#office use

[starredforlife]

hello for those planning on voting for kamala harris. could y’all start emailing or calling her specifically to pressure her to stop the genocide. even if you’re a decided voter, mention you are undecided and that this is the issue you would flip on. here I’ll leave a link where you can email

[my-midlife-crisis]

[mossfilms]

mood:

[hella-marshmella]

“My vote doesn’t matter (so I’m gonna sit it out/vote third party/put a write-in protest vote)!”

Unfriendly reminder that Al Gore only lost Florida (and subsequently the entire 2000 election) by only 537 votes. Your vote absolutely fucking matters.

If y’all really, truly don’t want Trump/Republicans back in control than you better get out and vote down the ballot, especially if you live in an even remotely purple/swing state.

The MAGA voters will absolutely get out and vote, don’t let them out-do you.

[nyancrimew]

just read some recent american history (im quite into american tv shows) and there appears to be this rule where if you have gloves that don't fit you murder is legal, very interesting culture

[wasyago]

salmon pearl 🤔

[wasabi-gumdrop]

Kabru has a secret admirer in the castle!

[onebadnoodle]

funny collage thing i made for school 📺

[itseghost]

the captured! quest was so funny that i actually drew multiple things at once

[lasshoe]

POOR THINGS (2023) + Letterboxd Reviews

[ghosted-jazz]

Traffic Gals- Introducing Gem!

[burins]

I know this is the Take Personal Responsibility for Systemic Issues website, but I keep seeing weirdly guilt trippy posts about libraries and ebook licenses, which are a labyrinth from hell and not actually something you personally need to feel guilty about. here are a few facts about ebook licenses you may not know:

in Libby/Overdrive, which currently operates in most US public libraries, ebook licenses vary widely in how much they cost and what their terms are. some ebooks get charged per use, some have a set number of uses before the license runs out, and others have a period of time they're good for (usually 1-2 years) with unlimited checkouts during that period before they expire. these terms are set by the publisher and can also vary from book to book (for instance, a publisher might offer two types of licenses for a book, and we might buy one copy of a book with a set number of uses we want to have but know won't move as much, and another copy with a one year unlimited license for a new bestseller we know will be really moving this year.)

you as a patron have NO way of knowing which is which.

ebook licenses are very expensive compared to physical books! on average they run about 60 bucks a pop, where the same physical book would cost us $10-15 and last us five to ten years (or much longer, if it's a hardcover that doesn't get read a lot.)

if your library uses Hoopla instead, those are all pay per use, which is why many libraries cap checkouts at anywhere between 2-10 per month.

however.

this doesn't mean you shouldn't use ebooks. this doesn't mean you should feel guilty about checking things out! we buy ebook licenses for people to use them, because we know that ebook formats are easier for a lot of people (more accessible, more convenient, easier for people with schedules that don't let them get into the library.) these are resources the library buys for you. this is why we exist. you don't need to feel guilty about using them!

things that are responsible for libraries being underfunded and having to stretch their resources:

government priorities and systemic underfunding of social services that don't turn a profit and aren't easily quantified

our society's failure to value learning and pleasure reading for their own sake

predatory ebook licensing models

things that are not responsible for libraries being underfunded:

individual patron behavior

I promise promise promise that your personal library use is not making or breaking your library's budget. your local politicians are doing that. capitalism is doing that. you are fine.

(if you want to help your local library, the number one thing you can do is to advocate for us! talk to your city or county government about how much you like the library. or call or write emails or letters. advocate for us locally. make sure your state reps know how important the library is to you. there are local advocacy groups in pretty much every state pushing for library priorities. or just ask your local librarian. we like to answer questions!

also, if you're in Massachusetts, bill h3239 would make a huge difference in letting us negotiate ebook prices more fairly. tell your rep to vote for it!)

[dork-a-doodle]

(Not pictured: the dozens of ghosts also present)

[foxsketch6543]

Is it me or is history is repeating itself?