My Book Had a Doula. She Was My Librarian.
University of Richmond law professor Corinna Barrett Lain on the critical role her librarian played in 'birthing' her first book.
Latest
Court Temporarily Blocks Trump Administration's Destruction of IMLS
The IMLS is clinging to life after a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on May 1, just 24 hours after oral arguments in Washington D.C. in a case brought by the American Library Association.
PEN America: Trump’s First 100 Days a ‘Five-Alarm Fire’ for Free Speech
In a new 26-page report, PEN America explores the executive orders and actions taken by the Trump administration in its first 100 days that hold grave implications for free expression.
ALA Replies to Trump Administration’s Defense of IMLS Destruction
With the filing, the ALA’s motion for a preliminary injunction is now fully briefed and ready for a scheduled April 30 hearing in Washington D.C. before federal judge Richard Leon.
How to Lose a Country in 100 Days: The Words & Money Weekly Newsletter for the Week Ending April 25, 2025
Our first Words & Money weekly newsletter comes at a momentous time for libraries and publishers—and for the United States.
In Conversation: Bestselling author and Historian Sarah Vowell
The bestselling author of seven nonfiction books on American history and culture talks with Andrew Richard Albanese about her recent contribution to Michael Lewis's 'Who Is Government' and why the country may soon learn a hard lesson about the importance of government workers.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending April 25
Trump Administration Responds to ALA's Lawsuit to Save IMLS
In a lengthy filing, DOJ lawyers argue that the canceling of grants and the firing of staff at IMLS is not about dismantling the agency, but about realigning it consistent with the current administration’s policy objectives.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending April 18
Hearing Set in ALA Lawsuit to Block IMLS Destruction
The schedule appears to accommodate an ALA request that the court rule by May 4, which ALA lawyers cite as the date a "mass termination" of IMLS staff is reportedly set to take effect.
‘Palpably Illegal’: State Attorneys Fire Back at Trump Administration’s Shaky Defense of IMLS Closure
'At bottom, the situation is simple,' attorneys argued in an April 16 filing. 'The President issued an executive order so illegal that Defendants cannot defend it on the merits.'
Trump Administration Responds to States' IMLS Lawsuit
In a filing this week, Trump administration lawyers said a coalition of 21 states lacked standing to sue in federal court.
Court Rules that Fired Wyoming Librarian’s Lawsuit Against Book Banners Can Proceed
Lesley's case has garnered national attention, and her refusal to ban books won her the ALA's 2022 John Philip Immroth Memorial Award, which recognizes 'personal courage in defense of freedom of expression.'
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending April 11, 2025
Citing Imminent ‘Mass Termination,’ ALA Asks Court to Rule on Motion to Save IMLS by May 4
"The services that IMLS’s staff provides and the grants it issues
are the lifeblood of the American library system,” the ALA’s April 10 filing stresses.
Hearing Set in Lawsuit to Block Trump’s Destruction of IMLS
DOJ Lawyers will argue their case to shutter the IMLS before a judge that has already once blocked a sweeping attempt by the Trump administration to gut federal funding.