In The News

The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending February 20, 2026

Among the headlines this week: a federal judge rebukes Trump's efforts to rewrite history via executive order; New York Mayor Zorhan Mamdani's love of libraries faces a tough budget test; New Jersey's library ebook bill is back in the news; and Martha Hickson is featured in 'Vogue' magazine.

Federal Judge Blasts the Trump Administration's Attempts to Rewrite U.S. History

A federal judge this week rebuked the Trump administration's efforts to rewrite American history by executive order, powerfully citing George Orwell's classic book 1984.

Rufe Opinion

Rufe Opinion .pdf

470 KB

The case involved the removal by the National Park Service of exhibits and placards that discussed the slaves kept by George Washington at his first Presidential Residence in Philadelphia. Federal officials said the removals were made to comply with Trump's controversial March 27 Executive Order 14253, "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History," in which Trump cited "a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation's history" by casting the nation’s "founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light."

But in her 40-page opinion—appropriately delivered during Presidents Week—federal judge Cynthia Rufe came out swinging.

"As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto 'Ignorance is Strength,' this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims—to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts. It does not," Rufe wrote in her opinion. "Each person who visits the President’s House and does not learn of the realities of founding-era slavery receives a false account of this country’s history," she added.

One of my favorite legal bloggers, Chris Geidner at Law Dork, neatly unpacked the decision this week, noting that the the plaintiff, the city of Philadelphia, “was likely to succeed in showing that the Trump administration’s actions were arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act.” In siding with the city, Rufe found that the Trump administration’s actions "impede the separation of powers," Geidner explained.

Bolstering her legal opinion, Rufe delivered a scathing appraisal of the government’s assertion that the administration holds the unchecked power to choose what the government’s message is, comparing it to Orwell's “Records Department” in 1984, where books were “recalled and rewritten again and again and were invariably reissued without any admission that any alteration had been made.”

The government in this case, Rufe concluded, likewise asserts that "truth" is "the property of the elected chief magistrate and his appointees." But federal agencies "cannot arbitrarily decide what is true, based on its own whims or the whims of the new leadership."

This is a potentially significant decision. As Words & Money has previously reported, Executive Order 14253 has been invoked in several settings, including efforts to alter signage in national parks across the country, and to coerce changes at the Smithsonian. In another recent dispute, the NPS ordered the removal of a Pride Flag that flew outside that famed Stonewall Inn in New York, which, as the New York Times reported this week—has drawn yet another lawsuit, even as the flag was re-raised last week in defiance of the administration.

As of Thursday, CNN reported that the signage at issue in Philly has been restored. However, the battle may be far from over, as administration officials have also appealed the ruling.

After Pledging Support for Libraries, New York Mayor Proposes Budget Cuts

Just weeks three weeks ago we shared a story on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's support for New York's public libraries. But this week, the mayor is now proposing a cut amid a deep budget deficit and a political battle with state officials. "After touting the importance of libraries as a candidate, Mayor Zohran Mamdani is following in the footsteps of his predecessor by proposing budget cuts that could force service reductions at branches around New York City," Gothamist reports. Mamdani's support for New York's public libraries was part of his platform.

"Mamdani’s preliminary budget proposal, which he introduced earlier this week, includes a $29 million cut to the city’s three major library systems. The proposal represents a reversal of one of his campaign promises and is another example of how the new mayor is backtracking on policy commitments as he faces financial and political pressure." In response, a spokesperson for the mayor cited "the budget crisis" (which we also called out in our report two weeks ago) and pointed out that the Mayor's preliminary budget was only the beginning of a months-long budget process.

New Jersey's Pending Library Ebook Bill Is Back in the News

Is the battle over fair library ebook access about to heat up in the Garden State? The New Jersey Monitor this week featured a report on New Jersey's library ebook law, introduced last year by state senator Andrew Zwicker. “This is about fair pricing, it’s about transparency, it’s about operational autonomy, and it’s about the protection of lending rights,” Zwicker told the outlet. But in an email, the Association of American Publishers' Shelley Husband told reporters that the bill raises "major legal concerns," and "poses a direct threat to authors, local New Jersey bookstores, and the state’s larger creative economy.”

Jennie Pu, director of the Hoboken Public Library, told reporters that the "current industry standards are unsustainable" and violate libraries’ "core mission of providing free, equitable access" to books. "Five publishers control over 90% of high-demand e-books and audiobooks, and they set the terms," Pu told reporters. "So we pay what they charge, and the prices and terms keep getting worse. Patrons wait months for popular titles not because we aren’t spending enough, but because we’re paying three to five times the consumer price for licenses that expire."

Freedom to Read Advocates Rally in Utah; Stephen King Novel Is the State's 23rd Book Banned from Utah Schools

Author Stephen King this week found himself at the center of a horror story. Via the Salt Lake Tribune, King’s 1998 novel Bag of Bones was added late last week to the growing list of now 23 titles prohibited in public schools under a 2024 state law “that requires a book be removed from all public schools in the state if at least three school districts (or at least two school districts and five charter schools) determine it amounts to sensitive material” the report notes. “State officials typically do not cite the details of a book’s content when placing it on the statewide banned list.”

Meanwhile, the book ban was announced as more than 300 packed into the state Capitol to protest the law. "Together, they condemned Utah’s sensitive materials law, which allows books to be banned from public schools statewide if they meet certain criteria. McKenzie Compton, 16, also shared her thoughts," the article states. "We do not want the government controlling what we can and cannot consume,” McKenzie told reporters. “We as students have become disappointed and fearful of what is happening within our school system, and we want to find a way to change.”

Iowa's 'Age Appropriate' Bill, One of Many Targeting Libraries in the Current Legislative Session, Advances

We Are Iowa reports lawmakers in Iowa this week were working through “about 15 library-related bills” circulating in House and Senate committees, including House Study Bill 720, which looks to define “age-appropriate" standards for library materials, which passed out of committee on February 17.

“The bill requires libraries to stop minors from accessing materials that are not ‘age appropriate’ and would tie state funding to compliance with those standards,” the report notes. ALA president Sam Helmick told reporters that the state is “overreaching” with the legislation. “Some parents are going to be equipped to have their children read Anne Frank when they’re the same age as Anne Frank was when she lived those experiences, and some parents are not going to be comfortable with it. Our job as library practitioners is to make it available and…allow you to make your choice for yourself," she said. House Study Bill 720 now heads to the full Local Government Committee.

Alabama Committee Approves 'Library Board Removal' Bill

The Alabama Daily News reports that Senate Bill 26, a controversial bill that would allow local government officials to remove library board members for virtually any reason, has passed out of the state's House Committee on County and Municipal Government after a public hearing this week. “I would like to first point out that this bill was presented in the Senate as a simple governance alignment bill, but the sponsor said recently that it’s actually intended to make it easier to censor library material,” Angie Hayden, a founding member of Read Freely Alabama, who opposes the bill. “So when I tell you that this bill is government overreach and intended to politicize libraries, that’s not hyperbole or suspicion.”

Wyoming Legislators Poised to Pass Bill Restricting Minors from Seeing Allegedly 'Explicit Materials' in Libraries

Via KGAB, the Wyoming House is expected to advance House Bill 10, a bill that it seeks to keep allegedly "sexually explicit material" out of sight from anyone under 18, after a "potential third and decisive reading in the Wyoming House of Representatives." Under the bill, "people who live in the county could sue the library for up to $500" for not moving books successfully challenged under the law. "Rep. Julie Jarvis [R-Natrona County] on Thursday offered an amendment to the bill that would have included sexual acts involving extra terrestrial beings or animals under the definition of sexually explicit content," the report added, citing what she called the biggest culprits: graphic novels and comic books.

Arkansas Refuses to Distribute Library Funding Over Rules Questions

Tess Vrbin at the Arkansas Adovcate reports that the Arkansas State Library Board, which was recently disbanded and reconstituted with all conservative members, is declining to distribute more than $1 million in quarterly funding, saying they needed "clarity on the rules" for libraries’ required financial audits. "Friday’s meeting was the second in which the new board was able to vote on libraries’ state aid funds; the board approved the funding in November with little discussion," the article notes. "Librarians have repeatedly asked the state for clearer funding rules, said Misty Hawkins, director of the four-county Arkansas River Valley Regional Library System. The delay in state funding might not impact the rural system’s seven libraries this quarter, but a prolonged delay might make transporting books between libraries difficult to afford, Hawkins said."

In Wake of Baker & Taylor Collapse, Follett Content Ramping Up Its Expansion into Public Libraries

More this week on the companies that are looking to fill the gap left by the collapse of Baker & Taylor, as Follett Content this week said it has added a significant number of "widely respected library-market veterans and a series of new technology investments" in order to "accelerate" its expansion into the public library market. In a release, the company said it has recently added many more "experienced professionals," including individuals who previously held roles at Baker & Taylor. "Public libraries made it clear that trusted relationships and deep institutional knowledge matter,” said Britten Follett, CEO of Follett Content, in a statement. “Our newest team members embody that. They’ve supported public libraries for decades, and their passion for this market is an essential part of where we’re headed."

In Support of Public School/Public Library Partnerships

Also this week, for eSchool News, Follett Content CEO Britten Follett has penned an editorial in support of partnerships between schools and public libraries. "One of the most powerful drivers of lifelong reading isn’t a program at all–it’s a relationship. And some of the most effective literacy ecosystems today are those where schools and public libraries work not in parallel, but in partnership with parents and students," Follett writes.

Amid Legislative Attacks, Teen and YA Libraries and Librarians Are 'Disappearing'

Over at Book Riot, Kelly Jensen leads off her weekly censorship news column with an eye-opening report on the "disappearance" of teen and YA libraries. "Where 2021 data showed that 81% of libraries had some teen library role, whether full or part-time, that number fell to 75% in 2025," Jensen reports. "Where teen programming and services still exist in libraries, they’re being added to the workloads of already overstretched librarians. Today, right alongside the disappearance of young adult literature from library shelves is the disappearance of these professionals, too."

Library of Congress Announces 26th National Book Festival

The Library of Congress has announced that it will host the 2026 National Book Festival on Saturday, August 22, at the Washington Convention Center. "At this year’s festival, the Library will feature an expansion of programming to celebrate the nation’s 250^th anniversary and to showcase the Library’s offerings beyond books to include film, music, veterans’ history and American folklife," reads a release on the library's website. "Updates on plans for the National Book Festival will be shared at loc.gov/bookfest."

And Finally This Week...

You have to love this: librarian and freedom to read advocate Martha Hickson is featured in Vogue magazine. "Hickson has shared with Vogue 10 books that have indelibly shaped her life. They range from nostalgic childhood favorites to beloved memoirs and an incisive look at how librarians like her came under fire just for doing their jobs." Pretty good list!