This episode examines the ascent of library science education  from the academic periphery to becoming central to the modern university within Information Schools (iSchools). Over the past fifty years, the field has transformed from a niche, single-degree program into broad-based, robust, multi-program iSchool powerhouses with significant research funding and enrollments. 

But, iSchools exist within universities, and universities today are facing a "perfect storm" of severe enrollment declines ( the 2026 demographic cliff), mounting fiscal pressures, and a shifting cultural landscape. One “solution” taken by some is to merge and consolidate schools and departments. According to recent 2025–2026 data, nearly 20% of university presidents have engaged in serious merger discussions. This is called, the "Great Consolidation."

 In this episode we examine  the implications of this consolidation, and whether it is the right move or misguided in relation to the field, universities, and society.

Libraries aspire to be a place where everyone belongs — and in Episode 50, we explore what that commitment looks like in today's world. Far from simply reaffirming tradition, libraries are actively expanding their roles, From welcoming undocumented community members without fear, to opening their doors to neighbors experiencing homelessness, to providing access and safe spaces for student well-being in schools, libraries are fulfilling their function as true public sanctuaries. At the same time, the reversal of federal protected areas policies has put libraries in a new and uncertain position, with staff navigating real questions about how to keep their doors open and welcoming to all.

Library leaders are also navigating the very real tension between serving their most vulnerable patrons and maintaining a safe, comfortable environment where families and community members of all backgrounds feel welcome. We talk policy, we talk heart, and we talk about the librarians and staff who show up every day to make sure no one is turned away.

America's obsession with crime, from Serial to Investigation Discovery marathons, runs deep, and libraries are right there with our patrons, stocking the thrillers and hosting the book clubs. 

 But in Episode 49, Dave, Beth, and Mike ask a harder question: what lies beneath every cold case, wrongful conviction, and uninvestigated crime? The answer, again and again, is an information failure. Witness statements that never get digitized. Rape kit backlogs numbering in the hundreds of thousands. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women who vanish from official databases as easily as they vanish from news coverage. Algorithms trained on biased data that tell police where to patrol and judges who to detain. 

 From the Golden State Killer's multi-decade run across jurisdictions that weren't sharing data, to the Nancy Guthrie abduction case and the stark disparities it reveals about whose stories get resources, this episode explores how the architecture of information systems shapes who gets justice, and who gets erased.

NOTE: This episode discusses true crime cases and includes discussions of violent crime, sexual assault missing persons cases, and the systematic failures that leave victims and families without justice.

Some say it’s theft, some call Generative AI a collaborator, many see the underpinnings of AI as simply remixing what is. Yet, the ideas of theft, remixing, and collaboration are all firmly founded in the arts. From pop art to hip hop, the idea of creation through imitation and derivation has a long tradition. Renaissance painters learned and made a living from copying their masters. Song covers like Luke Comb’s Fast Car and, yes, even The Beatles “Twist and Shout” have become more well known than the originals.

In this episode we look at AI filling our playlists, our literary magazines, and gulp, even our library shelves. Does an embrace of AI alienate institutions like libraries from their communities, or is it an embrace of a new creative medium? How do you draw the line between AI slop and AI assist?

Let’s stop for a moment, take a deep breath, and look around at the world that we humans have created and that we inhabit. Here’s a  snapshot of what it's like to live day to day in 2026 with smartphones, the Internet, Web, AI, social media, augmented reality, and all the other digital systems that we rely on in various aspects of our lives - work, social relationships, entertainment, politics, communications & information.

In this episode, we consider the nature, joy and despair and the challenges and opportunities that we deal with every day in the digital age. Are we in control? Are we merely pawns in their game? Are we caught up in mindless compulsions and addictions? Or is this the moment where institutions like libraries can help us become neither victims nor isolated users, but informed communities who collectively decide what these technologies should do for us?"

In this groundbreaking crossover episode, two podcasts (with Syracuse roots) – Libraries Lead and Infoversity – unite to explore the future of library education. Dr. Beth Patin, Associate Professor and newly appointed Program Director for the MS in Library and Information Science program, sits down with Dean Jeff Hemsley for an in-depth conversation about preparing the next generation of information professionals for an uncertain and rapidly changing world.

As fellow University of Washington iSchool alumni, Beth and Jeff bring shared values and complementary perspectives to urgent questions facing the profession. How do we balance traditional library foundations with emerging technologies like AI? What does it mean to be "information first responders" in communities facing compounding crises? And how can library education center justice, equity, and community resilience while maintaining technical excellence.

Beth shares her vision for the MSLIS program, one that moves decisively from managing collections to building community capacity. Drawing on her award-winning research on epistemicide (the systematic silencing and devaluing of knowledge systems) and her experiences rebuilding libraries after Hurricane Katrina, she makes the case that librarians don't just steward books: they steward what communities remember and forget. In an era of AI hallucinations, misinformation epidemics, and social isolation, libraries matter more than ever as trusted anchors of information access and community connection.

The conversation explores concrete initiatives transforming the Syracuse MSLIS curriculum: embedding AI literacy throughout coursework, preparing students for crisis response, developing community partnerships like the 10th Mountain Division archive project, and teaching students to recognize and interrupt epistemic injustice through frameworks like the Sankofa Intervention. Beth introduces key concepts including "parasitic omission" and "beneficent gatekeeping", mechanisms through which knowledge gets systematically excluded from collections and curricula.

Jeff and Beth also tackle the AI moment in libraries, discussing Leo Lo's framework for AI literacy.

Whether you're considering library school, working in the field, or simply curious about how libraries are evolving to meet 21st-century challenges, this crossover episode offers both inspiration and practical insights into reimagining library education for a world that desperately needs what librarians do best: building informed, engaged, resilient communities.

In case we don't have enough to worry about, in May 2025, a Federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals judge dismissed free speech claims in a public library book removal case in Texas. The Court ruled that library collection decisions are “government speech” and therefore not protected by the First Amendment. 

 This is a very very serious ruling. If it stands, there are far-reaching control issues and effects on all types of libraries, education institutions, and communities. The library plaintiffs supported by library administrations, publishers, literary groups, and intellectual freedom advocates have petitioned the Supreme Court of the US to hear the case and hopefully overrule it. 

 In this episode, we explain the issue in-depth, discuss the implications of the case and ruling, and sound the alarm as to why this is so important for libraries and librarians to ensure freedom of information protections in our country. 

Saskia Scheltjens is the model of the curious information guru. She has worked in the university and museum world in Belgium and the Netherlands, and is currently Head of Research Services at the Rijksmuseum, the Netherlands. Her work at the Rijksmuseum has set the standard for accessibility, data management, and creating truly hybrid cultural heritage institutions. In this episode she talks to David about how AI is another tool to manage information, and how a dedication to open access might need to be rethought in an era of generative AI.

From natural disasters to social unrest to ongoing political and cultural attacks, libraries have consistently stepped up as safe havens, hubs for reliable information, and anchors of resilience. 
 
 Yes, communities turn to libraries in moments of crisis. But, libraries too face crises – especially right now when our very mission is threatened. There’s a rising tide of book bans, ideological attacks on intellectual freedom, and the politicization of education. Libraries need community advocacy, trust, and sustained support.

 It's past time for action – for both libraries and communities! 

 In this live podcast episode at the Library Journal 2025 Directors’ Summit we focus on the relationship between libraries and the communities they serve, especially during troubling times. How can libraries step up even more to provide essential information services and infrastructure - particularly in times of crisis - and to play essential roles in strengthening communities? In turn, how can communities in all settings ensure that the people who lead and sustain these institutions are supported and protected to carry the work forward?

Erik Boekesteijn, Senior Advisor National Library of the Netherlands, is a self-described Global Library motivator and Library Pirate. In this bonus episode, Dave and Erik talk about story telling and future thinking.

Recorded at the AI in Cultural Heritage Institutions September 9, 2025 Meeting.