Podcast / Tech Won’t Save Us / Jul 23, 2026

Librarians Are Helping the Public Ditch AI—With Hannah Cyrus & Alison Macrina

Paris Marx is joined by Hannah Cyrus and Alison Macrina to discuss the role of library workers in the digital landscape.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Librarians Are Helping the Public Ditch AI w/ Hannah Cyrus & Alison Macrina / Tech Won’t Save Us
byThe Nation Magazine

Librarians are working harder than ever to support their neighborhoods—including by teaching and promoting digital literacy. Hannah Cyrus and Alison Macrina join Paris Marx to discuss the role of library workers in the digital landscape, including how they’re helping patrons navigate privacy basics and artificial intelligence, and how the tech industry is making their jobs harder.

Hannah Cyrus is a digital media librarian at the Bangor public library. Alison Macrina is an activist librarian and the director of Library Freedom Project.

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Protesters gathered outside State Library Victoria to oppose proposed operational changes that would significantly reduce reference library staff and shift core services toward self-service and digital systems in Melbourne, Australia.

(Ye Myo Khant / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)

Librarians are working harder than ever to support their neighborhoods—including by teaching and promoting digital literacy. Hannah Cyrus and Alison Macrina join Paris Marx to discuss the role of library workers in the digital landscape, including how they’re helping patrons navigate privacy basics and artificial intelligence, and how the tech industry is making their jobs harder.

Hannah Cyrus is a digital media librarian at the Bangor public library. Alison Macrina is an activist librarian and the director of Library Freedom Project.

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/subscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Librarians Are Helping the Public Ditch AI w/ Hannah Cyrus & Alison Macrina / Tech Won’t Save Us
byThe Nation Magazine

Librarians are working harder than ever to support their neighborhoods—including by teaching and promoting digital literacy. Hannah Cyrus and Alison Macrina join Paris Marx to discuss the role of library workers in the digital landscape, including how they’re helping patrons navigate privacy basics and artificial intelligence, and how the tech industry is making their jobs harder.

Hannah Cyrus is a digital media librarian at the Bangor public library. Alison Macrina is an activist librarian and the director of Library Freedom Project.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Paris Marx

Paris Marx is the author of Hyperscale: The Ambition and Excess of Big Tech's Data Empires. He hosts the Tech Won’t Save Us podcast and writes the Disconnect newsletter.

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