As A Former Librarian, The Whole "don't Pirate Books, You Are Taking Money Authors Need To Feed Their

As a former librarian, the whole "don't pirate books, you are taking money authors need to feed their starving children, just borrow from the library instead :) " makes me angry.

Because e-book prices for libraries are insanely high. Like I've heard the jokey meme about how "if libraries were proposed today, they would be condemned as some socialist infringing on intellectual property rights."

Well, the rights for libraries to lend out paper books were negotiated almost a century ago in most western countries, while the rights for libraries to lend out e-books and digital audiobooks were negotiated during the present neoliberal era where corporations are very powerful. And It fucking shows.

The prices for libraries to buy e-books are insane, and that's not even counting the circulation fees. And the books are frequently restricted by licensing to a certain small number of loans per book, after which the e-book is destroyed and the library has to buy a new one to the exorbitant prices the publishers give.

Like the advice about how piracy is some great evil cutting into author's profits and how you should just borrow from libraries instead is so infuriating in that context. Like listen to actual librarians talk about e-book pricing for libraries. It's a major drain on library funds, and in the era of neoliberalism and austerity those budgets are strained as it is. And libraries inability in the face of these costs to provide digital content is used as justification for further cuts.

Librarians have boycotted major publishers over their ridiculous e-book policies and have talked about how ridiculous prices are for years, and for good reason.

This is fucking corporate robbery of library funding, of tax payers money to further their own private profits. Any moralistic bullshit about the evils of book piracy should be put in that context. If the ordinary person is stealing the publishers precious book sales profits, those publishers are already robbing that person's tax dollars.

It's a fucking hypocrisy to justify the present system of copyright and intellectual property with "well, if you are poor it's still wrong to pirate because you can get books for free legally from libraries". Because book publishers are already using their strong intellectual property rights to bleed libraries dry of funds, killing them in the process like the fucking vampires they are.

National Disability Rights Network

Tell the Census: Nothing About Us Without Us

The Census Bureau proposed changes to the disability questions in the American Community Survey that will have a negative impact on the data

So the US government is trying to redefine what disability means on the new US cenus and it would cut what qualifies as a disability significantly. If this happens, it will further limit access and funding for necessary disability services. This will impact millions. The government is accepting feedback on the census changes. This link allows you to send an email (already written but you can add what you'd like) explaining why this is not acceptable.

It takes less than a minute and all you need is your email, name, and city. Please do this if you're in the US. This could harm millions of disabled Americans.

thought about the two times noah mentions his dog too hard 😞😞

𝔐𝔬𝔬𝔫 𝔖𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔢

I have waited ALL FUCKING YEAR TO POST THIS

Santa is coming tonight.