Hi friends! 👋 I told you I was leveraging my time abroad and my training to develop solutions for the systemic failures we face—and today, the foundation is set.

The truth is, policies are necessary, as is the willingness to stand by them when the boat starts rocking. In fact, when our communities are struggling, clear analysis is an act of service.

The crisis of uncertainty and fear around AI-induced psychological harm, the relentless digital infrastructure expansion, and the failure to enforce ecological accountability are not separate issues. They are symptoms of the same outdated consumption model, and this is my public commitment to put truth to power and to bring brain power back to policy and the people. Patrons and citizens are people first, and it is my research right, save and disseminate resources with data supporting this framework (People First Framework).

The Launch: The Global Policy Briefing (GPB)

I am officially launching my work in Independent Policy Analysis and Civic Advocacy Resource Bank with the release of: 

The Pledge: The Trust Deficit Global Policy Briefing (Artifact)

This two-page analysis is the definitive blueprint for how libraries must respond to the dual crisis of trust and climate. I’m attaching the United States Bill of Rights First Amendment and other science/data/reports as my digital receipt collection: this whole plan is ethically rooted in an active defense of the First Amendment in American Libraries and the Bill of Rights that solidifies these core American freedoms (an outside perspective) and an independent mission based on upholding these principles firmly and unapologetically in the digital age, a revolution our founding fathers could not have foreseen or entertained. It will be the foundation of my work towards digital rights justice.

Americans are facing great degrees of risk and uncertainty amid rapid societal norm upheavals, regardless of political divide. Predictably, the digital divide, quality and access to free educational programming, and literacy enrichment like public schools, public libraries, and publicly funded educational broadcasting are seeing significant hits to traditional grant funding, forcing a rapid adaptation to services, not like what libraries saw facing the Covid-19 Pandemic. Impacts on literacy rates will echo for generations, as the AI revolution redlines American education with or without our permission, based on the current collision course, if AI CEOS and those in power get their unmitigated AI expansion goal of 10 years.

That’s far too long to allow this technology to flood our communities unmitigated, and future generations will pay the price and inaction is unacceptable. It draws a critical eye towards knowingly endangering children and adults with disadvantages such as little to no access to technology, high-speed internet, or no rights to digital rights/education. The implications for disparities are enormous. This is especially clear as many of our international allies are building their own digital rights and competencies policies to prepare their citizens for the AI revolution that is rocking information systems and communities on a global scale.

Inside the Global Policy Brief, you will find:

• The Three Hubs: The simple structure of my Proactive Digital Policy Model—The Resilience Hub (helping people cope), the Integrity Hub (fighting digital obscurity), and the Accountability Hub (demanding transparency).

• The Transatlantic Policy Benchmark: Using sustainable systems in allied EU/NATO nations as a real-world model for achievable U.S. policy change.

• Civic Empowerment: Direct steps to teach patrons how to track local policy votes and make their voices heard on planning commissions.

💡 Why This Analysis Matters: My Credentials & Commitment

The GPB is grounded in facts, data, and policy research, but it is fueled by a personal and professional mandate that defines my role as a citizen policy analyst:

1. The Crisis Counselor’s Perspective

I leveraged training as a volunteer and campus advocate with Crisis Text Line (CTL), providing the foundation for the empathetic, immediate-response Triage Services outlined in the GPB. I understand the human cost of the digital crisis. As an MLIS Candidate, I ensure the analysis is rooted in the latest information science research.

2. The Personal Fire Line

I am a California native who personally witnessed the devastating failures of drought, wildfires in person during the 90s and 00s in Los Angeles County, and Insurance pull-outs in California, including Los Angeles. The U.S. Committee on the Budget is saying this is not an isolated incident in California; data support that this trend is spreading. This policy brief is driven by the urgent need to connect these physical resource failures to the current, unchecked ecological burden of the tech sector and power holders in our country.

3. The Long-Term Commitment

The GPB is just the beginning. I am committed to providing a minimum of two original articles per week on policy issues impacting American libraries, delivered accessibly. This commitment ensures the conversation on freedom of information and global community growth remains active and supported by fresh research.

The Ask: Engage, Support, and Act

This document is built for you, the community, to use. Let’s make this policy actionable together!

                                Find The Pledge Here: The Trust Deficit Global Policy Brief & Pledge. 

1. Download and Discuss:  Read the Executive Summary and share the key findings with your local leaders as I build my collection.

2. Challenge Me: Where does your community feel the most strain? Is it the lack of water accountability, staff burnout, or the speed of digital change? Drop a comment below.

3. Support the Work: If you value this independent, high-level policy analysis and want to see more of it, please consider supporting this platform by engaging in the comment section and subscribing to notifications.

We have the know-how to take things into our own hands. We must act in the spaces where we have the power to enact change. Let’s bring balance back.

Stay sharp, friends!

Chelsea Jones (CJ, she/ her) MLIS Candidate | Aspiring Independent Policy Journalist

The Bill of Rights (National Archive)

References & Inspiration:

*AI disclaimer- I utilized the Gemini App to help format this post and the Global Policy Briefing Pledge.