An in-depth assessment of innovations in military information technology informs hypothetical outcomes for artificial intelligence adaptations

In the coming decades, artificial intelligence (AI) could revolutionize the way humans wage war. The military organizations that best innovate and adapt to this AI revolution will likely gain significant advantages over their rivals. To this end, great powers such as the United States, China, and Russia are already investing in novel sensing, reasoning, and learning technologies that will alter how militaries plan and fight. The resulting transformation could fundamentally change the character of war.

In Information in War, Benjamin Jensen, Christopher Whyte, and Scott Cuomo provide a deeper understanding of the AI revolution by exploring the relationship between information, organizational dynamics, and military power. The authors analyze how militaries adjust to new information communication technology historically to identify opportunities, risks, and obstacles that will almost certainly confront modern defense organizations as they pursue AI pathways to the future. Information in War builds on these historical cases to frame four alternative future scenarios exploring what the AI revolution could look like in the US military by 2040.

An Open Letters Review Best Book of the Year

“Grafton presents largely unfamiliar material…in a clear, even breezy style…Erudite.”
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post

In this celebration of bookmaking in all its messy and intricate detail, Anthony Grafton captures both the physical and mental labors that went into the golden age of the book—compiling notebooks, copying and correcting proofs, preparing copy—and shows us how scribes and scholars shaped influential treatises and forgeries.

Inky Fingers ranges widely, from the theological polemics of the early days of printing to the pathbreaking works of Jean Mabillon and Baruch Spinoza. Grafton draws new connections between humanistic traditions and intellectual innovations, textual learning and the delicate, arduous, error-riddled craft of making books. Through it all, he reminds us that the life of the mind depends on the work of the hands, and the nitty gritty labor of printmakers has had a profound impact on the history of ideas.

“Describes magnificent achievements, storms of controversy, and sometimes the pure devilment of scholars and printers…Captivating and often amusing.”
—Wall Street Journal

“Ideas, in this vivid telling, emerge not just from minds but from hands, not to mention the biceps that crank a press or heft a ream of paper.”
—New York Review of Books

“Grafton upends idealized understandings of early modern scholarship and blurs distinctions between the physical and mental labor that made the remarkable works of this period possible.”
—Christine Jacobson, Book Post

“Scholarship is a kind of heroism in Grafton’s account, his nine protagonists’ aching backs and tired eyes evidence of their valiant dedication to the pursuit of knowledge.”
—London Review of Books

Include, part of a six-volume series on the Shared Foundations in AASL’s National School Library Standards, brings together a chorus of school librarians, scholars, and students representing a wide range of races, ethnicities, experiences, and identities. This book offers

• an understanding of why the concept of Include is paramount to school librarian practice, supported by key research to share and inspire the inclusion of learner and educator voices and experiences;
• an explanation of what it looks like to successfully integrate the Include Shared Foundation in terms of collection, space, and instruction; 
• useable guidance that school librarians can confidently incorporate in their settings , including easy-to-implement ideas, inspiring stories, events, and transformation; and
• reflections, questions, and action steps to help readers move their practice forward.

Since Oliver’s guide was first published in 2010, thousands of LIS students, records managers, and catalogers and other library professionals have relied on its clear, plainspoken explanation of RDA: Resource Description and Access as their first step towards becoming acquainted with the cataloging standard. Now, reflecting the changes to RDA after the completion of the 3R Project, Oliver brings her Special Report up to date. This essential primer

• concisely explains what RDA is, its basic features, and the main factors in its development;
• describes RDA’s relationship to the international standards and models that continue to influence its evolution;
• provides an overview of the latest developments, focusing on the impact of the 3R Project, the results of aligning RDA with IFLA’s Library Reference Model (LRM), and the outcomes of internationalization;
• illustrates how information is organized in the post 3R Toolkit and explains how to navigate through this new structure; and
• discusses how RDA continues to enable improved resource discovery both in traditional and new applications, including the linked data environment.

Intellectual freedom is a complex concept that democracies and free societies around the world define in different ways but always strive to uphold. And ALA has long recognized the crucial role that libraries play in protecting this right. But what does it mean in practice? How do library workers handle the ethical conundrums that often accompany the commitment to defending it? Rather than merely laying out abstract policies and best practices, this important new collection gathers real-world stories of intellectual freedom in action to illuminate the difficulties, triumphs, and occasional setbacks of advocating for free and equal access to information for all people in a shifting landscape. Offering insight to LIS students and current practitioners on how we can advance the profession of librarianship while fighting censorship and other challenges, these personal narratives explore such formidable situations as

• presenting drag queen story times in rural America;
• a Black Lives Matter “die-in” at the undergraduate library of the University of Wisconsin-Madison;
• combating censorship at a prison library;
• hosting a moderated talk about threats to modern democracy that included a neo-Nazi spokesman;
• a provocative exhibition that triggered intimidating phone calls, emails, and a threat to burn down an art library;  
• calls to eliminate non-Indigenous children’s literature from the collection of a tribal college library; and
• preserving patrons’ right to privacy in the face of an FBI subpoena.

The newest edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual is more than simply an update of a foundational text that has served as a crucial resource for more than four decades. It is a living document that serves as the authoritative reference for day-to-day guidance on maintaining free and equal access to information for all people. Whether you’re developing or revising policies, on-boarding new staff or trustees, responding to challenges and controversies, or studying librarianship, you’ll find this an indispensable resource, with features such as

• ALA policy statements, approved by committees and Council, articulating core intellectual freedom principles and best practices;
• 8 new interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights, which address urgent issues like internet filtering, public performances, political activity, religion, and equity, diversity, and inclusion;
• “Issues at a Glance” sidebars which present key concepts, points of law, tips, and questions for reflection;
• expanded content about developing library policies that support intellectual freedom;
• updated information on censorship of library programs, displays, and databases;
• “Advocacy and Assistance,” a section offering concrete guidance when you’re called on to talk to the media or meet with legislators;
• Deeper Look essays which examine the laws related to library operations;
• advice on when to call the police, when not to, and how to handle personally identifiable information when they arrive; and
• an expanded glossary.

Put simply, there is no text about public librarianship more rigorous or comprehensive than McCook's survey. Now, the REFORMA Lifetime Achievement Award-winning author has teamed up with noted public library scholar and advocate Bossaller to update and expand her work to incorporate the field's renewed emphasis on outcomes and transformation. This "essential tool" (Library Journal) remains the definitive handbook on this branch of the profession. It covers every aspect of the public library, from its earliest history through its current incarnation on the cutting edge of the information environment, including

• statistics, standards, planning, evaluations, and results;
• legal issues, funding, and politics;
• organization, administration, and staffing;
• all aspects of library technology, from structure and infrastructure to websites and makerspaces;
• adult services, youth services, and children's services;
• associations, state library agencies, and other professional organizations;
• global perspectives on public libraries; and
• advocacy, outreach, and human rights.

Exhaustively researched and expansive in its scope, this benchmark text continues to serve both LIS students and working professionals.