A Setback for the Freedom to Read: the Words & Money Weekly Newsletter for the Week Ending May 23, 2025
Apologies for the late delivery on a very busy Friday ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. It's been quite a news day. In this week's Words
Andrew Richard Albanese
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending May 23, 2025
Among the week's headlines: Petitions celebrate Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden; ALA welcomes IMLS employees back to work after court order; and Nevada races to pass a bill that would protect librarians.
In a Stunning Reversal, The Fifth Circuit Deals a Blow to the Freedom to Read
In a closely watched book banning case, the court held that library book decisions are 'government speech' and thus immune from First Amendment challenges, setting up a potential high stakes showdown at the Supreme Court.
Register of Copyright Shira Perlmutter Sues to Keep Her Job
Lawyers for Perlmutter argue that Trump lacks the authority to fire the Register of Copyrights, or appoint a replacement.
In Conversation: Connecticut Library Consortium Executive Director Ellen Paul
Words & Money talks with Connecticut Library Consortium executive director Ellen Paul about Connecticut's new library ebook bill, the long and winding road to passage, and what comes next.
D.C. Judge Looks to Delay Decision on IMLS Injunction
Judge Richard J. Leon has proposed extending his temporary restraining order until the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decides how to handle an appeal in a similar case.
DOJ Seeks to Stay Injunction Restoring the IMLS
The move comes as acting IMLS director Keith E. Sonderling said the agency was "working diligently" to comply with judge John G. McConnell's May 13 preliminary injunction, which DOJ lawyers argue is overly burdensome.
Wins and Losses: The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter for the Week Ending May 16, 2025
As one library advocate recently remarked, it's a mile a minute out there. But this week, there were some positive developments for library advocates in a host of
Connecticut Passes Library E-Book Legislation
“The Connecticut bill essentially restores the right to negotiate, so libraries aren’t forced into take-it-or-leave-it digital deals," said Ellen Paul, executive director of the Connecticut Library Consortium.
After Trump Firings, Who Will Lead the Library of Congress? The Copyright Office? It's Complicated
After the shock firings of Carla Hayden and Shira Perlmutter, the future of the Library of Congress and the Copyright Office remains in flux.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending May 16, 2025
Among the week's headlines: Authors, library groups urge Congress to resist Trump's Library of Congress takeover; Rhode Island advances its Freedom to Read bill; Patmos Library staff quit over board concerns; and IFLA is alarmed by 'fear and intimidation' facing U.S. librarians.
ALA Urges Court to Deny DOJ’s Motion for Reconsideration in IMLS Case
ALA lawyers say the administration remains determined to dismantle the IMLS.
In a Major Win for Libraries, Federal Judge Orders IMLS to Be Restored
In a rebuke, federal judge John J. McConnell has ordered the Trump administration to immediately reverse the mass terminations of grants and staff at IMLS.
Trump Abruptly Fires Top Copyright Officer
The move comes after the Copyright Office released the third and final part of a wide-ranging review critical of the tech industry's approach to AI, but the firing may have more to do with raw politics than policy.
The Empire 'Fires' Back: The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter for the Week Ending May 9, 2025
It was a rollercoaster week for libraries, which began with a solid victory in court, and culminated with the shock firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on the evening
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending May 9, 2025
Among the week's headlines: the Senate votes to kill the FCC's popular WiFi hotspot program; Book Banners lose big in Texas school board elections; Ohio libraries pull a clean sweep at the ballot box; and Library Journal announces its 2025 Movers & Shakers.