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.
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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.
NBCC Award Winners Announced in Evening of Solidarity and Community
This year's event marked the 50th year the National Book Critics Circle Awards have been bestowed, highlighting the organization's goal to embrace "the radical act of independent thought."
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.
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 the president has determined IMLS is “unnecessary” and gave agency officials seven days to submit a report to the OMB