The npm faker package and the unexpected demise of open source libraries refer to the stories of two popular open-source software libraries, Faker and left-pad, which were removed from the npm registry due to various reasons such as environmental concerns, legal disputes, and the maintainer's decision to discontinue the project. The left-pad library, with only 17 lines of code, caused a significant impact on the JavaScript ecosystem when it was suddenly removed, affecting projects like Node.js and Babel. The Faker PHP library, which had been downloaded over 121 million times, was discontinued due to its large size and environmental concerns, with its maintainer, François Zaninotto, opting not to continue maintaining the project. These stories highlight the importance of considering the sustainability and environmental impact of open-source software libraries, as well as the need for developers to be aware of their dependencies and take proactive measures to ensure the security and stability of their projects. Maintainers like Marak Squires, who removed the source code from his library, are making statements about open-source sustainability, but it's unclear if anyone actually felt the pain of these actions. The article concludes with practical recommendations for developers to manage their open-source library infrastructure, vet open-source libraries, use lockfiles to pin dependencies, and pin transitive dependencies.