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.
Andrew Richard Albanese
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.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending March 14
Among the week's headlines: At the London Book Fair, publisher optimism clashed with American political chaos; back home, a new Rhode Island bill seeks to protect the freedom to read; and incoming ALA president Sam Helmick speaks to the challenges facing librarians.
Trump Executive Order Targets IMLS for Closure
In a March 14 Executive Order, President Donald Trump has targeted seven more federal agencies for permanent closure, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The order states that
ALA Awards Its Highest Honor to Penguin Random House SVP Skip Dye
“Dye continues to be a dedicated and impactful leader in the library community and has stayed true to ALA’s mission of ensuring access to information for all,” ALA President Cindy Hohl said, in a statement.
Judge Rejects Florida's Bid to Toss Closely Watched Book Ban Lawsuit
In a win for freedom to read advocates, a federal court has ruled that a publisher-led lawsuit challenging Florida law HB 1069 can proceed.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending March 7, 2024
Among the week's headlines: Montana legislators spar over the role of libraries; Iowa continues its assault on professional library associations; the Georgia senate passes a measure exposing librarians to criminal liability; and Missouri looks to censor digital library catalogs in schools.
Each week, Words & Money will feature a range of interviews, Q&As, and featured talks with authors and newsmakers
Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud talk about their new book, 'The Cartoonists' Club,' at the ALA's LibLearnX conference, out from Scholastic in April.
New Report Explores Digital Censorship
The unprecedented surge in book banning has made headlines in recent years, but a new report is looking to shed light on another facet of the current censorship battle—efforts
Clarivate Extends Timeline to Phase Out Print, Perpetual Access Ebook Sales
The March 4 letter comes after Clarivate officials on February 18 announced a “transformative” new subscription access model for ProQuest collections.