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On March 14, the White House issued an
executive order calling for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the independent federal agency that supports libraries and museums in all 50 states and US territories through grants, research, and policy development. In response,
ALA released a statement March 15 that reads [in part] as follows: “Americans have loved and relied on public, school and academic libraries for generations. By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer. ALA implores President Trump to reconsider this short-sighted decision.” The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions also
issued a statement in support of IMLS...
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 17; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Mar. 15; International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Mar. 19
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Alan Inouye writes: “On the evening of March 14, President Trump launched an assault on libraries by signing an executive order titled
Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. The president cannot fully eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services without congressional approval, but his order takes every possible step in that direction. The good news is that there is a groundswell of opposition to Trump’s order. Since ALA’s March 15 statement, more than 55,000 messages have been recorded and sent to Congress members through ALA’s
action center. In addition to grassroots advocacy, ALA is opposing the executive order in a number of ways.”
ALA has published an FAQ to help library workers, advocates, and users understand the order....
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 19; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Mar. 18
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Hannah Weinberg writes: “Since President Trump retook office on January 20, libraries and librarianship have been assaulted via executive orders and other actions. While the legality of many of these actions is still being decided by the courts, librarians, archivists, and other information professionals have been working through the confusion to preserve access to information. Below are several examples of the challenges libraries have faced over the past two months and the ways in which librarians and advocates have responded—and continue to respond.”...
American Libraries feature, Mar. 19
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Megan Bennett writs: “Nearly 1.3 million people died from tuberculosis (TB) in 2023, according to the World Health Organization—despite a cure being developed decades ago. These deaths occur disproportionately in the world’s most poverty-stricken countries. John Green, the celebrated young adult author and vlogger, has been an advocate for TB treatment access since 2019, when he met Henry, a teenager with TB, during a trip to Sierra Leone. Green spoke with American Libraries about health equity and his connections to ALA.”...
American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr.
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Steve Tetreault writes: “Leaders do not have special skills or insights. Leaders are just ordinary people. They do not possess mystical abilities. There is not an age requirement. People who lead simply make the choice to acknowledge they have the ability to affect the reality around them. And that’s a power we all have. In other words: We become leaders as soon as we choose to be. And we need to choose to be. If you don’t like how things are, get involved to help change them. If you do like how things are, get involved to help keep them that way.”...
Knowledge Quest, Mar. 13
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Daniel Pfeiffer writes: “I admit I’m usually skeptical that generational analysis is anything more than the narcissism of small differences. The skinny jeans–baggy jeans divide between millennials and zoomers is real, sure, but significant? Maybe not. But I’m willing to grant that generational differences do, at times, capture specific patterns of technological use and engagement—or at least serve as a convenient shorthand for describing changing behaviors. Below, I have highlighted a few recent studies that shed light on the technology practices and attitudes of Generation Z students, angled toward how they might be applied in a library context.”...
Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Mar. 12
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Ian Trawinski, Lisa Picker, and Andrea Berstler write: “Makerspaces are commonly expected to host a younger demographic, while libraries are thought of as a space mostly visited by older generations. [But at] Carroll County (Md.) Public Library’s Exploration Commons, we have found that our makerspace is enjoyed across all generations. In fact, we have found that the customers who most take advantage of the tools and programs supplied by Exploration Commons, in ways we had not anticipated, are seniors. Exploration Commons regularly hosts programs designed to help ease seniors into learning how to operate the equipment available in this makerspace.”...
Information Technology and Libraries, Mar. 17
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Jon Webb writes: “Staff members with US Rep. Mark Messmer’s (R-Ind.) office asked employees at Boonville (Ind.)-Warrick Public Library to call the police on constituents during a mobile office hours event March 11—even though the mostly older attendees weren’t breaking any rules, the library’s director confirmed. Director Brooke Bolton told the Courier & Press she refused the request. Bolton said the request to contact authorities came not from the staffers on hand, but via a phone call to the library from [Messmer’s chief of staff in] Washington, DC.”...
Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press, Mar. 14
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Dawson Damico writes: “For nearly 80 years, Iberia Parish (La.) Library has offered services to the public. It is now on the verge of closing down if a reduced millage renewal is not passed in the March 29 election. Last year, the renewal failed to pass, making this year’s election vital for the future of the system. It will be at a reduced rate from six mills to 4.5 mills. All libraries in the system are [currently] operating off a reduced balance of $3.3 million. If [the millage is] not passed, Hills said the funds will be depleted by March 2026.”...
KLFY-TV (Lafayette, La.), Mar. 12
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Amanda Rogers and Dianndra Roberts write: “Neurodiversity is the natural variation in human neurological functioning. Approximately 15%–20% of the global population is neurodivergent. Organizations that do not actively include and support neurodivergent individuals risk missing out on exceptional talents and undermining employees’ ability to work to their full potential. Workplace practices that support diverse working styles can build a positive and supportive environment without enforcing neuronormativity. By fostering an inclusive environment that values different ways of thinking, organizations can drive innovation, enhance problem-solving, and improve overall team performance.”...
The Scholarly Kitchen, Mar. 17
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Jeffrey Brainard writes: “The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday told staff members it has canceled subscriptions carried by its National Agricultural Library as part of a drive by President Donald Trump’s administration [and its Department of Government Efficiency] to cut federal spending. The move appears to drop nearly 400 of the library’s roughly 2,000 journals, including many prominent in various agricultural subfields—but curiously none from the world’s three largest scientific publishers, all of which are for-profit. Most of the affected publishers are university or nonprofit scientific society presses. USDA staff members depicted the move as hasty, indiscriminate slashing.”...
Science, Mar. 17
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Jodi Fortino writes: “Some Lee’s Summit (Mo.) School District Board of Education members said they’ve heard from parents concerned about what content their children can access in school libraries. Starting this month, parents can place their student on a restricted checkout status. Parents can call their school’s librarian and list up to 20 titles that their student won’t be able to check out. School librarians said they received 89 formal reconsideration requests in the 2022–2023 school year, but none of them came from parents whose children had checked out a book.” No requests were received in the 2023–2024 school year....
KCUR-FM (Kansas City, Mo.), Mar. 10
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