kay slater
@kslater.bsky.social
Chicago-based information worker (critical technology + libraries, community archives), DJ. views are indeed my own
blog: https://online-roleplay.ghost.io
scholarship: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2026-8669
blog: https://online-roleplay.ghost.io
scholarship: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2026-8669
Pinned
kay slater
@kslater.bsky.social
· Aug 27
Project MUSE - Against AI: Critical Refusal in the Library
doi.org
In “Against AI: Critical Refusal in the Library,” I examine LIS as in need of a values-realignment, asking readers to refuse the technosolutionism we are so often offered in place of human-centered possibilities, like taking racism, climate change, and labor rights seriously
doi.org/10.1353/lib....
doi.org/10.1353/lib....
Reposted by kay slater
My book is out and it’s about the power of archive and voice and my fellow fellows are dope as hell in it
nupress.northwestern.edu/978081014906...
nupress.northwestern.edu/978081014906...
November 27, 2025 at 1:14 AM
My book is out and it’s about the power of archive and voice and my fellow fellows are dope as hell in it
nupress.northwestern.edu/978081014906...
nupress.northwestern.edu/978081014906...
Reposted by kay slater
📣New paper!
Thrilled to share the methodological recipe for @dataworkersinquiry.bsky.social in this article co-authored with @adiod.bsky.social @krystalkauffman.bsky.social Camilla Salim Wagner, Laurenz Sachenbacher @alexhanna.bsky.social & @timnitgebru.bsky.social
👉 ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AI...
Thrilled to share the methodological recipe for @dataworkersinquiry.bsky.social in this article co-authored with @adiod.bsky.social @krystalkauffman.bsky.social Camilla Salim Wagner, Laurenz Sachenbacher @alexhanna.bsky.social & @timnitgebru.bsky.social
👉 ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AI...
November 25, 2025 at 3:37 PM
📣New paper!
Thrilled to share the methodological recipe for @dataworkersinquiry.bsky.social in this article co-authored with @adiod.bsky.social @krystalkauffman.bsky.social Camilla Salim Wagner, Laurenz Sachenbacher @alexhanna.bsky.social & @timnitgebru.bsky.social
👉 ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AI...
Thrilled to share the methodological recipe for @dataworkersinquiry.bsky.social in this article co-authored with @adiod.bsky.social @krystalkauffman.bsky.social Camilla Salim Wagner, Laurenz Sachenbacher @alexhanna.bsky.social & @timnitgebru.bsky.social
👉 ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AI...
you should be a patron of your public library AND buy as directly from creators as much as you possibly can
higher demand / circulation of titles = higher likelihood of repurchasing for future work
libraries also tend to employ creative people who write, make art, and play music outside of work
higher demand / circulation of titles = higher likelihood of repurchasing for future work
libraries also tend to employ creative people who write, make art, and play music outside of work
November 26, 2025 at 9:42 PM
you should be a patron of your public library AND buy as directly from creators as much as you possibly can
higher demand / circulation of titles = higher likelihood of repurchasing for future work
libraries also tend to employ creative people who write, make art, and play music outside of work
higher demand / circulation of titles = higher likelihood of repurchasing for future work
libraries also tend to employ creative people who write, make art, and play music outside of work
talking about public library makerspaces (supporting the work of artists, doing our best to keep materials free for all, & building relationships with community members through programming that is responsive to their needs) for Library Futures next week!
Learn how to keep your library makerspace legally sound and open to all! @schutton.bsky.social, @kslater.bsky.social, and Tomas A. Lipinski will offer insights and answer questions on all things maker. Read more and register -->
nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
November 26, 2025 at 8:45 PM
talking about public library makerspaces (supporting the work of artists, doing our best to keep materials free for all, & building relationships with community members through programming that is responsive to their needs) for Library Futures next week!
“How does the war economy depend on detritus, from military ruins to microchip emissions? And what about the land that undergirds Big Tech–soil, water, and rock as grounds of present and future renewal?”
www.emptysetmag.com/articles/sil...
www.emptysetmag.com/articles/sil...
Silicon Fantasy, Silicon Decay
Silicon Valley appears less a harbinger of the future and more an iteration in a long history of speculative extraction.
www.emptysetmag.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:59 PM
“How does the war economy depend on detritus, from military ruins to microchip emissions? And what about the land that undergirds Big Tech–soil, water, and rock as grounds of present and future renewal?”
www.emptysetmag.com/articles/sil...
www.emptysetmag.com/articles/sil...
it is absolutely amazing to see someone—especially THIS someone—create a 4-hour documentary on a topic that you *nearly* devoted years to studying in grad school. burden relieved
the joy in watching it unfold… thank you kevin youtu.be/NyIgV84fudM?...
the joy in watching it unfold… thank you kevin youtu.be/NyIgV84fudM?...
Disney's Living Characters: A Broken Promise
YouTube video by Defunctland
youtu.be
November 24, 2025 at 7:54 PM
it is absolutely amazing to see someone—especially THIS someone—create a 4-hour documentary on a topic that you *nearly* devoted years to studying in grad school. burden relieved
the joy in watching it unfold… thank you kevin youtu.be/NyIgV84fudM?...
the joy in watching it unfold… thank you kevin youtu.be/NyIgV84fudM?...
i love my city
Yesterday my partner and I counted all the ads along Chicago's Brown Line for "Friend," a company selling an AI chatbot pendant, and tallied how many of those ads were defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
Still working on a longer piece on this, but here's the quick and dirty: we counted 104 "Friend" ads total, 42 defaced.
November 24, 2025 at 1:56 AM
i love my city
helpful context for Mamdani: he’s a Libra
November 22, 2025 at 12:45 AM
helpful context for Mamdani: he’s a Libra
Reposted by kay slater
Pals! A new @neverpo.st, thank god. Friend of the Show Meghal spent a year fixing an attention span broken by scrolling; hear what she learned in the process.
Then! Meghal speaks w/ the organizers of a New Luddism conference about reclaiming agency from encroaching technology.
Also: MACHINES!
Then! Meghal speaks w/ the organizers of a New Luddism conference about reclaiming agency from encroaching technology.
Also: MACHINES!
🆕 Never Post! The Year I Learned to Pay Attention
Choose life
www.neverpo.st
November 21, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Pals! A new @neverpo.st, thank god. Friend of the Show Meghal spent a year fixing an attention span broken by scrolling; hear what she learned in the process.
Then! Meghal speaks w/ the organizers of a New Luddism conference about reclaiming agency from encroaching technology.
Also: MACHINES!
Then! Meghal speaks w/ the organizers of a New Luddism conference about reclaiming agency from encroaching technology.
Also: MACHINES!
if i have to hear “libraries had to adapt to Google, so we need to adapt for AI!” one more time…
Learning with AI falls short compared to old-fashioned web search theconversation.com/learning-wit...
Learning with AI falls short compared to old-fashioned web search
Doing the mental work of connecting the dots across multiple web queries appears to help people understand the material better compared to an AI summary.
theconversation.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:26 PM
if i have to hear “libraries had to adapt to Google, so we need to adapt for AI!” one more time…
Reposted by kay slater
Last week, I gave a talk pushing back against claims that AI will democratize education, and I included this slide meant to trouble narratives - and self-serving programs like OpenAI's new "free" ChatGPT for teachers - that focus narrowly on access to technology as some kind of transformative force.
November 20, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Last week, I gave a talk pushing back against claims that AI will democratize education, and I included this slide meant to trouble narratives - and self-serving programs like OpenAI's new "free" ChatGPT for teachers - that focus narrowly on access to technology as some kind of transformative force.
do AI adopters in libraries understand that refusing/protesting a system is diff. than blaming individuals affected by a system?
when they claim refusal of AI is “not helpful,” what i hear is that they aren’t making a connection between their labor as information workers to data workers in Kenya
when they claim refusal of AI is “not helpful,” what i hear is that they aren’t making a connection between their labor as information workers to data workers in Kenya
November 19, 2025 at 10:48 PM
do AI adopters in libraries understand that refusing/protesting a system is diff. than blaming individuals affected by a system?
when they claim refusal of AI is “not helpful,” what i hear is that they aren’t making a connection between their labor as information workers to data workers in Kenya
when they claim refusal of AI is “not helpful,” what i hear is that they aren’t making a connection between their labor as information workers to data workers in Kenya
Reposted by kay slater
New paper! Let’s not overemphasize AI “upskilling” as a response to CEOs saying AI is gonna replace us.
So what else can we do?
Check out our new paper to find out how we can approach workforce development in the modern tech economy: techequity.us/2025/11/19/a...
Check out our new paper to find out how we can approach workforce development in the modern tech economy: techequity.us/2025/11/19/a...
AI & Workforce Development - November 2025 Report - TechEquity Collaborative
AI is changing the labor landscape. TechEquity’s explores how we can approach workforce development in the modern tech economy.
techequity.us
November 19, 2025 at 7:07 PM
New paper! Let’s not overemphasize AI “upskilling” as a response to CEOs saying AI is gonna replace us.
Reposted by kay slater
Learn how to keep your library makerspace legally sound and open to all! @schutton.bsky.social, @kslater.bsky.social, and Tomas A. Lipinski will offer insights and answer questions on all things maker. Read more and register -->
nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
November 19, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Learn how to keep your library makerspace legally sound and open to all! @schutton.bsky.social, @kslater.bsky.social, and Tomas A. Lipinski will offer insights and answer questions on all things maker. Read more and register -->
nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Reposted by kay slater
In a time of economic difficulty, "some of these townships are saying, ‘Well, why not?’” when it comes to data centers, D&S researcher @livgar.bsky.social says. Others are wary of the major changes data centers have brought to communities like their own. www.newsfromthestates.com/article/data...
Data center growth drives locals to fight for more say
When local activist Frank Arcoleo found out over the summer that a data center was coming to his neighborhood in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he said he was furious. There’d been no votes or public hearin...
www.newsfromthestates.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:14 PM
In a time of economic difficulty, "some of these townships are saying, ‘Well, why not?’” when it comes to data centers, D&S researcher @livgar.bsky.social says. Others are wary of the major changes data centers have brought to communities like their own. www.newsfromthestates.com/article/data...
Reposted by kay slater
People need to reckon with the hypocrisies of governments prepared to suport products that algorithmically fabricate history while stripping funding from the archives and repositories that hold actual historical artifacts. This is far more expansive than the cyberattack on the British Library.
November 18, 2025 at 2:36 PM
People need to reckon with the hypocrisies of governments prepared to suport products that algorithmically fabricate history while stripping funding from the archives and repositories that hold actual historical artifacts. This is far more expansive than the cyberattack on the British Library.
disappointing news from my alma mater.
SAIC president: “structural changes are necessary to ensure the long-term health of SAIC…SAIC is facing a significant financial shortfall due to a decline in enrollment—particularly among international students”
www.artforum.com/news/school-...
SAIC president: “structural changes are necessary to ensure the long-term health of SAIC…SAIC is facing a significant financial shortfall due to a decline in enrollment—particularly among international students”
www.artforum.com/news/school-...
SAIC Guts Video Data Bank
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago cut staff at the Video Data Bank and announced major cutbacks to the contemporary video art repository.
www.artforum.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:43 AM
disappointing news from my alma mater.
SAIC president: “structural changes are necessary to ensure the long-term health of SAIC…SAIC is facing a significant financial shortfall due to a decline in enrollment—particularly among international students”
www.artforum.com/news/school-...
SAIC president: “structural changes are necessary to ensure the long-term health of SAIC…SAIC is facing a significant financial shortfall due to a decline in enrollment—particularly among international students”
www.artforum.com/news/school-...
desperately hoping (praying) that pauses in PhD admits are not longer than a year, acceptance rates will not get smaller, and that i will be able to study in the state where i live and work. amen
November 18, 2025 at 3:06 AM
desperately hoping (praying) that pauses in PhD admits are not longer than a year, acceptance rates will not get smaller, and that i will be able to study in the state where i live and work. amen
Reposted by kay slater
As Langdon Winner put so well 40 years ago, don't fall into the trap of accepting "RISK" as a good framework for these conversations. Business interests love framing their violence in terms of "risks & rewards" bc as a society, we love to heroize & reward risk-takers. Talk instead about "HAZARD."
November 17, 2025 at 12:55 PM
As Langdon Winner put so well 40 years ago, don't fall into the trap of accepting "RISK" as a good framework for these conversations. Business interests love framing their violence in terms of "risks & rewards" bc as a society, we love to heroize & reward risk-takers. Talk instead about "HAZARD."
oh my god… NETWORK (1976) box set coming to Criterion with an essay by @jamellebouie.net!!!
www.criterion.com/films/34869-...
www.criterion.com/films/34869-...
November 17, 2025 at 7:24 PM
oh my god… NETWORK (1976) box set coming to Criterion with an essay by @jamellebouie.net!!!
www.criterion.com/films/34869-...
www.criterion.com/films/34869-...
Reposted by kay slater
Ryan Coogler said part of his influence for making Sinners was a childhood love for the Disney movie “Luck of the Irish” and let me tell you…he is so real for that.
November 16, 2025 at 3:27 AM
Ryan Coogler said part of his influence for making Sinners was a childhood love for the Disney movie “Luck of the Irish” and let me tell you…he is so real for that.
Reposted by kay slater
How will librarians be able to plan programming, do outreach, and get to know regulars while bouncing around from branch to branch? Your guess is as good as mine. Call your alder and leave a message this weekend. We need all of our staff restored. Find your alder at bit.ly/callmyward
November 16, 2025 at 12:38 AM
How will librarians be able to plan programming, do outreach, and get to know regulars while bouncing around from branch to branch? Your guess is as good as mine. Call your alder and leave a message this weekend. We need all of our staff restored. Find your alder at bit.ly/callmyward
i have been patronizing a suburban public library & had items marked lost. even tho i have worked in public libraries for the last 5 years, & that i knew i wouldn’t actually have to pay the bill upon returning them—the RUSH i felt when the worker confirmed i did not, in fact, owe the library $100!
November 15, 2025 at 11:26 PM
i have been patronizing a suburban public library & had items marked lost. even tho i have worked in public libraries for the last 5 years, & that i knew i wouldn’t actually have to pay the bill upon returning them—the RUSH i felt when the worker confirmed i did not, in fact, owe the library $100!
Reposted by kay slater
Excellent short piece contesting the "technological revolution" narrative around the printing press, and how the metaphor of the tech "democracizing knowledge" is deeply flawed.
What, exactly, does this string of words mean? Why does everyone who stands to profit from selling "AI" love to repeat it? And what's the value of slogans that masquerade as history?
sonjadrimmer.com/blog-1/2025/...
sonjadrimmer.com/blog-1/2025/...
"The Printing Press Democratized Knowledge": When Slogans Masquerade as History — Sonja Drimmer
The phrase is said so frequently it seems, like the mechanism it celebrates, to mechanically replicate itself. It's become a favorite catchphrase among tech boosters of any sort (see my post on...
sonjadrimmer.com
November 15, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Excellent short piece contesting the "technological revolution" narrative around the printing press, and how the metaphor of the tech "democracizing knowledge" is deeply flawed.