In The News

Carla Hayden Joins Mellon Foundation as Senior Fellow

Hayden will “pursue scholarship, writing, and research projects” while also advising Mellon on “opportunities to support and advance libraries, archives, and other organizations in the public knowledge ecosystem.”

The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending July 4, 2025

Among the week's headlines: the ALA Annual Conference draws more than 14,000 to Philadelphia; Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoes a controversial anti-LGBTQ+ library provision; authors ask publishers to eschew AI; and why Idaho schools just got less welcoming, and more political.

Libraries, Front and Center

Help us build and strengthen Words & Money with a premium subscription. For just $45 annually you can support a new media venture that aims to properly center libraries in the 21st Century reading and writing enterprise.

Supreme Court Delivers Two Major Decisions Impacting Libraries

the Supreme Court delivered two major rulings on June 27, one negatively impacting the freedom to read, and one saving the popular E-rate program.

The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending June 27

Among the week's headlines: two key fair use decisions roil the AI landscape; A major Supreme Court decision threatens the freedom to read; Texas signs its controversial school library bill into law; and the Library of Congress faces a budget cut.

As Annual Conference Kicks Off, ALA Announces New Executive Director

Daniel J. Montgomery, currently President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, will take the helm at ALA this fall.

The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending June 20, 2025

Among the week's headlines: Escambia County votes to allow book bans without review; a chilling report on the freedom to read in Utah; two more 'Freedom to Read' bills advance; and BookCon returns!

Judge Schedules Next Steps in the ALA’s IMLS Case

In a filing this week, Trump administration lawyers said they would move to have the ALA's lawsuit to save the IMLS dismissed.

GAO Declares Trump's Withholding of IMLS Funds to Be Illegal

The Constitution grants the President "no unilateral authority to withhold funds from obligation," concludes the independent, nonpartisan watchdog.

The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending June 13, 2025

Among the week's headlines: Former Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden to speak at ALA 2025; Oregon passes its 'Freedom to Read' bill; AI developers are turning to libraries for training data; and how a new media specialist has supercharged reading at a Wisconsin school.

With Appeals Court Considering a Stay in Rhode Island Case, the IMLS Is Once Again Facing Uncertainty

Can DOJ lawyers sow enough uncertainty to keep the courts at bay until the destruction of the IMLS is complete? An appeal before the First Circuit to stay a Rhode Island court's IMLS injunction will be a major test.

Minnesota School District Settles Lawsuits, Agrees to Return Banned Books to School Library Shelves

Under the agreement, the St. Francis Area School District will replace a controversial policy that tied book selection to reviews on a conservative website with a policy that "guarantees the input of the parents and qualified media specialists," and "follows state law."

In About Face, Judge Denies ALA's Bid to Block IMLS Destruction

In a blow to the library community, judge Richard J. Leon noted that both “the facts and the law” in the case are in flux and held that the ALA could therefore not make a showing that it was likely to prevail on the merits.

The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending June 6, 2025

Among the week's headlines: Connecticut Passes a 'Freedom to Read' Law; an Arkansas librarian forced out over book bans sues for defamation; and 'American Libraries' offers a preview of the ALA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, set for June 26-30.

Are Library Book Decisions Government Speech? After Controversial Fifth Circuit Decision, a Florida Judge Is Now Set to Weigh In

After a summary judgment hearing, judge Carlos E. Mendoza is likely to be the first judge to weigh in on whether library book decisions are government speech since the Fifth Circuit's May 23 ruling.

Rhode Island Judge Declines to Stay His IMLS Injunction

The Court's decision affords IMLS employees and grantees in 21 plaintiff states a little peace of mind, at least for now.