Advocacy & Public Policy Committee News v. 10 n. 1, January 2024

Advocacy & Public Policy Committee News support the committee's mission to monitor governmental activities and social justice issues affecting the professional interests of ARLIS/NA and to keep the ARLIS/NA membership informed. The monthly alerts are intended to be conversation starters, help members keep up on public policy issues and alert members to new developments. The articles compiled in the News Alerts bring to the forefront recent news from a range of perspectives designed to elicit discussion; they are not compiled to represent the views of ARLIS as an organization or the members of the Advocacy and Public Policy Committee.

Previous issues can be found here: https://www.arlisna.org/news/appc-news-alert 

Art & Activism

• Bishara, Hakim. “Climate Protesters Soup the Mona Lisa in Paris.” Hyperallergic, January 28, 2024.

• Cassady, Daniel. “Toronto’s Indigenous Curatorial Collective Sends Open Letter to Art Gallery of Ontario Decrying Wanda Nanibush’s Departure.” ARTnews, January 25, 2024. 

• Di Liscia, Valentina. “Artists Protest Museum’s Cancellation of Michael Fried-Inspired Show.” Hyperallergic, January 29, 2024. 

• Ho, Karen K. “German Culture Minister’s Reforms Face Resistance in Bavaria.” ARTnews, January 3, 2024. 

• Nayyar, Rhea. “NYU Suspends Palestinian Professor and Activist Amin Husain.” Hyperallergic, January 29, 2024. 

• Pontone, Maya. "Museum Watchdog Group Decries Silencing of Pro-Palestine Voices." Hyperallergic, January 17, 2024. 

• Pontone, Maya. "Artist Emily Jacir Calls Suppression of Palestinian Voices “Part of Genocide”." Hyperallergic, January 21, 2024. 

• Solomon, Tessa. “Spanish Police Make Mass Arrest of Climate Activists Following Museum Demonstrations.” ARTnews, January 12, 2024. 

• Stromberg, Matt. “Artists Drop Out of CalArts MFA Show After Venue Bans Pro-Palestine Language.” Hyperallergic, January 23, 2024. 

Copyright & Licensing; Open Access 

• Dalton, Andrew. “Tattoo Artist Kat Von D Didn’t Violate Photographer’s Copyright of Miles Davis Portrait, Jury Says." Associated Press, January 26, 2024.

• Edwards, Benj. “Early Mickey Mouse Is Now in the Public Domain—and AI Is Already on the Case.” Ars Technica, January 2, 2024.  

• Gagliano, Cara. "The Public Domain Benefits Everyone – But Sometimes Copyright Holders Won’t Let Go." Electronic Frontier Foundation, January 22, 2024. 

• Jenkins, Jennifer. “Mickey, Disney, and the Public Domain: A 95-Year Love Triangle." Duke University School of Law, January 30, 2024.

• Kang, Cecilia. “The Sleepy Copyright Office in the Middle of a High-Stakes Clash Over A.I.” The New York Times, sec. Technology. January 25, 2024.

• Miyara, Jocelyn. “UK Court Clears Path for Open Culture to Flourish.” Creative Commons, January 18, 2024.

• Pontone, Maya. “Database of Artists Used to Train AI Leaks to the Public.” Hyperallergic, January 3, 2024.

• Smith, Dylan. “Internet Archive Seeks Dismissal of Great 78 Project Copyright Suit.” Digital Music News, January 30, 2024.

• Solomon, Tessa. “Court Releases ‘Final Judgement’ in Richard Prince and Galleries Copyright Cases.” ARTnews, January 26, 2024.

• Trendacosta, Katherine. "It's Copyright Week 2024: Join Us in the Fight for Better Copyright Law and Policy." Electronic Frontier Foundation, January 22, 2024. 

Funding

• "$105K cash injection to Guelph library to help address digital inequities." GuelphToday Staff, January 11, 2024.

• Bechara, Diego Ramos. “Apple Provides Grants to Sundance Institute, Museum of American Indian.” Variety, January 25, 2024.

• Halperin, Julia. "The hangover after the museum party: institutions in the US are facing a funding crisis." The Art Newspaper, January 19, 2024.

• Martinez, Raquel, and Eli Guinnee. "Rural Libraries Endowment Invests in New Mexico’s Small Communities." Library Journal, January 8, 2024.

• Moro, Teviah. "Hamilton library seeks 4.4 per cent budget boost." The Hamilton Spectator, January 27, 2024.

• Nayyar, Rhea. "Warhol Foundation Doles Out $4M to 50 Art Orgs." Hyperallergic, January 10, 2024.

• Nayyar, Rhea. "Harriet Tubman Cultural Center Awarded Millions for Preservation." Hyperallergic, January 31, 2024.

• Thoms, Randy. "Library CEO adds voice for more funding." 99.9 The Bay, January 31, 2024.

• Velie, Elaine. "Museum Leaders Urge NYC Mayor to Reverse Budget Cuts." Hyperallergic, January 18, 2024.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access (IDEA)

• Arma, Violet Rose. “Out of Sight: How Museums Can Harness the Blind Perspective to Enrich Visitor Experiences.” American Alliance of Museums, January 26, 2024. 

• Bernhardt, Darren. "Outdated, hurtful historical language now comes with a warning at Manitoba archival institutions." CBC News, January 3, 2024.

• "Business resources to library spaces through community partnership." CFRA News Staff, January 4, 2024. 

• Farley, Sam. "Not just for kids. Fredericton library expands story time to seniors' homes." CBC News, January 13, 2024.

• Hauen, Jack. “Librarians propose provincewide digital library.” New Market Today, January 12, 2024.

• Pender, Terry. “Online platform helps Syrians find lost family members.” Waterloo Chronicle, January 28, 2024.

• Petar, Stephan. "Discovering The 2SLGBTQI+ Archives That Are Keeping Queer History Alive Across Canada." In Magazine, January 29, 2024. 

• Thomas Jr., Felton, and Tana Peckham. “A Winning Case: Library partners with housing court to bring kiosks to residents experiencing housing issues.” American Libraries Magazine, January 2, 2024. 

• Udell, Emily. “In Their Own Words: Libraries amplify voices and forge connections through oral history projects.” American Libraries Magazine, January 2, 2024. 

• Velie, Elaine. "Chicago’s Field Museum Covers Up Native Display." Hyperallergic, January 16, 2024.

• Velie, Elaine. “American Museum of Natural History Closes Native Exhibition Halls.” Hyperallergic, January 26, 2024. 

Intellectual Freedom/Access to Information

• Bloom, Matt. “Librarians, Who Lost Jobs for Not Banning Books, Are Fighting Back.” NPR, January 2, 2024.

• Fernelius, Katie Jane. “Queer Louisianans Are Fighting Book Bans—And Winning.” In These Times, January 1, 2024.

• Leland, John. “How a Drag Queen Event That Never Happened Forced a Library to Shut Down.” The New York Times, January 4, 2024.

• “Library of Congress Launches New Website for Americans to Share COVID-19 Stories.” Library of Congress, January 22, 2024.

• Nayyar, Rhea. “Instagram Censors NYC Art Show About the Nude Body.” Hyperallergic, January 14, 2024. 

• Pappano, Laura. “A Brief History of the Grand Old American Tradition of Banning Books.” Literary Hub, January 30, 2024. 

• Teitel, Emma. “Why I can't wait for the public library to be back online.” Toronto Star, January 4, 2024. 

• Trendacosta, Katherine. "More Than a Decade Later, Site-Blocking Is Still Censorship." Electronic Frontier Foundation, January 26, 2024.

• Velie, Elaine. “Indiana University Cancels Palestinian Artist Samia Halaby’s Exhibition.” Hyperallergic, January 10, 2024.

• Williams, Robert. “School board appeals decision in Burjoski defamation case.” Waterloo Chronicle, January 2, 2024. 

Technology and Digital Privacy

• “Employee data compromised in cyberattack at London Public Library.” CBC News, January 3, 2024. 

• Cassady, Daniel. “Hundreds of Online Museum Collections Suffer in Cyber Attack.” ARTnews, January 5, 2024.

• Cross, Alan. “How much longer will we be able to buy digital music?” Global News, January 14, 2024.

• Mendleson, Rachel, and Emily Fagan. "Toronto Public Library website back online after ransomware attack." Toronto Star, January 29, 2024.

• Nayyar, Rhea. "Millions Fall for Fake Video of Eiffel Tower on Fire." Hyperallergic, January 24, 2024.

• Pressman, Natalie. “N.W.T.'s access-to-information system slow and frustrating, users say.” CBC News, January 12, 2024.

• Rivers, Heather. “London library almost fully recovered from cyberattack, no ransom paid.” The London Free Press, January 12, 2024.

• Shapiro, Emma. “Meta’s Anti-Nudity Algorithms Go After AI Artists.” Hyperallergic, January 25, 2024.

• Skrypnek, Jane. "Wait for FOI requests in B.C. the worst its been in 13 years: commissioner." Trail Times, January 31, 2024.

• Solomon, Howard. "Ontario healthcare providers now face possible fines for ‘severe’ data privacy violations." IT World Canada, January 4, 2024.

• Velie, Elaine, and Rhea Nayyar. "Ethical Questions Arise After AI “Completes” Keith Haring Painting." Hyperallergic, January 8, 2024.

Workplace

• Antoneshyn, Alex. "Mediation over between city and library workers; union to discuss striking." CTV News, January 22, 2024.

• Bruton, Bob. "Inflation, security costs among library 'challenges' in 2024: CEO." Barrie Today, January 12, 2024.

• Draaisma, Muriel. "Toronto Public Library storing returned books at 12 trailers off site in wake of cyberattack." CBC News, January 11, 2024.

• Greenberger, Alex. “Second Indigenous Art Curator Leaves Art Gallery of Ontario as Scrutiny Continues.” ARTnews, January 26, 2024. 

• Law, Tom. "U of T librarians’ 45-year battle for updated labour policies has come to an end." The Varsity, January 21, 2024.

• Pontone, Maya. "Denver Art Museum Workers Move to Unionize." Hyperallergic, January 24, 2024.

• Sandstrom, Alison. "Kitchener Public Library workers vote to unionize." CTV News, January 26, 2024.

• Solomon, Tessa. “Centre Pompidou and Staff Reach Agreement, Ending Three-Month Strike.” ARTnews, January 29, 2024. 

Miscellaneous

• Aton, Francesca. “More Than 1,700 Objects Missing from England’s Museum Collections.” ARTnews, January 10, 2024.

• “DES MOINES ART CENTER TO DISMANTLE WATERSHED LAND ART WORK BY MARY MISS.” Artforum, January 17, 2024.

• Jakobsen, Mia. "Opinion: Students go to the library for services, not silence." The Varsity, January 28, 2024.

• Greenberger, Alex. “Hundreds of Artists Say They Won’t Show at German Institutions with ‘McCarthyist Policies’ on Palestine.” ARTnews, January 11, 2024. 

• Greenberger, Alex. “Laurie Anderson Withdraws from Visiting Professor Post at German University After Pro-Palestine Letter Resurfaces.” ARTnews, January 29, 2024.

• Solomon, Tessa. “Fire Destroys 4,000 Artworks in National Picture Gallery of Abkhazia Collection: ‘An Irreparable Loss.’” ARTnews, January 24, 2024. 

• Solomon, Tessa. “Klimt Portrait Lost for 100 Years Resurfaces, Set to Fetch $54 M. at Auction.” ARTnews, January 26, 2024.

• Villa, Angelica. “New York’s Washburn Gallery to Permanently Close After Five Decades.” ARTnews, January 11, 2024.

This issue of News Alerts was compiled by Freyja Catton, Sal Hamerman, Michele Jennings, Stephanie Kays, Annie Sollinger, and Petra Warren.