The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending July 3, 2026
Among the week's headlines: ALA Council adopts the Library Workers' Bill of Rights; the Supreme Court refuses to let Trump fire the Register of Copyrights; New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte once again vetoes a state book banning bill; Amanda Jones wins again; and what to read this fall.
The Party's Over...
The 2026 American Library Association Annual Conference closed on June 29 in Chicago—the long anticipated, much-hyped conference that doubled as a celebration of the association's 150th anniversary. ALA reps reported final attendance of 14,801 total registrants (9,281 attendees, and 5,520 exhibit staff registrants).
As they always do, American Libraries has lots of good coverage of the show's main stage sessions and a selection of panel programs (including the fun conversations led by ALA president Sam Helmick with opening keynote speaker Rachel Maddow, and ALA President's Program speaker, former first lady Jill Biden). Overall, the show was energetic, and the professional program was well-curated and engaging. Exhibitors also reported decent traffic on the show floor. Even the Chicago weather was lovely.
Sanhita SinhaRoy |
Still, I can't shake the feeling that this year's final attendance number (14,801) is rather sobering. For a special anniversary show in the ALA's hometown of Chicago, where attendance is traditionally strongest, the 2026 conference barely beat out last year's conference in Philadelphia (14,250). More concerning: apples to apples, this year's conference drew fewer attendees than the 2023 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago (15,851).
This isn't meant as a criticism: inflation remains high, travel costs are especially out of control, library budgets are under considerable stress, and the association has been grappling with serious financial issues, declining membership, and some of the harshest political and economic attacks in its 150-year history. And, yes, after the pandemic, the world has changed. Gone are the days when the ALA annual conference averaged more than 21,000 attendees. Against that backdrop, if nothing else, this year's attendance is at least an indicator of the toll the last few years and months have taken on the library community.
Terra Dankowski
We'll have more reporting from our time at ALA after the holiday weekend. Meanwhile, though the final attendance this year raises some concerns, at least with me, I'll add that the richness of the 2026 conference program and the energy among attendees once again showed the enormous value of in-person conferences, and, amid a host of new and ongoing challenges facing libraries, highlighted the need for a strong national association.
ALA Council Approves the Librarians' and Library Workers' Bill of Rights
As always, there was lots of business done by the ALA Council over its three meetings at the 2026 ALA Annual Conference, which American Libraries also has covered: these include the Association’s Structural Deficit Closure Plan as part of ALA Treasurer Larry Neal’s (grim) financial report; the approval of guidance for the use of artificial intelligence in libraries, and a three year moratorium on new committees. But among the more noteworthy items: the ALA Council approved a resolution calling for the adoption and recognition of the Librarians’ and Library Workers’ Bill of Rights, a "landmark framework" that affirms the "dignity, safety and professional rights" of library workers.
"The passage of this resolution marks an important step forward in recognizing the rights, safety and professional dignity of library workers everywhere,” said ALA President Sam Helmick, in a statement. The resolution "highlights the escalating challenges faced by library workers, including harassment, censorship pressures, and workplace inequities," and calls on libraries to "formally adopt the Bill of Rights as a guiding document for policy and practice."
Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Bid to Fire Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter... For Now
Michael Macagnone
Roll Call reports that among the many Supreme Court decisions handed down this week, the high court denied the Trump Administration's bid to fire Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter while a lawsuit over her attempted termination progresses through the lower courts. "The two-sentence decision leaves open the issue of whether Trump can remove officials from within the Library of Congress, which formally works for the legislative branch," the report notes. "The order keeps in place a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia which allowed Perlmutter to remain in office while she challenged her firing in federal court."
Joe Mullin
Meanwhile, as Words & Money previously reported, the case could be mooted if the Senate takes up and passes H.R. 6028, which the House passed last month. The bill would remove the Copyright Office from under the purview of the Library of Congress and make the Register a presidential appointee, which the library community and other public advocacy groups oppose. "Each administration will be pressured to pick nominees aligned with their own policy preferences, and the powerful copyright owning industries will invest even more heavily in lobbying to get their way," warns Joe Mullin, in a poit for the EFF. "The Copyright Office should serve the public—not presidential administrations, and not industry lobbyists."
New Hampshire Governor Once Again Vetoes Republican Book Banning Bill
PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
InDepthNH.org reports that, for a third straight year, New Hampshire governor Kelly Ayotte has vetoed a book banning bill put forward by the state's Republican lawmakers. "This bill is similar to the bill I vetoed last year," Ayotte noted. "As current law provides a mechanism for parents through their local school district to exercise their rights to ensure their children are not exposed to inappropriate materials, I have vetoed Senate Bill 434."
In a statement, members of the New Hampshire Freedom to Read Coalition thanked the governor for the veto. "We thank Gov. Ayotte for once again standing up for the freedom to read in New Hampshire," said Jacquelyn Benson, NH Regional Leader for Authors Against Book Bans. "S.B. 434’s overly broad language would have handed a blunt instrument to book banners and exposed the state to legal challenges. Let’s stop playing Groundhog Day and leave these decisions with local communities, where they belong.”
With Final Brief, New Appeal of Blocked Texas Book Rating Law Could Soon Head to Oral Argument
Andrew Richard Albanese
It was a big deal when the courts struck down Texas bill H.B. 900 in 2024, the closely-watched Texas law that would have required booksellers to rate books as a condition to sell to Texas schools. But as Words & Money recently reported, the state is getting another shot before the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. And with their final reply brief filed last week, an oral argument date could soon be set.
This is definitely a case to watch. In its appeal, the state argues a novel new "marketplace" theory that contends the state requiring vendors to rate books isn't regulation, but simply gathering information about "how public funds will be spent," positioning the government as a mere "marketplace participant."
In Texas, Austin Explores a Move to Become a 'Safe Harbor' for Books
Sam Stark
The Austin Current reports that the Austin (Texas) Library Commission is urging the City Council "to take a formal stand against censorship" by declaring the city a “Book Safe Harbor,” which supporters say would "strengthen protections" for books on public library shelves.
"In Texas, battles over books have transformed school board meetings, county commissioners courts and the state Capitol into recurring flashpoints over race, gender identity and sexuality," the report notes. "Advocates warn public libraries could be next."
Texas Politican Rants Over School's Decision not to Ban Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl
Madeleine Hall
Local affiliate KCBD has an interesting report on how Texas law S.B. 13 is working in some communities—or maybe not, according to Lubbock Texas’s State Senator Charles Perry. The report notes that S.B. 13 requires school districts to establish a School Library Advisory Council (SLAC) to handle book challenges, which the Lubbock ISD did.
"Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl was brought before the SLAC, but it voted voted 3-2 to keep the book on shelves. Perry said that outcome revealed a flaw in how the district implemented the law," the report notes. "The intent of the legislature is to get rid of effectively obscene, vulgar [material],” Perry told the outlet. “If this book made the cut to go back after their process review, then I think the process that LISD has set up misses the legislative intent.” So much for the fig leaf of "parent's rights" then, I guess?
In Utah, Bookstores and Advocates Team Up to Counter Book Bans
The Salt Lake Tribune reports that, frustrated by book bans under a new state law, LGBTQ organizations and independent bookstores have teamed up to hand out free copies of books banned from Utah public schools. "Organizers of the 'Read Between the Bans' campaign include The King’s English Bookshop, Under The Umbrella bookstore, The Legendarium bookstore and Weller Book Works, along with Utah’s LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and Safe Zone Utah," the Tribune reports. "The giveaways will continue, they say, until the state ends its practice of removing titles from school shelves statewide."
The Library Controversy in Escambia County, Florida, Gets More Contoversial
Jim Little, Pensacola News Journal
We've covered the controversies at the West Florida Public Library in Escambia County, Florida, and this week comes a report that things do not seem to be improving. The Pensacola News Journal reports that County officials are ignoring their own rules and refusing to allow Board Chairman Blaine Wall to call meeting, despite Wall having the explicit power to do so. "One of the last actions of the full board was to recommend Bradley Vinson to be the new library director," the report notes, adding County Administrator Wes Moreno rejected that recommendation and instead picked Christal Bell-Rivera, despite questions over her qualifications. Wall told reporters that he believes "blocking the board from meeting is a 'clear abuse of power' by Moreno."
Judge Orders Man Accused of Defaming Librarian Amanda Jones to Pay Her Legal Fees
Claire Taylor
It has been a long legal road for librarian, author, and freedom to read advocate Amanda Jones, who in 2022 sued two Louisiana men for defamation after they accused her of "grooming" children. After winning an appeal last year, Jones allowed one of two Louisiana men to settle the case for $1 and a public apology. It's going to cost the second man, Michael Lunsford, a little more.
The Advocate this week reports that judge Erika Sledge (the same judge who initially tossed Jones's suits, only to be reversed on appeal) ordered Lunsford to pay nearly $51,000 in legal fees. The case has yet to be tried on the merits. Jones is also suing a New Jersey man for defamation in a separate case, which a federal judge last month ruled could proceed.
Wichita Public Library Could Cut Hours Amid Budget Stress
Sophia Gernander
In a sign of the times, local affiliate 12 News reports that the Wichita Public Library in Kansas is "preparing to reduce its hours" as the city prepares its final budget. "Lauren Hirsh, a member of the library’s board of directors, said the library has received the same amount of funding for 40 years," the report notes. “The needs have changed... libraries have changed... there’s a lot more programming and exciting things to do... they’ve been doing it with the same staff,” Hirsh told the outlet.
California School Libraries Hit with Unexpected, 'Catastrophic' Cut
Carolyn Jones
In California, CalMatters reports that school librarians are scrambling after funding was cut for Compass, an online database of research and curriculum materials that have been vetted by teachers and librarians. “We had no idea this was coming,” Greg Lucas, head of the California State Library, which helps oversee the program for California’s 10,000 public schools, told reporters. “This will have a huge impact on California students.”
Publishers Weekly Releases Its Adult Books Fall Preview
David Adams |
Always one of the best issues of the year, Publishers Weekly this week released its preview of this fall's books. "Back in March, we invited publishers to submit information on books publishing between Aug. 1, 2026, and Jan. 31, 2027. Our editors then sifted through the thousands of submissions to handpick fall’s most notable titles in 13 categories," writes PW's David Adams. "As always, each category has a top 10 list and a longlist of books with a certain something special about them. (You can find a searchable database of all the submitted titles at publishersweekly.com/previews)."
What the 'Stars' Are Reading
The Ankler
The Ankler this week released its 100 Notable Summer Book Picks. "The list is as wide-ranging as the readers: Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Wes Moore; Kathy Kennedy and Sherry Lansing; Mike De Luca, Dan Lin and Jason Blum; Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Maureen Dowd; Greg Berlanti and Molly Shannon; Tina Brown to Tinx to Triple H. And because, as the saying goes, you can never judge a book by its cover, stay tuned for YouTube CEO Neal Mohan’s surprising favorite, as well as Academy CEO Bill Kramer’s fascination with a competition that isn’t the Oscars."
And Finally This Week...
With the run-up to ALA and all the action in the library ebook market, we missed this when it dropped at the end of June, but the Public Library Association has released the 2025 Public Library Services for Strong Communities Survey report. “The Public Library Services for Strong Communities report shows that today’s libraries are so much more than quiet book repositories; they are vital lifelines for neighbors navigating real-life challenges,” said PLA President Dr. Brandy McNeil, in a statement. “From stepping up to address food insecurity to expanding essential health and wellness initiatives for all ages, libraries are proving they are the heartbeat of community resilience."
