[Libs-Or] Multnomah County Library's Intellectual Freedom Newsletter – February 2026

Fri Feb 27 17:10:00 PST 2026

Dear Oregon Library Community,
The February edition of the Intellectual Freedom Newsletter from Multnomah
County Library is now available (PDF version attached). If you crave more
news, there is always the ALA IF Blog <https://www.oif.ala.org/> that
rounds up a variety of articles.

Thanks for all you do to support intellectual freedom!

Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions
Multnomah County Library's Intellectual Freedom Newsletter – February 2026

------------------------------

IFC Book Recommendation:

The Internet Archive and Authors Alliance hosted a book talk
<https://archive.org/details/ai-tools-not-gods-book-talk> with the author
of AI Tools, Not Gods. Caroline De Cock provides a practical and critical
look at AI, centering it as a tool and identifying the need for
regulations, especially given the technology has global implications and
effects work.

Access a copy of the book on the author’s website: Caroline De Cock
<https://carolinedecock.com/>

------------------------------

Intellectual Freedom News

A new report from PEN America on book bans has been released: Report warns
of 'disturbing' normalization of book bans in US schools
<https://abcnews.com/US/report-warns-disturbing-normalization-book-bans-us-schools/story?id=126152594>
(ABC News, 6 min). Access the full report: The Normalization of Book Banning
<https://pen.org/report/the-normalization-of-book-banning/> (31 min).
Related, a new wave of state legislation promotes book bans in schools
<https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1234970292/state-legislation-book-bans-kids-and-teens-what-parents-need-to-know/>
(She Knows, 8 min). Well Sourced provides an overview of 2026 legislation
impacting libraries
<https://buttondown.com/wellsourced/archive/2026-anti-library-bills/> (23
min). Good news: Idaho schools block state’s ‘Harm to Minors’ book ban
<https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/idaho-schools-to-get-block-on-states-harm-to-minors-book-ban>
(Bloomberg Law, 2 min) and New Mexico is proposing a law prohibiting book
bans
<https://www.tricityrecordnm.com/articles/proposed-legislation-would-prohibit-book-banning-in-new-mexico-public-libraries/>
(Tri-City Record, 6 min). legislation, censorship, access

👾👾👾Library Futures created a game for navigating the tenets and chaos of
intellectual freedom: Imagine IF
<https://www.libraryfutures.net/post/library-futures-presents-imagine-if>.

🍿🍿The documentary The Librarians
<https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/the-librarians/> is now
available for viewing on PBS. And in honor of the recent passing of
documentarian Fredrick Wiseman, check out Ex Libris
<https://multcolib.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S152C2744017>. censorship,
access

Verge reports that Ring cancelled its partnership with Flock Safety after
surveillance backlash
<https://www.theverge.com/news/878447/ring-flock-partnership-canceled> (Verge,
6 min). Related, Power Station <https://powerstation.libsyn.com/>, unpacks
the role of tech in surveillance
<https://powerstation.libsyn.com/the-deportation-machine-that-has-been-unleashed-in-our-communities-would-not-be-possible-without-tech-companies-like-palantir>
and creating the deportation machine impacting communities (39 min). privacy

The New York Times exposes the loss of Indigenous health data
<https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/science/lost-science-yracheta-indigenous.html>
due to federal funding being cut. (3 min). access

Here are some information literacy
<https://theconversation.com/deep-reading-can-boost-your-critical-thinking-and-help-you-resist-misinformation-heres-how-to-build-the-skill-268082>
tips from The Conversation which highlight how critical thinking is a key
skill to resisting misinformation. ( 5 min). disinformation, information
literacy

The U.S. Copyright office provides tips on spotting copyright scams
<https://blogs.loc.gov/copyright/2026/02/beware-of-copyright-scams-how-to-spot-fraud-and-protect-yourself/>
and what to do (5 min). copyright, information literacy

Wirecutter provides an overview of scams
<https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/scammers-want-to-steal-everyones-savings-especially-seniors-heres-how-to-protect-yourself/>,
including practical tips (13 min). The Washington post covers AI-driven
taxpayer scams
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/25/how-scammers-are-using-ai-deepfakes-steal-money-taxpayers/>
focused (4 min). information literacy, privacy

This scenario at the Smithsonian
<https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/art/2026/02/25/smithsonian-volunteer-historians/>
demonstrates how censorship and free speech can get entangled (Washington
Post, 10 min). censorship, first amendment

A different type of information literacy: a look at the history of
environmental cues
<https://protocolized.summerofprotocols.com/p/the-color-of-safety> and how
that impacts safety in the workplace (Protocolized, 17 min).

Fair use week <https://www.fairuseweek.org/> comes to a close, but the
practice lives on! Check out an array of articles on fair use
<https://www.fairuseweek.org/category/events/> and this helpful infographic
<https://6154a6f652.nxcli.io/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/ARL-FUW-Infographic-r5.pdf>.
copyright

AI Spotlight

For AI skeptics, Library Freedom Project has a new explainer: What's the
deal with AI?
<https://libraryfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AI-FAQ.pdf>. While
Time profiles people opposing AI
<https://time.com/7377579/ai-data-centers-people-movement-cover/> and the
various reasons why (21 min). information literacy

Data & Society highlights a new report on AI literacy in the workplace
<https://datasociety.net/library/404-job-not-found/> from the viewpoint of
Black workers and community organizers in Atlanta (2 min). Related, humans
are not horses or the problem with AI doing homework
<https://www.404media.co/whats-the-point-of-school-when-ai-can-do-your-homework/>
for students (404 Media, 7 min). The Conversation argues that the  greatest
impact of AI in schools is the erosion of learning
<https://theconversation.com/the-greatest-risk-of-ai-in-higher-education-isnt-cheating-its-the-erosion-of-learning-itself-270243>
(9 min). information literacy

AI feels inescapable
<https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/technology/personaltech/ai-google-meta-opt-out.html>
on the internet (New York Times, 8 min). Learn more about turning off and
opting out of AI-generative services from Consumer Reports
<https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/artificial-intelligence/turn-off-ai-tools-gemini-apple-intelligence-copilot-and-more-a1156421356/>
and Wired
<https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-hide-google-ai-overviews-from-your-search-results/>.
information literacy

The Conversation provides insight and data on the accuracy of AI chatbots
as a news source
<https://theconversation.com/i-used-ai-chatbots-as-a-source-of-news-for-a-month-and-they-were-unreliable-and-erroneous-268251>
(7 min).  information literacy, disinformation

Mozilla is working to combat AI issues
<https://www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/01/27/mozilla-building-an-ai-rebel-alliance-to-take-on-openai-anthropic-.html>,
like creating trustworthy tools, advocating for governance and regulations
as well as limits on datamining of copyrighted materials. (CNBC, 13 min).
legislation

The New York Times highlights a recent study showing health advice from AI
chatbots is frequently wrong
<https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/09/well/chatgpt-health-advice.html> (New
York Times, 6 min). Related,the Center for Democracy and Technology calls
out the privacy risks with AI health tools
<https://cdt.org/insights/ai-health-tools-pose-risks-for-user-privacy/> (3
min). information literacy, privacy

This New York Time video covers the prevalence and impact of AI slop
<https://www.nytimes.com/video/technology/100000010717886/the-ai-videos-on-kids-youtube-feeds.html>
in YouTube recommendations for kids (3 min). An online journal shares how
they almost got slopped by AI
<https://www.coyotemedia.org/how-coyote-almost-got-slopped-by-ai/> (Coyote,
7 min). Meanwhile, Pinterest is being flooded with AI slop
<https://www.404media.co/pinterest-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-ai-slop-and-auto-moderation/>
(404 media, 7 min). information literacy

Odds and ends about AI:  the moltbook hype
<https://buttondown.com/maiht3k/archive/moltbook-is-pure-ai-hype/> (4 min),
ethical issues with AI simulating the dead
<https://www.404media.co/metas-ai-patent-to-simulate-dead-people-shows-the-dangers-of-spectral-labor/>
(404 media, 5 min), fake images are not new
<https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/arts/design/fakes-rijksmuseum-photo-manipulation.html>
(New York Times, 6 min), using AI makes folks feel crumm
<https://theconversation.com/whether-its-valentines-day-notes-or-emails-to-loved-ones-using-ai-to-write-leaves-people-feeling-crummy-about-themselves-271805>y
(Conversation, 5 min).

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://libguides.osl.state.or.us/iftoolkit/home> (published February 8,
2022). A range of tools and resources relating to IF challenges and
policies created by the OLA Intellectual Freedom Committee.

*Rights, Responsibilities & Reactions *is a monthly roundup of Intellectual
Freedom News compiled by the Multnomah County Library Intellectual Freedom
Committee. We welcome suggestions at lib.ifc at multco.us.

*Jennifer Keyser *(she/her)
*Library Policy Coordinator*
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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