#Library Residency Program

[angryisokay]

"I want to quit using Amazon/Audible for books but..." Get a library card and start using Libby, Overdrive or Hoopla to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from your local library.

"I don't want to borrow ebooks, I want to buy actual books." Thriftbooks.com, cheap used books, free shipping on orders over $15, and a reading rewards program. You can build multiple wishlists too, if you're into that sort of thing. Bookshop.org, buy new books online through an organization that shares it's profits with independent book stores. [They're hinting at offering ebooks soon.] Half Price Books, used and new books, offered online or check out one of their actual stores [they have stores in 19 states].

"I like the Audible platform and I want to buy audiobooks." Libro.fm Subscription based program like Audible [monthly book credits, member discounts, sales, buy extra credits], but it's an employee owned corporation, shares profits with independent book stores, the credits don't expire, and the books are DRM free.

[apatheticsunday]

Dead on Main Sugar Daddy

AKA "Ghost King Danny unintentionally becomes Jason "Gaslight, Gatekeep, Girlboss" Todd's sugar daddy" prompt!

This is kind of a continuation of Graveyard Favors, but not really lmao.

I just love the idea of Jason coming back from the dead, wearing all Expensive Clothes and literally ancient cursed jewelry, and Bruce is just like, "Where did you get that? I didn't buy it for you. You haven't used your allowance either?" And Jason's obviously not going to admit he has the High King of Infinite Realms, Space, and the Dead as a sugar daddy. (Maybe he would, he's a dramatic theatre kid at heart, but it's funnier if he just straight up lies.)

He says, "I'm literally a crime lord, old man, keep up?? Jesus."

But the more he thinks about it, the more he actually likes the idea. Jason wants to help people, make sure they never experience the same fate he did, and where else to do it than the place he grew up? He knows there are tons of kids he can help, families who have a lack of resources. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty - he's already killed the Joker.

So, Jason calls up his Ghost King sugar daddy, points to Crime Alley, and is like, "I want that."

Danny, in Tucker's ratty Amity-U hoodie and ripped jeans, cheesepuff sticking halfway out of his mouth, "What???"

Danny declares Crime Alley as Jason's Haunt. It's officially Jason's territory in both the human realm and the Ghost Zome; conveniently, that also means that no supernatural (dead or alive) can enter the territory without Jason knowing. It also makes Crime Alley emit major Do Not vibes. Bad guys feel this Dread of being watched constantly, residents feel a bit safer knowing there's somebody who will help if they're in danger, and Jason patrols often enough that everybody starts to associate him as the local crime lord. He also uses Danny's money to invest in some social programs in Crime Alley, like open access food pantries, shelters, domestic violence & sexual assault support, a community garden, little libraries, funding for after school activities, etc.

Because the former Ghost King is absolutely loaded. Danny has eons of old stuff piled in his throne room in the Ghost Zone from Aztec Gold to alien technology. He's not using it and nobody's gonna miss it, so if Jason asks for it, Danny gives it to him. (Does he know Jason is selling it for an absolute shitton of money? Maybe, maybe not. He doesn't really care where it ends up as long as it won't cause the apocalypse.)

So, yeah, that's how Jason actually becomes the crime lord of Crime Alley.

[wizardysseus]

On Friday, the president signed yet another Executive Order, this time directly targeting funds allocated to libraries and museums nationwide. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a federal agency that distributes fund approved by Congress to state libraries, as well as library, museum, and archival grant programs. IMLS is the only federal agency that provides funds to libraries. The Executive Order states that the functions of the IMLS have to be reduced to “statutory functions” and that in places that are not statutory, expenses must be cut as much as possible. [...] The department has seven days to report back, meaning that as soon as this Friday, March 21, 2025, public libraries–including school and academic libraries–as well as public museums could see their budgets demolished.

Actionable items from the article:

Sign the petition at EveryLibrary to stop Trump’s Executive Order seeking to gut the IMLS then share it with your networks.

Write a letter to each of your Senators and to your Representative at the federal level. You can find your Senators here and your Representative here. All you need to say in this letter is that you, a resident of their district, demand they speak up and defend the budget of IMLS. Include a short statement of where and how you value the library, as well as its importance in your community. This can be as short as “I use the library to find trusted sources of information, and every time I am in there, the public computers are being used by a variety of community members doing everything from applying for jobs to writing school papers. Cutting the funds for libraries will further harm those who lack stable internet, who cannot afford a home library, and who seek the opportunities to engage in programming, learning, enrichment, and entertainment in their own community. Public libraries help strengthen reading and critical thinking skills for all ages.” In those letters, consider noting that the return on investment on libraries is astronomical. You can use data from EveryLibrary.

Call the offices of each of your Senators and Representatives in Congress. Yes, they’ll be busy. Yes, the voice mails will be full. KEEP CALLING. Get your name on the record against IMLS cuts. Do this in addition to writing a letter. If making a call creates anxiety, use a tool like 5 Calls to create a script you can read when you reach a person or voice mail.

Though your state-level representatives will not have the power to impact what happens with IMLS, this is your time to reach out to each of your state representatives to emphasize the importance of your state’s public libraries. Note that in light of potential cuts from the federal government, you advocate for stronger laws protecting libraries and library workers, as well as stronger funding models for these institutions.

Show up at your next public library meeting, either in person at a board meeting or via an email or letter, and tell the library how much it means to you. In an era where information that is not written down and documented simply doesn’t exist, nothing is more crucial than having your name attached to some words about the importance of your public library. This does not need to be genius work–tell the library how you use their services and how much they mean to you as a taxpayer.

Tell everyone you know what is at stake. If you’ve not been speaking up for public institutions over the last several years, despite the red flags and warnings that have been building and building, it is not too late to begin now. EveryLibrary’s primer and petition is an excellent resource to give folks who may be unaware of what’s going on–or who want just the most important information.

[reasonsforhope]

"In neighborhoods across the globe — yes, even in Antarctica — it is not uncommon to find a Little Free Library, or a book-sharing box filled with a collection of free books to take, share, and enjoy.

If a location on the South Pole wasn’t enough, Little Free Library is celebrating a major milestone: Its 200,000th box. 

The nonprofit that manages these 200,000 mini libraries works to increase access to literacy in urban, suburban, and rural communities all over the world. This includes programming to expand access to books among BIPOC communities, as well as efforts to fight book bans across the United States.

In sticking with this mission, the landmark 200,000th library was donated to and installed at Benjamin E. Mays IB World School, an elementary school in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

The donation also marks the first of 200 Little Free Libraries that will be given to Title I schools across the U.S., in an effort to expand access to books in low-income areas...

The 200,000th library is exclusively for students and is designed to resemble a one-room schoolhouse. This pays homage to the very first Little Free Library, built by the organization’s founder Todd H. Bol in 2009.

“The future where all of us, no matter our age, economic status, or residence, have the opportunity to readily access a book that can inspire, motivate, and empower,” Metzger continued. 

“Working together locally as a community, a community connected through Little Free Libraries, we hope to make this opportunity a reality for all.” 

The worldwide network of Little Free Libraries spans all 50 states, 128 countries, and all seven continents. 

Next, 199 more Little Free Libraries will be installed at Title I elementary schools, and each of these will be stocked with 200 brand-new books.

The donated libraries are sponsored by Books Unbanned and the donated materials come from a 40,000-book donation from Penguin Random House. ..

Schools receiving these libraries and books were selected through an application process, and all students in the schools are welcome to take the books home at no cost.

“Many of our students have little to no books at home, and transportation barriers prevent families from reaching the public library,” a representative from participating school Somerset Lakes Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, said in a statement.

“A Little Free Library will serve as a crucial bridge, providing ongoing access to literature for students, their siblings, parents, and the community.”

Back in St. Paul, the 200,000th library is already set to be well-loved by the 340 students who attend Benjamin E. Mays IB World School. All students received gifted books, and 50 select students who excelled in a recent reading challenge attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Freedom is the road seldom traveled by the multitudes; however, literacy is the gateway to learn one’s past, present, and shape the future,” said the school’s principal, Dr. Kenneth O. Turner Jr. 

“Through literacy, one can travel the world, reading and learning about historical figures who have shaped the world. Literacy can take you into space and travel the galaxies far away. Through literacy all is obtainable.” 

Anyone interested in joining the “take a book, leave a book” movement of Little Free Library can build or buy their own box and register it online to be part of the official network."

-via GoodGoodGood, March 13, 2025

[redfoxwritesstuff]

Crushing This Crush (Alastor x Reader)

AN: A bit late but for @catticora in honor of their donation as a part of last week's event put on by @hellsgreatestevents!

CW: Alastor being a shit

Request: Reader tries to get over Alastor and writes down a list on “how to get over her crush” and he happens to find it and foil her plans into loving him more

The decision to move into the Hazbin Hotel was a natural one. You didn’t want to die and the general selections of jobs you could do to make a living wage in pentagram city was… lacking. What also was natural, unfortunately, was your crush on the walking red flag of a hotelier. 

That’s how you ended up in this mess in the first place. At least, that’s what you blamed it on. It was following red flag men through their terrible choices that landed your ass in hell. 

Charlie said you needed to take accountability for your actions or you’d never be able to progress in the redemption program, but you just didn’t buy it. The least you could do, however, was not repeat the mistake again. 

That’s what had you sitting behind your laptop in the hotel library researching ways to not fall harder for the handsome red flag that was Alastor. Unfortiently, research wasn’t the most entertaining thing in the world and you quickly ended up with your head cradled in your arms, resting partially on your notes. 

That’s how Alastor found you, cocking his head to the side as your shoulders moved slightly with every calm breath you took. How you had survived for years in hell, soul all your own still, Alastor couldn’t guess. You were so careless as to drift off to sleep in a public space. 

He was less than pleased with the presence of your travel computer on the desk. They were distasteful machines, making the users lazy when it came to seeking and verifying information. 

Alastor stepped closer to you, snagging a throw blanket off the back of the couch. Of all the places you chose to sleep, you picked the least comfortable ones. He wouldn’t save you from the kink in your back that would punish you for your choices, but the least Alastor could do was drape a blanket over your shoulders. He had a duty to the care and keeping of the hotel residents, to an extent. 

The writing on the paper caught his eye. Your looping letters elegantly crossed the page. The title scrawled atop the sheet demanded he investigate more, reading “Crushing This Crush”. 

“Oh, dear.” Alastor murmured softly, carefully working the notebook out from under your arms. “And who is the target of this…” 

“Goal:” the page stated boldly. “Kill the crush on Alastor by any means necessary.” 

“Me?” He chuckled, eyeing your sleeping face, seeing you in a new light. Things made more sense under the light of this new information. “Very interesting.” 

Alastor’s fingers twitched as the single notebook duplicated in his hand. The newly created duplicate melted into the shadows, leaving the original behind. Carefully, he lifted your arms and tucked the notebook containing your poorly hidden plans back under you. 

Would you guess it was he who brought you a blanket? He didn’t know, nor did he care. What mattered to him was that this was surely going to be entertaining. 

Step one in crushing your crush on Alastor sound have been simple enough. Minimize exposure to the man himself. How hard was it to just not spend time around him? You just had to stop seeking him out and it would be done. 

It’s not like he typically hung out in the general spaces of the hotel. 

It should have been easy, so why was it while you sat on the couch in the hotel lobby, nose in a book, his weight settled next to you? He didn’t even sit in the armchair like he usually would. For the first time in your existence, he asked you what you were reading, striking up a conversation with you.

This was not good. This was very much bad for your crush. This was how your crush would get worse. Not good at all. 

You stood up in a rush, stammering out some bullshit excuse about having to walk your fish before all but running out of the lobby, the rich sound of Alastor’s laugh following you down the hall. 

That was far from your only failure at distancing yourself from Alastor. He called on you to attend to errands with him he sure as hell didn’t need help with. The man had tentacles and shadow powers and yet somehow he needed your help to carry supplies for the hotel? 

And why the hell did he need your help to buy new clothes? Did he even wear anything other than the same outfit every single day, anyway? You couldn’t remember when you ever saw him wearing something different, but somehow you still ended up sitting in a tailor shop as he asked your opinions on cuts and fabrics. 

Step one was a failure, but that was alright, there were other steps you could take. 

Step two was to focus on growing your own interests and hobbies independent of your crush. After much thought, you settled on photography for the new hobby of choice. Charlie was ever so excited when you told her your plans and before you knew it, she helped you gain your own state-of-the-art digital camera, sure to double as an Alastor repellant. 

Or so you thought. 

Alastor seemed to be drawn to your new hobby, the digital camera be damned. He would stand outside the view, next to you, and comment on the quality of image, eagerly offering you a film camera to try instead. 

What you intended to be a hobby to distract yourself from and separate yourself from Alastor only ended up fostering your crush more. It became something you looked forward to doing because of the time you’d spend with him.

Step two was a failure. 

Step three to crushing your crush was one you had hoped to avoid doing but with the failure of the first two steps, you had little choice but execute step: Seek support from others. 

That had you sitting on Charlie’s bed, looking at her and Vaggie as you twisted the hem of your shirt between your fingers. They always said the hardest part of doing anything was to start and Satan damn it, that was true for this. 

“Is everything alright?” Charlie asked, breaking the silence. 

“No.” The word comes out as a long, drawn out whine as your tense shoulders deflate with the air leaving your lungs. “I just… I didn’t know who else to go to.”

“About what?” Vaggie asked, voice melting with Charlie’s assurances that you could come to them about anything at all and how happy she was that you would open up to them. 

“I have a crush.” The words tumbled from your mouth in a rush, quickly drown out by Charlie’s squeal of joy. 

“Why is that a problem?” Vaggie was the ever reliable voice of sanity to her girlfriend’s supportive joy. 

“I need to not have a crush.” 

“But why?” Charlie seemed to melt at the death of her fantasy. 

“He’s not a good guy.” 

“Who is it?” Vaggie was tense, prepared for you to deliver the worst option possible.

“It’s Alastor,” you confided, unaware of the smiling shadow hiding behind the curtain, tall ear cocked toward the gossiping girls. 

Step three was to have someone you trusted talk some sense into you. That’s what you expected Charlie and Vaggie to do. Instead, Charlie was eager to explore the idea of if love- a word you were far from ready to label your silly little crush- would be enough to convince both you and Alastor to try redemption. 

Step three was a failure. 

Step four to crushing your crush was the nuclear option. You wanted to avoid it at all costs and yet everything else you tried, failed. That left you standing in front of Alastor as he sat reading in the library. 

You’d been sitting next to him, struggling to read the pages of your book and not focus on the rich earthy way he smelled, the way the scent of moss seemed to surround him, as if he shoved handfuls of the stuff in his pockets each morning. 

Each day that passed made it harder to think with Alastor near you. That was what drove you to preparing for step four. 

“Is there something I can assist you with, my dear?” Alastor asked, not looking up from the old detective novel he had surely read hundreds of times in his hand. 

“I… can we talk?” 

“Are we not doing so right now?” Alastor’s ear flicked when he turned the page. 

“Alastor, it’s important.” 

He snapped the book closed and set it aside, giving you his whole attention. “Well, if you say it’s important, who am I to delay?” 

That was it. You were out of time and he was waiting. That was when the words failed you. They ran away from your mind like the rest of you wanted to. Silence ticked on as he waited, looking directly into your eyes as you prepared to be shot down. 

Step four was to tell him and clear the air, allowing you to be rejected and move on. It would hurt and maybe he’d kill you for it, but there was something to be said for ripping off the bandage. All you had to do was spit the words out and prepare for unending pain. 

“It’s about…” You were so close to saying it before the words got stuck again. 

“About?” Alastor crossed his legs and leaned back on the couch while he gave you time to confess before he spoke again. “Dare I say, is this about your little crush?” 

It felt like lightning struck you, running right down your spine and pulling every muscle tight. How could he know? How long did he know? 

“What?” Your voice was small, weak, like your knees felt. 

“This is step four, is it not?” Alastor’s smile spread wider, teeth looking somehow sharper as he shifted in his seat, seeming to prepare for a show. 

“How do you?” 

“My darling girl,” Alastor laughed, “if you’re trying to keep a secret, I don’t recommend sleeping with the plan in front of you in this very library!” 

Tears welled in your eyes as shame and embarrassment flooded you. He was toying with you for the last few weeks, ruining your plans and making you fall harder just for his own sick entertainment because he knew the whole time. 

“You could have told me,” you whimpered, trying and failing to swallow back the tears. “You could have just told me instead of making a fool out of me.” 

Alastor’s smile faltered for just a moment, shrinking as he stood. He intended to play with you, ruin your plot, but it wasn’t his goal to hurt you. This was not how he wanted to see you crying in shame. This wasn’t how he wanted to see you crying at all. 

“Cher,” Alastor spoke softer, wiping the first tear to spill from your eyes with the knuckle of his clawed hand. “I did not desire to make a fool out of you.” 

“Then why?” You stepped back only to have him step closer to you. 

His ears sank as his head cocked to the side. Why was the question indeed? 

“I didn’t wish for you to crush this crush,” he answered honestly, though that only left you with more questions. 

“Why not?” 

“It’s entertaining,” he said, after thinking for a moment longer. “The way you blush and get flustered.” 

“What does that mean?” 

Alastor shrugged his shoulders before melting into the shadows, leaving you with more questions and worse, hope that they could become something real if you just gave Alastor time to come to figure out his feelings. 

You failed to crush your crush, but maybe that was alright? Maybe your crush was contagious. Maybe Charlie was right, after all.

No, not that Alastor would push you attempt to be a better person, but maybe you could both be terrible people together. 

Thank you for reading and once again, thank you to everyone within the fandom who stepped up and participated in the event!

Join us at VoxTek for a Vox themed Hazbin Discord where we talk Vox, Hazbin, writing, reading, art and who knows what else. You may even catch some exclusive sneak peeks at upcoming fics from some of your favorite writers including the first page of the next chapter of MisD a day early!!

[ofhouseadama]

They have two girls under two, something that felt reasonable when Jini was six months old and Jack floated the idea of stepping down as a senior attending and transitioning to a per diem contract. He’s a good father, an excellent father, probably due to the fact that he never thought he would be a father. When they first found out she was pregnant the first time, they approached parenting the way they approach most other things: with empirical data and tested pedagogical methods. When they found out she was pregnant the second time, Jack all but took it upon himself to become a pediatric occupational therapist and child development specialist. 

Samira knows she’s a good mother. She’s also married to a man who wants to put her career first, which means she works three night shifts a week, sometimes four. She teaches one class as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School. She publishes regularly. She is free to travel to conferences and speaking engagements knowing that her family will travel with her. She has worn a sleeping infant (Anda, most recently, now four months old) during more than one lecture and grand round. Her children’s father is a man who loves her like she hung the moon and painted the stars. Her children have her last name, not his. 

Every Tuesday, she’s awoken by her toddler’s hands swinging clumsily down onto her face. 

Tuesday is library day. 

“Hi baby,” she murmurs. Sarojini is seventeen months old. She can walk, run, climb, drink from a cup, and use a spoon. She has a vocabulary of twelve words. She can stack blocks and mimic sounds. Her eyes are deep brown, speckled with green and gold. Her juvenile cuspids have just come in, pointy and overlapping, like Jack’s. Her hair is curly and dark, but shines red in the sun, not blue like hers. “Did you have a good morning with Daddy and Sissy?” 

“Oh, we survived,” Jack replies from the doorway, chubby infant on her hip. “Life is empty without you. She’s gonna learn to pick locks before she learns to ride a bike.” 

“Oh?”

“Didn’t hear her banging on the door?”

Samira blinks at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It’s just past 1:30 PM. Both girls must have just woken up from their naps. “Honestly?” she asks, yawning, stretching her arms wide to snatch Jini into a hug. Jini giggles. “No.” She nods at Anda over the top of Jini’s curls. “Does she need to be fed?” 

Motherhood was something she tucked away as something hypothetical, something to regret not being able to achieve once her chances had passed her by. So many of her young years were spent in hyper-focused isolation, trying to get through undergrad, then med school, then residency. Putting all her energy into chart reviews and research. Writing. Presenting. Applying for funding. 

She didn’t plan on Jack. Didn’t plan on the steely, intense Dr. Abbot she met as an MS4 to become the man so in love with her, the man so determined to see her through to her dreams, the man so unwaveringly faithful to her vision. Of course he would put his career on hold. Of course her work was important. Of course he would stay home with the children while they were young. Work is work. He dedicates himself to fatherhood the same way he dedicated himself to being a soldier, a surgeon, an emergency room physician. 

“Nah,” he says. “I found the milk you put in the fridge that you pumped during your shift. Just didn’t want to rush you to get ready.”

“I like you a lot, Abbot. Have I told you that today?” 

Snorting, he grins at her. Always a little wry, always a little wild. “I had breakfast on the table for you when you got home from work, you said a couple times when you paused to breathe.” 

Tuesday is library day. There’s always a stack of children’s books to go back. A stack of new adult non-fiction and mystery novels to be returned. Jack has the schedule of infant and toddler programming memorized, which is helpful because if Samira has to remember one more thing her brain is liable to explode. But every Tuesday is library day, in the same way Fridays they go to the botanical gardens and on Sundays they make use of the family membership to the children’s museum. 

Anda is going through another growth spurt, so Jack rocks her against his chest in the back of the room as Samira sits on the carpeted floor with Jini propped inside her folded legs. This week is family and baby storytime, short books followed by songs to teach baby sign language and guided play. The librarian recognizes them. Samira has shown up to the 10:30 AM sessions more than one time still in her scrubs, half asleep in the back with the baby tucked against her. 

In the haze of the infant and toddler years, nothing feels quite real yet. They’ve been parents for less than two years, the identities of mommy and daddy straining at times against doctor and spouse and all the other little roles they’ve picked up over the first decades of their lives. Some days, Samira expects to open her eyes and find herself back in her dorm room, freshman year. Some days, she knows Jack wakes up convinced that the universe will find a cruel trick to take this all away from him. 

Some days, though. 

Some days it’s really good. 

Tuesdays are library days. Samira really likes library days. 

[jstor]

Hey JSTOR!

Do you have any interesting articles about mobile libraries in the Great Depression? I’ve been looking for a while

If you have JSTOR access, you can read "The Book Women of Kentucky: The WPA Pack Horse Library Project, 1936-1943" by Donald C. Boyd, which discusses the New Deal-era program that "deliver[ed] books and other reading materials to remote mountain schools and residences"!

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Christopher Wiggins at The Advocate:

LaVonnia Moore spent 15 years serving her Pierce County, Georgia, community, including five years as manager of the local library. She thought she knew what libraries were for: fostering curiosity, welcoming every reader, and creating spaces where the community could see itself reflected on the shelves. But in June, Moore found herself fired for doing just that. The longtime librarian told The Advocate that she was terminated last month after including When Aidan Became a Brother, an award-winning picture book about a transgender boy, in a summer reading display assembled with community input. A child came to Moore and suggested the book as part of a colorful exhibit.

“I wasn’t going to tell the kid no,” Moore said. “I was just happy the kid was reading, happy they were engaging in their library.” Georgia’s official 2025 summer reading theme, “Color Our World,” was meant to celebrate diversity and creativity. Moore invited patrons, parents, and children to help curate a display showcasing colorful books. She said a child and their parents selected When Aidan Became a Brother from the library’s collection, which explores family love and identity when a young trans boy becomes an older sibling.

“The community engagement came together and built a display,” Moore said. She said that as a public library, everyone in the community should be reflected. “Just because you don’t see people every day doesn’t mean they’re not here," she said. But shortly after the display went up, Moore began hearing that the Alliance for Faith and Family, a local conservative Christian group, was targeting her. On June 18, the small group condemned Moore on social media, writing, “Pierce County library manager promotes transgender children’s book front and center of summer reading program even after library system change.” The group urged people to write to members of the library system and local elected government officials.

The Alliance for Faith and Family even provided a sample email urging citizens to pressure county officials to act. In that email, the sender claimed it was “beyond sad” that the library was promoting When Aidan Became a Brother, calling the book “mental manipulation (also known today as mental rape) of children where adults get children to focus on their sexuality and confuse them, teaching them God made them incorrectly.” The email alleged Moore chose the book “and no one else,” urging commissioners to “correct the problem quickly, for the sake of standing up for what’s right and for the sake of the children in our community.” On June 21, the group boasted online that “the display has been removed, and LaVonnia is no longer the Pierce County Library Manager” and urged supporters to thank local leaders for acting quickly. Moore said she was called in on her day off by Three Rivers Regional Library System director Jeremy Snell, expecting to discuss the situation, but was instead handed termination papers citing “poor decision in the line of performance of duty.”

[...] Moore’s firing is not occurring in a vacuum. In recent years, Pierce County and surrounding areas have seen ongoing disputes over LGBTQ+ visibility in libraries. In April 2023, The Blackshear Times published a letter to the editor from a Pierce County resident, raising alarm about LGBTQ+ displays and programs in regional libraries, including Pride book displays and LGBTQ+ youth book clubs. She wrote that “many concerned citizens” had been lobbying for policies prohibiting displays about sexuality and requiring patrons and staff to use restrooms corresponding to their sex assigned at birth. She claimed the regional board had delayed decisions on such policies while allowing LGBTQ+ visibility in libraries to continue.

Right-wing “parental rights” zealots forced out LaVonnia Moore from her job as a librarian in Pierce County, Georgia over When Aidan Became A Brother was suggested to be a part of an exhibit by a child.

[writing-for-life]

How Do Writers Get Compensated by Streamers?

(And Libraries, but That’s an Afterthought)

Across several platforms, I see a lot of discussions about whether it is ethical to stream shows by problematic creators because it might give them direct revenue.

I think some of this is down to the fact that many people don’t know how remuneration of writers by streaming services works. It’s not a “they get paid per view”-thing. Or even a, “If I stream this, the writer will definitely get more money”-thing. (All of this obviously excludes other considerations, like giving people exposure/promotion etc).

The moment a show hits the screen, credited writers have basically already been paid. Whether you watch or not makes no material difference to that fact whatsoever—with one caveat:

For the big streamers, this usually only applies to the first 90 days. Because this is the time period that’s covered by what’s called the initial compensation period (for really small streamers, that period is usually a year).

After this, you enter the stage of residuals and exhibition years. So for every year the show stays on a streaming platform, credited writers will receive residuals. These usually drop year after year (so the longer your show airs, the fewer residuals you will get in terms of percentage).

What Does This Mean?

Watching a big budget show within the first 90 days doesn’t make a difference to a credited writer’s bank balance (I’ll get to the exception in a sec). Watching thereafter is also not tied to a “payment per view”, but simply to a formula per year the show gets streamed. You can find this more neatly explained on the WGA website:

Streamers usually also don’t take a show/old episodes off their platform after 90 days or a year just because viewer numbers naturally fall with time (it’s usually a pre-negotiated license period of 3+years), although that sometimes happens (if you have a look through Amazon’s and Netflix’s catalogue, you’ll find lots of older shows on there that probably hardly anyone watches).

So whether people stream or not usually matters most when it comes to renewals and cancellations, because that’s where a streamer makes or loses money (production costs vs overall new subscriptions etc).

For a show that’s finishing or already cancelled, the implications are far less material. And the first 90 days do not matter at all in this context (they only matter for a renewal, but in terms of residuals, they’re basically out of the equation).

This obviously doesn’t mean that a boycott can’t be a consideration for many other reasons. But if it is financial compensation via residuals that’s the main ick, it really doesn’t matter as much as people think.

This isn’t to tell people to do one thing over the other, but I see so much misinformation about the basic nuts and bolts of this on a daily basis that I think it’s maybe worth looking into it a bit more closely for many people.

What About Libraries?

As a little addendum (because that’s also something people frequently misunderstand): Not every country has a PLR scheme that remunerates writers for library loans. And the ones that do have a cap. So if you are worried about giving a writer royalties if you borrow their books from a library, first have a look if your country actually has a PLR scheme, and how it operates (you can do this here). As examples:

The UK has a PLR scheme, so secondhand is generally preferable over libraries because authors get royalties up to a cap (which, generally speaking, is a good thing, but it’s obviously worth considering if the author is a vile human being). It also needs to be said though that they, or their estate, need to be a resident or have a principal home in the EEA to qualify, but that just as an aside.

The US don’t have a PLR scheme, so the author gets diddly squat per loan.

Again, there are other, legitimate considerations as to why secondhand is preferable over borrowing (or vice versa), but if we are talking about royalties, that’s how it works…

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

Philadelphia: 40th Anniversary of the MOVE Bombing - MOVE Day of Remembrance

Tuesday, May 13 - 5:00 p.m.

Osage Ave & Cobbs Creek Parkway, Philadelphia

Hosted by The MOVE Activist Archive

Each year, we call on community to join us as we acknowledge the horrific bombing of May 13th, 1985 by the City of Philadelphia on the MOVE organization, occurring at 6221 Osage Ave., killing 11 people, including 5 children. This devastating event has caused 40 years of anguish and trauma, as dozens of homes burned to the ground and hundreds of residents were displaced.

40 years later, community members continue to organize on the issues that MOVE people have championed for decades, while also attempting to collectively heal and seek justice from a system that has worked intentionally against them.

There will be a full day symposium at Community College of Philadelphia, titled "Remembrance, Reflection and Recommitment: 40 Years Since the MOVE Bombing" Tues. May 13th, from 9am-4pm, in the Main Campus Library, 1700 Spring Garden Street! These panel discussions will feature Mike Africa Jr. and MOVE Activist Archive Executive Director, Dr. Krystal Strong.

Then, we are asking folks to WEAR WHITE, as we come together at 5:00pm. There will be special remarks given by:

Mike Africa Jr. Dr. Krystal Strong Dr. Walt Palmer YahNe Ndgo Gabriel Bryant

In addition, the program will feature performances by:

Ursula Rucker Rahnda Rize

To support the work of The MOVE Activist Archive and the campaign to own the home at 6221 Osage Ave. (#ReclaimOsage), click the link here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-buy-back-6221-osage-ave 

[duckprintspress]

National Library Week Shout-Outs!

I LOVE libraries – and this week, April 6 to 12, is National Library Week, so I’m here to shout-out my favorite libraries.

US-Nation-Wide Libraries: these are libraries that are available, via Libby, to anyone in the United States!

Queer Liberation Library: “Queer Liberation Library (QLL) is fighting to build a vibrant, flourishing queer future by connecting LGBTQ+ people with literature, information, and resources that celebrate the unique and empowering diversity of our community.” I love QLL, it’s so great and filling such a huge need. They’re one of the handful of organizations that Duck Prints Press donates to monthly.

The Japan Foundation Los Angeles Library: “The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (JFLA) promotes international awareness and mutual understanding between Japan and the U.S. through cultural exchange. We administer a wide range of programs and grants aimed at introducing Japanese arts and culture, supporting Japanese Studies and language education, and promoting publications, translations related to Japan.” Fantastic if you’re studying Japanese or love Japanese culture. They have toooons of manga.

If anyone knows more nation-wide Libby libraries, please do tell, I’d love to find, join, and support more!

New York State Libraries: I live in New York, so the rest of my faves are local. I’m lucky to live in a state where many libraries allow all state residents access at no cost.

Schenectady County Public Library: My local library system! Also accessible to people throughout the Capital Region (Montgomery, Fulton, Schoharie, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren, Washington, Albany, and Rensselaer counties). I’m there multiple times a month, getting books for myself or my kids. All those queer YA graphic novels y’all see me reading in my weekly and monthly round-ups? Borrowed from the SCPL.

New York Public Library: I grew up going to my local branch of the NYPL in New York City. Now, I’m still able to access their collections, as can anyone who lives in New York State. They have a huge, amazing collection, and it’s absolutely worth the effort of getting a card if you’re able.

Brooklyn Public Library: I have been so so so impressed by their selection of queer books and graphic novels since I got a card for their Libby. The size of their collection is comparable to NYPL, and they’re also free throughout the state. Absolutely worth it. They also have very high loan and hold limits, and as a result of that and their huge collection of queer manga, they have become my most-used Libby library.

Buffalo and Erie County Public Library: My newest library! I haven’t gotten to use them much yet, but they have an interesting and varied collection that I’m looking forward to digging into once I get through some of the copious number of BL manga volumes I borrowed from BPL.

Other…

The Lilly Library: I have to shout out the Lilly, a rare book library at Indiana University at Bloomington. I studied library science at IU, and earned my MLS, and I took multiple classes at the Lilly and interned and worked at their conservation lab during my two years there. The professor who taught those classes now runs the library, so even though I haven’t been there for a long long time, I’m absolutely positive it’s still a wonderful place totally worth a visit if you get the chance. They’ll bring out any of their huge, varied collection that you ask to see, and they do regular exhibits of rare books from the collection.

What are your favorite libraries? Please do tell!

consider yourself tagged! reblog and tell me your favorite libraries, and I'll share those too!

[mariacallous]

The bus smashed into him last month, when he was crossing the street with his wheelchair. By the time he made it to the public hospital in California where I work as a doctor, two quarts of blood had hemorrhaged into one of his thighs, where a tender football-shaped bulge distorted the skin. He remembered his view of the windshield as the bus bore down, then, as he toppled, of the vehicle’s dirty underbelly. He was convinced he’d die.

He didn’t. Trauma surgeons and orthopedists consulted on his case. He got CT scans, X-rays, and a blood transfusion. Social workers visited him, as did a nutritionist—he was underweight. Antibiotics mopped up the pneumonia he’d contracted from inhaling saliva when he’d passed out. He remained hospitalized for more than a week.

This patient, fortunately, had Medicaid, which meant not only that his care was covered but also that he could see a primary-care doctor after discharge. The public hospital where I’m an internist would have treated him comprehensively regardless of his ability to pay. But in many places, uninsured patients might receive only emergency stabilization at the hospital, face bankrupting bills, and, unless they can pay out of pocket, be denied care at outpatient clinics. And because of work requirements that Congress just passed to restrict Medicaid, the number of uninsured people will quickly grow in the coming months and years.

On the face of it, the requirement that Medicaid beneficiaries submit proof of employment shouldn’t worry people like my patient. Over the course of his life, scoliosis has curved his spine so much that his shoulders hover a couple of feet in front of his legs when he stands, and he’s relied on a wheelchair for more than a decade. His medical condition should exempt him.

But he told our team that he lives in shelters, so he lacks a fixed address. He doesn’t have a cellphone. He could access government websites at a public library, except that his request for a power wheelchair, which Medicaid will cover, hasn’t been approved yet, and navigating the city in a standard one exhausts him. Plus, every time he leaves his stuff behind at the shelter to go somewhere, he told me, it’s stolen. At present, he doesn’t even own an official ID card.

As a doctor in a hospital that serves the urban poor, I see patients who already face such a gantlet of obstacles that modest barriers to accessing government programs can effectively screen them out.

The White House’s stated aim with the changes is to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse. But according to projections from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, nearly 12 million Americans will lose insurance by 2034 because of the impacts of the new legislation on Medicaid enrollment and restrictions on Affordable Care Act marketplaces. The safety-net institutions that serve many of the country’s poorest residents cannot make up for the gap. Some hospitals will undoubtedly face financial disaster and close, especially in rural areas—leaving patients with even less ability to get treatment.

Here’s a representative sample of patients on Medicaid I’ve treated recently: a father bleeding into his brain who speaks a Chinese-minority dialect that required multiple conversations with interpreters to identify. A middle-aged man with type 1 diabetes who suffered a stroke that resulted in such severe memory deficits that he can’t reliably remember to inject insulin. A day laborer with liver inflammation who works long hours in construction, often seven days a week, and who’s paid in cash. A young woman with a fentanyl addiction who was too weak and exhausted from malnourishment to enroll in a drug-rehabilitation program. A patient with a dog bite and a skin infection who has ricocheted between low-wage restaurant jobs.

Some of my patients are employed, as are more than two-thirds of adult Medicaid beneficiaries under age 65 without a disability. Others aren’t—and within that group, every one of them would meet criteria for exemption from work requirements, among them medical inability to work, pregnancy, caretaking duties, enrollment in a substance-use treatment program, or at least half-time-student status.

But whether because of language barriers, physical or cognitive disability, lack of internet or phone, or job instability, for all of these patients, overcoming additional bureaucratic barriers would be burdensome at best. For many of them, it would be nearly impossible.

There’s little reason to doubt that, with work requirements in place, many patients like mine will be removed from Medicaid even though they should qualify. After Arkansas deployed work requirements for Medicaid in 2018, for instance, more than two-thirds of the roughly 18,000 people who were disenrolled still should have qualified, according to one estimate. What The Atlantic’s Annie Lowery has called the time tax—“a levy of paperwork, aggravation, and mental effort imposed on citizens in exchange for benefits that putatively exist to help them”—falls disproportionately on those least likely to possess the connections, education, or resources to cut through an endless slog of canned hold music, pages that fail to load, and automated mazes of bureaucracy that dead-end before the caller can connect to a human.

The time tax of proving employment will act as a gatekeeping device, excluding people from Medicaid while foisting the blame onto their shoulders. It is, in effect, engineered to save money with systems onerous enough to disenfranchise people from what they’re entitled to. The bill will slash approximately $1 trillion from Medicaid by 2034, $325 billion of that because of work requirements, according to the latest Congressional Budget Office cost estimates. It will also waste a colossal amount of money creating the mechanisms to deny people care: Though Congress has allocated only $200 million in federal funding for implementing work requirements, the true cost of setting up and administering these systems will likely be many times more, perhaps as much as $4.9 billion, based on one estimate that drew from states that have tried to put in place such requirements.

These cuts will play out differently in each state, and even within states. They’ll gut rural health care in some locales, hurt dense urban neighborhoods in others, and hit the working poor everywhere. Their effects will be modulated by how cumbersome or efficient work-verification systems are, by the availability of insurance-eligibility workers, and by community outreach or lack thereof. But in every state, patients will suffer. That’s the predictable consequence of legislation that saves money by letting Americans get sick.

[fanzines]

Beautiful Support Your Local Library illustration and print by artist @liberaljane (buy it on her site). Here are three ways to get started, which she recommends: 1) Get a library card (it’s free and usually just requires proof of residency!) 2) Attend your local library’s events and programming. 3) Advocate for increased support and funding. Someone on the original tweet also recommended donating books and materials, which you no longer use - always worth asking your local librarians what sort of things they need for the library. My suggestion: 4) Start a zine club at your local library, where you can share and / or read zines with others, or even make zines with others. Zine clubs are an awesome way to meet people, make friends and explore more zines. And, if you're lucky, your library may have a zine library or zine collection. If not, speak to your local librarians about setting one up! ✨

[pinootgu]

a terror academia au has come to me in an insane vision (based off of my experience at elite research uni)

- crozier is going for tenure. its his second time. he hates the dept and franklin is chair this year (its not going well)

- the liuets r dif grad students. little is rethinking this whole grad school thing and probs would he happier in an mfa or something. irving came straight out of undergrad from a small liberal arts college and is having a bad time with unresolved issues. george is just happy to be there

- fitzjames is either a double ivy OR a double alum of their public uni. i dont know which is worse.

- le vesconte is fullbright. makes sure everyone Knows.

- jopson is a postbac w a non traditional undergrad path (not graduating @ 22) and is on the fence about grad school (he commits and gets in to everyone's joy)

- des voux is an annoying undergrad who you hate got into the program and the position he is in (privileged and Aware)

- franklin needs to retire but wont. made chair and is realizing that being chair Fuckinf Sucks.

- blanky runs one of the labs or libraries. doesnt teach classes and is staff

- collins is an engineering masters student that is working in it in the dept under contract. he is Struggling in all ways.

- james clark ross is on sabatical (prestigious residency abroad)

- hickey isnt even a student he's just a guy that keeps fucking with the grad student/ta strikes as an outside leftist that kind of fucking sucks (revcom probs)

[shyinsunlight]

@moonwater-microfic | 680 words | prompt: Estonia

Remus finds Regulus on the library's third floor, hunched over his laptop, empty coffee cups forming a defensive line in front of him. A strand of hair falls across his forehead in that particular way that makes Remus forget how to breathe properly—not that he's paying attention to such things, or noting how Regulus keeps tucking it behind his ear with irritation, or how he bites his lower lip when he's stuck on a sentence.

He certainly didn't walk past all the library study rooms where Regulus usually studies, or timed his own study session to coincide with Regulus' that he definitely didn't memorise.

Pure coincidence, really. The fact that he's been carrying the same book around for three days now without opening it is also entirely irrelevant.

“You look awful,” Remus says as he settles across from him.

Which is categorically untrue. Sure, Regulus looks like he hasn't slept in a decade, but somehow that just makes the grey of his eyes more intense, and the line of his cheekbone ever sharper. The tip of his nose has taken on a sweet shade of pink, and his jumper is a bit rumpled, and…

It's profoundly unfair.

“Charming,” Regulus grunts without looking up from his screen. “Did you know that Estonia has the most startups per capita in Europe?”

“Can't say I did,” Remus lies.

He absolutely did know that, having gone down a three-hour rabbit hole of Baltic economics after overhearing Regulus mention his essay topic last week. He might have neglected his own essay about Wordsworth in the process, but now he knows more about digital governance and e-residency programs than any average British person should. The fact that this hard-earned expertise is finally relevant, yet he can't deploy it without outing himself as a complete stalker, feels like a bit of a cruel joke from the universe.

“Well, now you do.” Regulus' frantic typing slows down. “Or you would, if I could write more than two sentences without getting—” He stops, and looks up with a tightening jaw.

The moment their eyes meet, Remus feels that familiar jolt of electricity that makes his pulse stutter and his thoughts scatter. Regulus' gaze is sharp, assessing, and bloodcurdlingly accusatory.

“You're doing it again,” he says quietly.

“Doing what?”

Regulus' eyes narrow. “Staring.”

“I'm not staring,” Remus says, staring.

That pretty pink mouth quirks. It isn't quite a smile. “Right. So I imagined you hovering by Building F the other day? And pretending to read the while you sat across the café last week?”

“I was reading.”

“You forgot to turn the page.”

“I'm a slow reader.”

“Is your reading speed one page per hour? Must be difficult, being a literature major.”

Remus runs his tongue across his lower lip, checking for drool—God, please don't let there have been drool—and tries to salvage what's left of his dignity. He counted on being essentially invisible, and he positioned himself with strategic sight lines while maintaining plausible deniability.

Well, apparently he'd been about as subtle as a car crash.

But on the other hand… He's been noticed. Regulus been paying attention. He remembers details. Probably out of irritation, but Remus' hopeless heart latches onto it anyway.

“It's distracting, you know.” Regulus closes his laptop. “The staring.”

“Sorry.”

“Are you? So you'll stop doing it?”

Remus considers lying further, but what's the point? “I probably won't.”

Regulus studies him for a long moment, and he wonders if he's pushed too far, if this is where Regulus tells him to leave and asks for a restraining order, or at the very least solid detachment from the same floor of the library.

Then Regulus opens his laptop again and turns the screen towards Remus.

It's nothing short of a miracle.

“Well. If you're going to be here, at least make yourself useful. I think better when I can explain things out loud.” He makes a vague gesture. “Don't ask me why. Just… sit there and look interested while I talk through this mess.”

“I can do that.” Remus fails to suppress his smile. “Baltic economics is my new favourite subject.”

[stevetonyweekly]

SteveTony Weekly - Week 8 - College AU

Happy Sunday! I’m spending the weekend on campus for a residency for my master’s program, which means as you’re reading this, I’m taking a final--send me positive vibes!! But because I’m in class, and college, ect--y’all get one of my favorite tropes this week: 

College AU!! 

I love college aus, because it’s just young puppy love with a hint of adult teeth to make things real. Did you know that the very first Stevetony fic I read was a college au, and a lot of what caused me to fall in love with these two adorable boys? True story. Anyway--here’s you’re list. Be sure to kudo and comment if you enjoy a fic!

Catching Lightning in a Bottle by sabrecmc 

College student Tony meets janitor Steve at MIT and they fall blissfully in love, until Howard happens and things fall apart. One divorce paperwork snafu courtesy of the ever-helpful Jarvis, and ten years later, Tony has to get re-divorced from Steve.

This does not go as he imagines.

Or, the Sweet Home Alabama AU that no one--well, okay, a few of you--asked for.

Fanart included.

Slut Era by BladeoftheNebula

Tony never meant to become the campus bicycle but since that was apparently what was expected of him he figured it was easier just to lean into it.

He just never expected Steve Rogers would ever want to take a ride.

Open Field in Front of Him by orphan_account

Steve Rogers's football season is functionally over after a loss to Rutgers, but he finds a distraction in Tony Stark (yes, THAT Tony Stark). A college AU Stony fic.

Bulletproof by foxxcub

At age fifteen, Steve Rogers had been in love with Tony Stark.

By age twenty, he’d (mostly) gotten over it. And then he promptly became Tony Stark's fuck buddy.

falling like the stars by complicationstoo

When Tony starts at MIT, he's excited to finally be in the same city as his older brother, Bucky, again. Then he meets Bucky's roommate and best friend Steve Rogers and falls faster than he would have ever thought possible.

Lost Boy by NotEvenCloseToStraight

Steve has eight weeks to finish studying for and pass his bar exam. And its going rather well, until 20 year old boy genius Tony walks into the same library, and sits at the same table.

Steve doesn't usually go for kids like Tony- young and irresponsible, ripped jeans and eye liner, and a tongue ring that is way more distracting that it should be.

Oh, and Tony is high as a kite, studying his physics text book.

Steve should look away, but he cant stop staring, and Tony is staring right back, more than a little interested in the serious blonde with the cute glasses and big shoulders pushing against that button up.

A stand up guy like Steve could be good for a troubled kid like Tony. But maybe a punk kid like Tony is good for a guy like Steve as well.

I wanna hold your hand by sirona

No one understands what it's like growing up rich and yet more alone than anyone should be able to stand - except for people who grew up just like you, that is. In which Tony Stark goes to Oxford University and meets people and makes enemies and makes friends and changes people's minds and falls in love - amongst other tales of mishap and adventure.