Thomas Padilla
@thomaspadilla.bsky.social
📤 1817
📥 1600
📝 534
Librarian and Community Builder
https://www.thomaspadilla.org/
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Brandon Butler
6 days ago
Must-read new post from @publicknowledge on a distinction that every hustler trying to get paid for AI training is trying to erase: the difference between fair use and piracy.
publicknowledge.org/piracy-vs-f...
loading . . .
Piracy vs. Fair Use: How AI Training Intersects With Copyright Law
Public Knowledge promotes freedom of expression, an open internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works. We work to shape policy.
https://publicknowledge.org/piracy-vs-fair-use-how-ai-training-intersects-with-copyright-law/
1
7
6
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
6 days ago
Our aim at DHNow is to provide as global a view of the DH landscape as possible. In this spirit, we would love to have more feeds and sources from Asia and Oceania. Please submit any sources you rely on:
digitalhumanitiesnow...
"
0
5
4
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Authors Alliance
about 1 month ago
An update from The Public Interest Corpus from
@thomaspadilla.bsky.social
on our second workshop held at NYU Law School. Many thanks to
@nyuengelberg.org
for hosting us!
www.authorsalliance.org/2025/08/13/t...
loading . . .
The Public Interest Corpus Update – NYC Edition
NYU Law School Workshop Participants Last month, a diverse set of stakeholders gathered at New York University Law School to contribute to an implementation plan for The Public Interest Corpus. Thi…
https://www.authorsalliance.org/2025/08/13/the-public-interest-corpus-update-nyc-edition/
0
8
2
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Gina Murrell
about 2 months ago
Too many favorites. The
#90s
were a great time to be in college, and I made a good choice by going to the Univ of Maryland-College Park. The one Republican kid in my English lit class dressed in head-to-toe black the day after Bill Clinton was first elected president. A few others...
#HigherEd
add a skeleton here at some point
1
3
1
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Dorothy Berry
about 2 months ago
In an anthro class in undergrad: We watched a doc on Hmong shamanic medicine, and one girl (who was a pill) started making a big fuss about the "savagery" of killing a cow. Another girl calmly interjected that she was Hmong that her mom+gma were shamans and explained the respect to the animal spirit
add a skeleton here at some point
3
11
1
What is a favorite university memory? While waiting to deliver a talk at the University of Edinburgh (Fall 2019) I walked a path around a beautiful tree in front of the library. Through the surrounding foliage I noticed a man fully embracing the tree. He looked at peace. I thought that was nice.
about 2 months ago
1
4
3
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Coalition for Networked Information
2 months ago
In the CNI Interviews podcast episode "Building The Public Interest Corpus for AI & Computational Research"
@dancohen.org
&
@thomaspadilla.bsky.social
explain the development of a corpus for AI training using digitized materials from libraries, archives, & special collections.
@educause.bsky.social
loading . . .
Building an AI Model Grounded in Scholarship | The CNI Interviews Podcast
YouTube video by EDUCAUSE
https://youtu.be/yWdu4FW9PxU
0
3
1
What is your idea of the most perfect song? For me it might be New Order's "Ceremony" or The Stone Roses "I wanna be adored". Immediately transports me.
2 months ago
0
2
0
I love how much conference usage of Bluesky I’m seeing at
#DH2025
from afar! Feels like going back in time, to a better time.
2 months ago
0
35
2
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Trevor Owens
2 months ago
The Library of Congress is looking for feedback on their amazing/unique "Selected Datasets" collection. You can see the collection here and the survey link is at the top of the page.
www.loc.gov/collections/...
Anyone interested in working with datasets check out the collection and take the survey.
loading . . .
About this Collection | Selected Datasets | Digital Collections | Library of Congress
Datasets are increasingly a key digital resource used in a wide range of fields. The Library of Congress selects, preserves, and provides enduring access to datasets with the goal of cultivating a bro...
https://www.loc.gov/collections/selected-datasets/about-this-collection/
0
12
13
Hey folks, if you can share this far and wide I'd appreciate it! What articles/white papers/etc. have you seen that document that cost of data releases intended for AI development? I'm thinking cost info on storage, access, compute, staff time, etc.
3 months ago
0
2
3
Greetings from San Francisco, where the AI biz dev continues to be drunk on domination and control
3 months ago
1
6
1
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Glen Layne-Worthey
3 months ago
Thrilled at the publication of our
@uclpress.bsky.social
book, co-edited with
@lisejaillant.bsky.social
, Stephen Downie, Paul Gooding, Claire Warwick, & Katie Aske, with contributions from many great colleagues, incl.
@thomaspadilla.bsky.social
@nolauren.bsky.social
@melissaterras.bsky.social
+
add a skeleton here at some point
2
22
13
After years of waiting, the time has come
4 months ago
0
4
0
am i the only on who with a strong aversion to wait wait dont tell me, every weekend errand, i feel like they are an omnipresent special torture
4 months ago
1
3
0
As someone who cares very much about higher education much of this concerns me. In particular this figure ....
add a skeleton here at some point
4 months ago
0
3
0
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Maria Antoniak
4 months ago
Check out our new paper led by
@srishtiy.bsky.social
and
@nolauren.bsky.social
! This work brings together computer vision, cultural theory, semiotics, and visual studies to provide new tools and perspectives for the study of ~culture~ in VLMs.
add a skeleton here at some point
1
26
8
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
James Neal
4 months ago
"Community Stories: The Impact of the IMLS"
add a skeleton here at some point
0
2
1
Honored to be interviewed by the SAA Committee on Public Awareness (COPA) for my work on IMLS Matters and my thoughts about the current attack on libraries and higher education. My short take is: "Ending IMLS would be a multigenerational disaster."
archivesaware.archivists.org/2025/05/29/c...
loading . . .
Community Stories: The Impact of the IMLS
This interview with Thomas Padilla was conducted at the end of May 2025. Because the status of IMLS, as well as many other federally funded institutions, continues to be in flux, while every attemp…
https://archivesaware.archivists.org/2025/05/29/community-stories-the-impact-of-the-imls/
4 months ago
0
4
2
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Ted Underwood
4 months ago
International scientific collaborations that involve the US are complex now, but a good start is to assume you're collaborating with the 18c. The state is largely hostile to science. Economic theory is mercantilist. Travel is difficult. Research funding depends on the goodwill of quirky aristocrats.
5
99
30
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Ben Lee
4 months ago
I wrote a little bit about the Library of Congress - a place I care about deeply - given today's news:
bcgl.substack.com/p/the-disman...
loading . . .
The Dismantling of the Library of Congress is an Assault on Knowledge Itself
Some thoughts on the day...
https://bcgl.substack.com/p/the-dismantling-of-the-library-of
2
104
45
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Karen Coombs
5 months ago
And for those who need insight into what IMLS funds and does
bsky.app/profile/thom...
add a skeleton here at some point
0
2
1
Discourse probs belongs in this convo tbh
add a skeleton here at some point
5 months ago
0
3
0
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Jason Rhody
5 months ago
For the Monday morning crowd: a đź§µon how to appeal your NEH grant termination. Please share with NEH grantees. I also summarized in a shareable google doc, available here:
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
add a skeleton here at some point
5
155
172
What examples do we have from other countries whose Federal funding systems have collapsed? How they were impacted? How they adapted if at all? Closest comparison I can think of is the consequence of BREXIT for UK orgs no longer able to access EU funding, though I gather that is changing ...
5 months ago
1
0
0
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
NEH Union - AFGE L3403
5 months ago
We're working hard to share the stories of
#NEH
grantees across the country and their incredible work. Please send more our way! In the meantime, check out this article and tool "IMLS Matters"
imls-matters.github.io/imlsmatters/
We continue to stand in solidarity with our
#IMLS
colleagues.
add a skeleton here at some point
2
31
14
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Samuel Moore
5 months ago
"This way of understanding the United States and our place in the world has a dark track record. It is unsurprising that one of the first casualties of the attack on IMLS has been tribal libraries." Powerful series of stories collected by
@thomaspadilla.bsky.social
on why the IMLS matters.
loading . . .
“No Longer Serves the Interest of the United States”: The Terminated Work of the Institute of Museum and Library Services
In the aftermath of the Trump administration’s executive order attempting to eliminate the IMLS, and as librarians across the country receive notices cancelling their IMLS grant funding, IMLS Matters ...
https://katinamagazine.org/content/article/future-of-work/2025/terminated-work-institute-museum-and-library-services
0
7
2
✍ New contribution from me, "No Longer Serves the Interest of the United States: The Terminated Work of the Institute of Museum and Library Services" at Katina Magazine ✍
katinamagazine.org/content/arti...
loading . . .
“No Longer Serves the Interest of the United States”: The Terminated Work of the Institute of Museum and Library Services
In the aftermath of the Trump administration’s executive order attempting to eliminate the IMLS, and as librarians across the country receive notices cancelling their IMLS grant funding, IMLS Matters ...
https://katinamagazine.org/content/article/future-of-work/2025/terminated-work-institute-museum-and-library-services
5 months ago
3
100
57
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Internet Archive
6 months ago
This
#NationalLibraryWeek
, celebration must come with action. 📚 Libraries are under threat—from book bans to budget cuts. ⚠️ Now, federal funding via IMLS is at risk. Here's how you can help ➡️
imls-matters.github.io/imlsmatters/
#SaveIMLS
loading . . .
IMLS Matters
IMLS Matters
https://imls-matters.github.io/imlsmatters/
1
329
160
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Jim Casey
5 months ago
🚨 Funding is being cut for the California Digital Newspaper Collection! The state budget for next year zeroes out all funding, which would put the entire site offline permanently. Please fill out comments -
sbud.senate.ca.gov/members/subc...
-
abgt.assembly.ca.gov/sub-committe...
Sample text ⬇️
3
20
17
Generous and essential wisdom from
@kaythaney.bsky.social
!
add a skeleton here at some point
5 months ago
0
1
1
I have been on a number of advisory boards in my career but I haven't seen much advice shared on how an organization/ project should best leverage the wisdom of their advisory board. What advice would you all share for leaders seeking support from their advisory boards during these trying times?
5 months ago
1
5
4
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Melissa Terras
6 months ago
False savings and messing with the historical record… “ it is not at all clear how DOGE can save $1M per year by replacing 14,000 digital magnetic tapes”
loading . . .
How Will DOGE Save $1M Per Year By Converting From Magnetic Tape?
It is not clear how DOGE will save $1M per year conventing from magnetic tape unless they are converting to more modern magnetic tape for archive storage.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomcoughlin/2025/04/07/how-will-doge-save-1m-per-year-by-converting-from-magnetic-tape/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJhvUdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtqyU_L3unFVIDK0aN3rEHe4yDUad2HTh51n_zq6KpIEOf92tjHxGNSkcwK9_aem_SmCCr6It0v_3m-U3YGkHag
0
10
4
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Madison Golden
6 months ago
This is so important! Many people are unaware of the massive impact IMLS funding has, especially for museums and libraries in low income and rural areas. Most libraries are the only FREE place that communities are able to gather, learn, play, and access resources.
add a skeleton here at some point
0
3
1
I also want to note the work that associations did at the time to back Kaufmann, libraries, and patron privacy.
@arl.org
, SLA, and RLG statements are provided at that URL. Among these associations only ARL remains. It is essential that we continue to invest in our associations.
add a skeleton here at some point
6 months ago
0
1
0
AI preservation is an unaddressed challenge. New work from me on "Preserving AI" at Inside Higher Ed.
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/view...
loading . . .
AI Preservation Is an Unaddressed Challenge (opinion)
Future scholars will need an enduring digital record of AI technology, Thomas Padilla writes.
https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/views/2025/04/04/ai-preservation-unaddressed-challenge-opinion
6 months ago
2
12
6
I was thinking about prior attacks on libraries today and the bravery that librarians and their associations have shown. May we all have the courage of Paula Kaufmann. An excerpt of her testimony before Congress in the late 1980s below.
files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED3...
6 months ago
0
35
13
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Jason Rhody
6 months ago
A few tips for NEH grantees: 1) if you've spent money on an awarded grant but have not yet drawn down the funds, make sure to submit the paperwork to drawn down funds ASAP. 2) the NYTimes article suggests that "DOGE" might cancel awards. If you receive an email from DOGE cancelling your NEH award,
17
467
383
Fellow
#ACRL2025
colleagues, please consider submitting a story of IMLS impact! 🙏
add a skeleton here at some point
6 months ago
0
5
1
The response to this effort has been very inspiring! Currently we are at ~20 submitted stories, would love to get to 100 by the end of the week! Please consider submitting an IMLS story and share with your colleagues.
add a skeleton here at some point
6 months ago
0
3
1
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Sarah Werner
6 months ago
Why IMLS matters: read some stories
imls-matters.github.io/imlsmatters/
add a skeleton here at some point
0
2
4
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Jen Howard
6 months ago
Great idea. Great stories. Great set of services at risk.
add a skeleton here at some point
0
4
2
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
jessamyn
6 months ago
IMLS Matters. Read the stories (reload gets a new story).
imls-matters.github.io/imlsmatters/
Tell your story.
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
From
@thomaspadilla.bsky.social
at Author's Alliance.
#SaveIMLS
0
132
76
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Modern Language Association
6 months ago
Advocacy alert:
@humanitiesall.bsky.social
has learned that DOGE is targeting the NEH "with the aim of substantially reducing its staff, cutting the agency’s grant programs, and rescinding grants that have already been awarded." Tell your officials you support the NEH:
p2a.co/DdtlGIT
loading . . .
URGENT: Save the NEH
I just took action to oppose the elimination of the National Endowment for the Humanities! Join me and take action here.
https://p2a.co/DdtlGIT
2
63
63
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Dan Chibnall
6 months ago
Big thanks to Thomas for putting this together. Reposting this with some emojis for the various feeds. 📜 📚💙
#AcademicSky
add a skeleton here at some point
0
9
10
Like many others I am dismayed by the effort to end IMLS. I know IMLS matters to so many people. I put together the following site to collect and share stories of how "IMLS matters" to people. Please consider submitting a story.
forms.gle/MAocZZMsoUu7...
imls-matters.github.io/imlsmatters/
loading . . .
IMLS Matters
Responses to this form will be published at https://imls-matters.github.io/imlsmatters/
https://forms.gle/MAocZZMsoUu7Ldu36
6 months ago
1
77
95
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Bellingcat
6 months ago
The Bellingcat Auto Archiver is an essential tool for online investigations, helping you to secure the source material crucial for your research. We now have a brand new version of the tool, find it here:
github.com/bellingcat/a...
loading . . .
Release v1.0.0 · bellingcat/auto-archiver
🎉 Auto Archiver v1.0.0 We're excited to announce a major stable release of the Auto Archiver tool! This release comes with some major improvements in stability and flexibility, with a modular and e...
https://github.com/bellingcat/auto-archiver/releases/tag/v1.0.0
5
304
78
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Sarah Kendzior
6 months ago
My new book is out today! Order THE LAST AMERICAN ROAD TRIP here: Bookshop:
bookshop.org/p/books/the-...
Left Bank Books (signed):
www.left-bank.com/product/sign...
Barnes and Noble:
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-a...
Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Last-America...
loading . . .
The Last American Road Trip: A Memoir
A Memoir
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-last-american-road-trip-sarah-kendzior/21368046
19
412
133
reposted by
Thomas Padilla
Brandon Butler
6 months ago
Please stop scare-quoting fair use. It's not a weird loophole. It's in the statute. Millions of dollars in commercial activity relies on it everyday. So do millions of ordinary people. Fair use isn't civil disobedience or edgy behavior. It's a First Amendment right.
3
81
11
Load more
feeds!
log in