This site is for people running libraries in real conditions: understaffed, underfunded, and dealing with vendors who are very sure of themselves. It’s written with neurodivergent brains, burnt-out staff, and “I have 20 minutes before my next meeting” in mind.
If you feel late to all of this, you’re not. You do not need to read everything or fix everything at once - you just need one next decision that doesn’t make things worse. The paths below are meant to help you find that without doomscrolling.
Start Here If…
Pick one. You can always come back.
- You need help now: Free 30-minute call (renewal, AI policy, vendor dispute, transition)
- You want updates: Newsletter (new posts + policy tracking)
- You’re DIY: Contract red flags checklist + examples/tools
- You want the highlights: Best of the site (6–10 curated links)
Training You Can Reuse
No portals. No logins. Just HTML pages you can send to staff or print for a workshop.
- Unhinged Librarian App Workbook: self-paced modules and exercises
- Librarian Terminal Pack: copy-paste commands and common errors
- Board Brief: Responsible AI Governance: a board-ready deck
If you're a director or manager
Start with a quick sense of the landscape, then pick one concrete action.
- The Library Workforce Is Breaking – what's actually burning people out.
- Contract Red Flags Checklist – five traps to look for before you sign.
- Board Budget Scripts – language you can reuse with your board.
Stuck on a big decision? See Consulting vs. DIY to figure out if you need external help, or jump straight to Should You Hire Consulting? to understand what's involved.
If you’re frontline staff
Focused on patron conversations and practical scripts.
- Frontline Staff AI Guide – scripts for patron questions about AI.
- Get Your Data Back – step-by-step data removal guide.
- Staff training resources – a small cluster of trainings and tools.
If you're stuck in vendor contracts
Start with understanding the trap, then map your exit.
- Baker & Taylor's Collapse – how we got here.
- AI Clause Warning Signs – specific clauses to flag.
- Case Study: Breaking Free from Expensive Discovery – one way out.
Planning a transition or evaluating new systems? Check out the Vendor Migration Playbook for a step-by-step approach, and use Open Source Library Tech Evaluation to assess potential replacements.
If you're trying to decode AI laws
You don't need to become a lawyer. You do need to know what's actually due.
- AI Legislation Tracker – timelines and "do this by when" notes.
- EU AI Act: Libraries – what changes and what doesn't.
- Colorado AI Act: Libraries – state-specific implications.
Need to explain this to your board? See Board Toolkit for language and talking points that make vendor decisions and their impacts clear.
If you're overwhelmed
Pick one thing, not three. Skim until something feels relevant, then stop. You can always come back.
- The Practitioner – a longer, plain-language walkthrough of how I think about this work.
- Resources – organized lists of tools, briefs, and guides.
- Contact – a way to send questions or vendor horror stories.
If you're trying to make a big decision
Whether it's hiring help, planning a vendor transition, or understanding how technology choices affect your community, we have tools to help you think it through.
- Should You Hire Consulting? – understand the costs, benefits, and when it makes sense.
- Consulting vs. DIY – a framework for figuring out what's right for your situation.
- Vendor Migration Playbook – step-by-step guidance if you're considering a transition.
- Vendor Decisions & Equity Impact – understand how technology choices affect who gets library services.
How to use this site
- Headings are your friends: skim the headings first, then only read the parts you need.
- Bookmark what's immediately useful; ignore the rest until it becomes relevant.
- If a page feels like too much, it's okay to close it and pick a smaller one.