Managing Bias When Library Collections Become Data

Developments in AI research have dramatically changed what we can do with data and how we can learn from data. At the same time, implementations of AI amplify the prejudices in data often framed as ‘data bias’ and ‘algorithmic bias.’ Libraries, tasked with deciding what is worth keeping, are inherently discriminatory and yet remain trusted sources of information. As libraries begin to systematically approach their collections as data, will they be able to adopt and adapt the AI-driven tools to traditional practices?   Drawing on the work of the AI initiative within Stanford Libraries, the Fantastic Futures conference on AI for libraries, archives, and museums, and recent scholarship on data bias and algorithmic bias, this article encourages libraries to engage critically with AI and help shape applications of the technology to reflect the ethos of libraries for the benefit of libraries themselves and the patrons they serve. A brief examination of two core concepts in machine learning, generalization and unstructured data, provides points of comparison to library practices in order to uncover the theoretical assumptions driving the different domains. The comparison also offers a point of entry for libraries to adopt machine learning methods on their own terms

Reply to the comment by Carmelo Anile on the paper "Complexity analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid pulse waveform during infusion studies"

Veterinary technology is an emerging profession within the veterinary and allied animal health fields in Australia and affords graduates the opportunity to contribute to the small but growing body of literature within this discipline. This study describes the introduction of a contextualised assessment task to develop students’ research capability, competence and confidence in professional writing, and to engage them with the academic publishing process. Students worked in self-selected dyads to author a scientific case report, of publishable standard, based on authentic cases from their clinical practicum. Intrinsic to the task, students attended a series of workshops that explored topics such as critiquing the literature, professional writing styles and oral presentation skills. Assessment was multi-staged with progressive feedback, including peer review, and culminated with students presenting their abstracts at a mock conference. Students reported the task to be an enjoyable and valuable learning experience which improved their competence and confidence in scientific writing; supported by a comparison of previously submitted work. Linking scientific writing skills to clinical practice experiences enhanced learning outcomes and may foster the professionalisation of students within this emerging discipline

Building bridges? An evaluation of the costs and effectiveness of the separated parents information programme (PIP)

The Separated Parent Information Programme (PIP) is the first nationally available parent education programme for parents involved in litigation over contact and residence in England. The programme is a Contact Activity, introduced by the Children and Adoption Act 2006 as an additional tool for courts to facilitate contact. PIP is a four hour group programme for parents referred by the court. Both parties, i.e. the applicant and respondent, are required to attend the programme, but former couples attend separate groups. The groups are designed to include both men and women. The aim of the programme is to encourage parents to focus on children’s needs and perspectives. The programme is delivered by trained providers from mediation, counselling or contact services backgrounds

Submission to the US State Department Commission on the Unalienable Rights

This submission emphasizes the centrality of economic and social rights to human rights and highlights how advocating for a hierarchy of rights that downplays their equal status is contrary to widely-recognized international norms, ignores the lived experience of individuals, and will serve to further entrench inequality. The submission urges the Commission to recognize and reaffirm the full panoply of human rights found in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and subsequent human rights agreements. The discussion highlights the negative implications of a narrowed conceptualization of human rights, emphasizing that a circumscribed vision of human rights will perpetuate a system where true freedom is enjoyed only by a privileged few – those who can afford it

Velocity and Vertigo: Gender Trends in Consumer Research: In Conversation with Fernando Desouches, Linda Ong, and Linda Scott

In this panel conversation, industry leaders examine trends related to gender, such as those shaped by generational differences, technologies, and the urgent consequences of the pandemic. Indeed, millennial and Generation Z consumers display greater acceptance of various expressions of gender and family than older generations. These more racially and ethnically diverse digital natives, who were looking hopefully ahead to the opportunities of a growing economy, are now among the most vulnerable to the uncertain future amid the fallout of a global pandemic (e.g., Pew Research Social and Demographic Trends: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/essay/on-the-cusp-of-adulthood-and-facing-an-uncertain-future-what-we-know-about-gen-z-so-far). The pandemic further highlights the disproportionately negative economic vulnerabilities of women, LGBTQ+ communities, and disenfranchised groups around the world. The panelists discuss the mutually intensifying confluence of these events. Amid the velocity of change, creating a sense of vertigo described by panelists, Mr. Desouches, Ms. Ong, and Dr. Scott find that there is hope for a more sustainable balance that overcomes toxic expressions of genders and allows for more authentic expressions of identities, and they discuss the role of organizations in brands in realizing these possibilities. The panelists additionally point to the ambiguities of digital and social media, including ways in which they have given consumers more control over narratives of consumption in consumer-brand relationships but create the echo chambers that may isolate consumers. The panelists discuss best practices for professionals to responsibly navigate the politics of gender through marketing