[Libs-Or] Multnomah County Library's Intellectual Freedom Newsletter – September 2025
Jennifer Keyser
jenniferk at multco.us
Wed Oct 1 15:52:20 PDT 2025
Dear Oregon Library Community,
The September edition of Multnomah County Library's IFC Newsletter is now
available (PDF version attached). Also, you will find attached the August
edition of the newsletter -I overlooked sending it out to you all.
Thanks for all your work to support intellectual freedom!
Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions
Intellectual Freedom Newsletter – September 2025
------------------------------
Prepare for Banned Books Week: This year, Banned Books Week will take place
from October 5 - October 11. The theme for 2025 is Censorship is So 1984:
Read for Your Rights
<https://bannedbooksweek.org/banned-books-week-2025-theme-unveiled/>.
Banned Books Week will culminate with "Let Freedom Read" day on October 11,
and the Banned Book Coalition has curated this list of action items
<https://bannedbooksweek.org/let-freedom-read-day/> for folks looking to
stand up to censorship.
Check out these recent articles on censorship and access to information:
-
An un-American story on book bans
<https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2025/09/an-un-american-story-on-book-bans/>
(Index on Censorship, 18 min)
-
Books to prisoners <https://bookriot.com/books-to-prisoners-2025/> (Book
Riot, 18 min)
-
Part of Florida’s book ban law overturned,
<https://theconversation.com/federal-judge-overturns-part-of-floridas-book-ban-law-drawing-on-nearly-100-years-of-precedent-protecting-first-amendment-access-to-ideas-263893>based
on nearly 100 years of precedent protecting First Amendment access to ideas
(Conversation, 6 min)
-
The Bigger Threat to Books Than Bans
<https://www.cjr.org/analysis/the-bigger-threat-to-books-than-bans-is-distribution.php>
(Columbia Journalism Review, 6 min)
-
Kimmel suspension free speech
<https://www.npr.org/2025/09/18/nx-s1-5545671/kimmel-suspension-charlie-kirk-death-free-speech-censorship>
(NPR, 4 min) and Time’s opinion piece
<https://time.com/7321071/jimmy-kimmel-corporate-media-free-speech/> (6
min)
-
Parental control expands beyond the library to the internet
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/08/book-bans-internet-bans-wyoming-lets-parents-control-whole-states-access-internet>
(Electronic Frontier Foundation, 9 min).
-
Little Free Library Interactive Book Ban Map
<https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/98569-little-free-library-updates-interactive-book-ban-map.html>
(Publishers Weekly, 3 min)
-
All That Is Lost <https://pen.org/report/all-that-is-lost/> - a
comprehensive report from PEN America about the impact of Israeli military
attacks on the Palestinian cultural landscape, including the destruction of
books, libraries, universities, and cultural sites. (2 hours).
Michigan and other states are proposing bills to require age verification
to access online pornography
<https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/20/michigan-bill-require-age-verification-porn-sites/86223156007/>
(Detroit Free Press, 5 min). More on the issues with age verification
<https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/09/age-verification-windfall-big-tech-and-death-sentence-smaller-platforms>
from Electronic Frontier Foundation ( 7 min). access, privacy
A look at how personal data is shared throughout the day across different
devices - from the folks behind Proton Everything You Do in a Day That
Leaks Data (And How To Fix It) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wknq-Ra-KU>
(17 min). Related, an explainer from the New York Times on how the New York
Police Department tracks people throughout the day
<https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/09/15/opinion/nypd-surveillance.html>
(10 min). privacy
AI Spotlight
The iSchool at Illinois University Urbana-Champaign has dedicated the
latest issue of Library Trends
<https://ischool.illinois.edu/news-events/news/2025/09/library-trends-completes-two-part-series-ai-and-libraries>
to exploring AI -find articles on literacy instruction, environmental
issues and critical takes. Also, check out the previous issue
<https://ischool.illinois.edu/news-events/news/2025/06/library-trends-examines-generative-ai-libraries>
for more articles on AI and libraries.
The Conversation explores how older Americans are using AI
<https://theconversation.com/older-americans-are-using-ai-study-shows-how-and-what-they-think-of-it-262411>
(5 min), the hidden water cost of AI
<https://theconversation.com/ai-has-a-hidden-water-cost-heres-how-to-calculate-yours-263252>
(and how to calculate it) (10 min), and AI-powered scams
<https://theconversation.com/scams-and-frauds-here-are-the-tactics-criminals-use-on-you-in-the-age-of-ai-and-cryptocurrencies-264867>
(5 min) as well as how it makes archival materials more accessible
<https://theconversation.com/botanical-time-machines-ai-is-unlocking-a-treasure-trove-of-data-held-in-herbarium-collections-253236>
(9 min). information literacy, access
The Atlantic looks at the economic impact of the AI hype as a prospective AI
Bubble
<https://www.theatlantic.com/economy/archive/2025/09/ai-bubble-us-economy/684128/>
that would be worse than the Dotcom Bubble (16 min). While the New York
Times provides an explainer of what AI companies are trying to build
<https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/technology/what-exactly-are-ai-companies-trying-to-build-heres-a-guide.html>
(11 min).
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists looks at how AI misinformation is quickly
distributed
<https://thebulletin.org/2025/09/ai-misinformation-is-threatening-emergency-communications-heres-how-to-fix-that/>
in emergencies and offers tips to address it (9 min). Related, most states
have created laws to address deepfakes
<https://www.404media.co/michigan-us-states-with-deepfakes-laws/> (5 min).
disinformation, legislation
OpenAI is release a new version of Sora, a video generator
<https://www.businessinsider.com/sora-copyright-images-sam-altman-openai-hollywood-studios-fight-2025-9>,
which will provide users access to copyrighted materials -they are forcing
copyright holders to opt out of their content being included, going against
the basic tenets of copyright law (Business Insider, 8 min). 404 Media
highlights the negative impacts of AI services
<https://www.404media.co/how-onlyfans-piracy-is-ruining-the-internet-for-everyone/>
being employed to enforce DMCA Takedowns (7 min). copyright
News of self-harm and suicide linked to AI highlight issues with the
technology. A new study confirms the trend: ChatGPT Gives Harmful Advice to
Vulnerable Teens
<https://www.lifewire.com/chatgpt-study-confirms-harmful-advice-to-teens-11785921>
(1 min, download the full report
<https://counterhate.com/research/fake-friend-chatgpt/>). The LA Times
looks at how teens are drawn to AI
<https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-08-05/teens-say-they-are-turning-to-ai-for-friendship>
for friendship (7 min). The Jed Foundation looks at the need for policies
and action to address AI, teens and mental health
<https://jedfoundation.org/artificial-intelligence-youth-mental-health-pov/>
(10 min). Related, Tech Policy dives into the design of chatbots
<https://www.techpolicy.press/ai-chatbots-are-emotionally-deceptive-by-design/>
to be emotionally deceptive (5 min). Information literacy
Futurism reports on privacy issues with OpenAI
<https://futurism.com/openai-scanning-conversations-police> -these changes
are in response to users of ChatGPT causing harm to themselves and others,
including suicide and murder (5 min). privacy
And from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency a clever new tool for the digital
age: Introducing ChatPerson
<https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/introducing-chatperson> satire
------------------------------
Additional Resources
ALA Intellectual Freedom Blog: https://www.oif.ala.org A blog dedicated to
intellectual freedom issues, and includes the Intellectual Freedom News
<https://www.oif.ala.org/category/intellectual-freedom-news/> –a weekly
roundup of IF related articles
Oregon Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Toolkit
<https://www.olaweb.org/intellectual-freedom-toolkit> page. A range of
tools and resources relating to IF challenges and policies created by the
OLA Intellectual Freedom Committee.
*Jennifer Keyser *(she/her)
*Policy Coordinator Librarian*
Monday - Friday
971-429-4699
Multnomah County Library
multcolib.org
[image: Copy of MultCoLib_2LineLogo_252px_RGB.jpg]
[image: All are welcome here. Multnomah County.]
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