The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: July 24, 2026
Thank you for supporting Words & Money and helping to establish an independent media venture that aims to properly center libraries in the 21st century reading, writing, and publishing enterprises.
Andrew Richard Albanese
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending July 24, 2026
Among the headlines this week: two major conservative groups have joined a closely watched book banning lawsuit in Colorado; School officials in Tennessee rethink their book banning policies; Stephen King's response to Utah's latest book ban; and what Carla Hayden told a group of library students.
The Landmark $1.5 Billion Anthropic Settlement Wins Final Approval
In a July 20 order, federal judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín ruled that the settlement met the legal standard of being “fair, reasonable, and adequate.”
Seven Takeaways From Pope Leo XIV's AI Manifesto
In his recent encyclical, Pope Leo XIV has delivered one of the most cogent, humane, and hopeful takes yet on AI, calling for an approach based on "clarity of thought and responsibility."
The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: July 17, 2026
Thank you for supporting Words & Money and helping to establish an independent media venture that aims to properly center libraries in the 21st century reading, writing, and publishing enterprises.
The Queue: Library News for The Week Ending July 17, 2026
Among the week's headlines: check out the new edition of EveryLibrary's The Political Librarian; North Carolina slips new book challenge rules into its budget bill; concerns mount in Florida over a proposal to slash property taxes; and academic libraries face a 'structural' transformation.
Tennessee Library Advocates Sue Over Secretary of State Tre Hargett’s Public Library ‘Review’
The suit comes after Hargett ordered library leaders across the state to ensure their collections were in compliance with a Trump executive order on gender identity. But executive orders are not laws, the suit asserts, and Hargett lacked the authority to order the 'unconstitutional' reviews.
Publishers Sue Google, Alleging Massive Copyright Infringement Behind Its Gemini AI Service
The lawsuit accuses Google of illegally copying millions of works to train its Gemini AI service which, the publishers argue, is already being used to flood the marketplace for books with “AI-generated substitutes.”
The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: July 10, 2026
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The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending July 10, 2026
Among the headlines this week: a veteran publisher kicks off a series on the state of libraries; 'The Atlantic' explores the decline of reading; the Smithsonian Secretary responds to a White House attack on the institution; and a former Library of Congress staffer's shocking Fourth of July.
The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: July 3, 2026
Thank you for supporting Words & Money and helping to establish an independent media venture that aims to properly center libraries in the 21st century reading, writing, and publishing enterprises.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending July 3, 2026
Among the week's headlines: ALA Council adopts the Library Workers' Bill of Rights; the Supreme Court refuses to let Trump fire the Register of Copyrights; New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte once again vetoes a state book banning bill; Amanda Jones wins again; and what to read this fall.
The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: June 26, 2026
Thank you for supporting Words & Money and helping to establish an independent media venture that aims to properly center libraries in the 21st century reading, writing, and publishing enterprises.
OverDrive Founder Steve Potash Steps Back; Marc DeBevoise Takes Over as CEO
It's the end of an era at OverDrive. On June 23, the company announced that founder Steve Potash has stepped back from his role as CEO, handing the reins to Marc DeBevoise, who joined the company roughly four months ago as President.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending June 26, 2026
Among the week's headlines: the ALA Annual Conference kicks off in Chicago; A former ALA leader comes out against library ebook legislation; E-rate is facing an uncertain future after the FCC votes to reassess the program; and the IMLS releases its latest public library stats.
The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter: June 19, 2026
Thank you for supporting Words & Money and helping to establish an independent media venture that aims to properly center libraries in the 21st century reading, writing, and publishing enterprises.