that participatory storytelling can act as a gateway to traditional texts, especially for younger users accustomed to interactive media.” That feels like an overly cynical view of young people and an overly optimistic view of the value of AI. Similarly, if we focus on the classics, how diverse are these books? Do we really want teens to interact with chatbots as a means to “solve” the problem of not reading “traditional” texts? (Also, back to the topic, school librarians may be a way to engage young people with the classics.) and Introducing more modern and diverse classics).

The Battle for Funding The Expanding Library of Imagination

In recent years, there has been a steady stream of bad laws and targeted attacks on public libraries and schools. Another program under attack at the state level is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, whose benefits are well researched and costs so low that attempts to defund it are clearly an act of brutality rather than a budget issue.