Four of the Big Five Publishers Sign Letter Urging Congress to Restore IMLS
Shuttering IMLS would be "an act of monumental neglect, violating the very foundation of America and what it stands for as a country," the publishers assert.
Andrew Richard Albanese
IMLS Advisory Board Iced Out as Acting Director Begins Slashing Grants to Libraries
In an April 3 letter, the IMLS's advisory body said it has not heard from acting director Keith Sonderling, even as sources report that Sonderling has informed multiple libraries that their grants have been terminated.
Trump Administration Puts IMLS Employees on Leave
Without staff to administer its programs, "it is likely that most grants will be terminated," noted library political action committee EveryLibrary, in a statement.
Editor's Note: March 31, 2025
In our latest progress report, we've set a tentative date for our first newsletter. And if you're Interested in contributing to Words & Money, we'd like to hear from you.
Smithsonian Secretary Addresses Trump Effort to Remake the Historic Institution
In a memo to staff, Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III said the Smithsonian will "remain committed to telling the multi-faceted stories of this country’s extraordinary heritage."
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The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending March 28
Among the week’s headlines: a bipartisan group of senators stands up for the IMLS; Iowa libraries look to get banned books back on the shelves after a major court victory; EveryLibrary helps a defunded Alabama library; and the Special Library Association is dissolving.
In New Executive Order, Trump Seeks to Remake the Smithsonian in his MAGA Image
In a chilling order, the administration accuses past administrations of pushing "a distorted narrative driven by ideology" and seeks to bar "exhibits or programs" deemed "inconsistent with Federal law and policy.”
South Carolina Library Patrons Sue Over LGBTQ Book Bans
The suit seeks to have the library's new collection policies declared unconstitutional.
Court Blocks Iowa Book Banning Law—Again
In a major win for freedom to read advocates, a federal judge has once again temporarily blocked the book banning provisions of Iowa law SF 496.
Two Lawsuits Challenge Book Bans in Minnesota School District
The suits accuse the St. Francis School Board of “abandoning its duty to oversee the education of young people in service of a partisan, political orthodoxy.”
In Letter, IMLS Advisory Board Says Its Core Activities Cannot be Slashed by Executive Action
In a letter to the agency's new acting director, the National Museum and Library Services board said it stands ready to help "support and strengthen" the agency's mission as mandated by law.
ALA Taps Lisa Varga to Lead Public Policy and Advocacy Office
Varga will take over from Alan Inouye, who is retiring from ALA after 18 years in the Public Policy and Advocacy Office. She will begin her new role on April 21.
Editor's Note: March 19, 2025
After a successful soft launch at the London Book Fair, 'Words & Money' editor Andrew Richard Albanese shares the first in a new, regular series of progress reports.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending March 21, 2025
Among the week's headlines: a potentially chilling future for the IMLS; Alabama fires the head of its public library agency; and Texas advances a bill to give school boards control over library collections.
Union Says IMLS Employees to Be Put On Administrative Leave; ALA Declares a ‘Five Alarm Fire’
"We’ve all seen the news about the unjustified, ill treatment of federal employees across many agencies, and now it has come squarely to the library community,” ALA's Alan Inouye wrote.