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On May 9, ALA President Cindy Hohl
released a statement condemning President Trump’s May 8
firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who had been in the role since 2016. The statement celebrates Hayden’s leadership and efforts to make the Library of Congress “a bastion of knowledge and a beacon of opportunity” for all. The statement also urges all library supporters to
reach out to their Congress members. According to the Washington Post, Hayden had recently been
criticized as “woke” by the American Accountability Foundation, a conservative organization that identifies nonpartisan appointees it suspects will resist Trump’s policies.
Trump named Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who represented Trump during his 2024 criminal trial, as acting Librarian of Congress May 12....
AL: The Scoop, May 9; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, May 9; PBS News, May 9; Washington Post, May 9; Associated Press, May 12
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On May 12, ALA President Cindy Hohl released a statement criticizing President Trump’s May 10
dismissal
of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter. Perlmutter was fired two days after the Trump administration fired Carla Hayden, head of the Library of Congress, which oversees the US Copyright Office. Perlmutter’s termination
came shortly after her office issued a report questioning the legality of
training
artificial intelligence systems on copyrighted works. According to Wired, Paul Perkins, who claimed he was new acting director of the Copyright Office,
and Brian Nieves, who identified himself as the new deputy librarian, attempted to enter the Copyright Office May 12, but left after a discussion with Capitol Police....
AL: The Scoop, May 12; Associated Press, May 11; Politico, May 10; United States Copyright Office, May; Wired, May 12
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Chase Ollis writes: “The 2025 recipients of the I Love My Librarian Award are 10 standout librarians. They include a bookmobile librarian serving a community in crisis, a school librarian bridging gaps for low-income students, a youth detention facility librarian creating a more inviting and inclusive space, and other notable community figures. ALA presented the awards on January 24 as part of the LibLearnX conference in Phoenix (watch a video of the ceremony). Among the recipients were four academic librarians, three public librarians, and three school librarians, each nominated by community members for their expertise, dedication, and impact.”...
American Libraries feature, May
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Leslie Burger writes: “We have all been impacted in both anticipated and unpredictable ways following the sweeping changes in Washington, D.C., since the January inauguration. ALA has always done its best to avoid partisan politics, choosing instead to work across the aisle to develop partnerships and relationships with individuals and organizations that share our values and support the important work of libraries. Libraries are inherently nonpartisan institutions. But this time
a different approach may be needed.”...
American Libraries column, May; AL: The Scoop, Apr. 8
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Anne Ford writes: “With total earnings of $426,600, Adriana Harmeyer, archives and special collections assistant professor and archivist for university history at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, is the winningest library professional ever to have appeared on Jeopardy! On May 14, she seeks to further cement that title, as she aims for the quarterfinals of the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters Tournament. Harmeyer—who holds the 11th longest consecutive winning streak of any player on the show—spoke with American Libraries about her longtime love of the game, her least favorite category, and how she blazed her path to the Masters.”...
American Libraries Trend, May 12
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ALA, along with other members of the Schools, Health, & Libraries Broadband Coalition, expressed strong disappointment following the
Senate’s passage of S.J. Res. 7, a Congressional Review Act joint resolution that overturns the Federal Communications Commission’s
decision to allow E-Rate funding for Wi-Fi hotspot lending by schools and libraries. The resolution now heads to the House of Representatives. If enacted, it would eliminate a critical tool that community anchor institutions use to provide broadband access to students and library patrons who rely on hotspots for education, employment, and health care. Over 800 school and library districts
have requested approximately 200,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to loan out this year to students and library patrons....
ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, May 8, July 18, 2024; Universal Service Administrative Company
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Lolita C. Baldor writes: “The Pentagon has ordered all military leaders and commands to pull and review all of their library books that address diversity, anti-racism, or gender issues by May 21, according to a memo issued to the force on May 9. It follows similar efforts to remove hundreds of books from the libraries at the
military academies [and schools]. The memo says that educational materials at the libraries ‘promoting divisive concepts and gender ideology are incompatible with the department’s core mission.’ By May 21, the memo says, additional guidance will be provided on how to cull that initial list.”...
Associated Press, May 9; Apr. 1; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office and American Association of School Librarians, Feb. 14
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Matt Witkos and Kallista Cory write: “Patmos Library in Jamestown Township, Michigan, gained national attention for facing tension over books featuring LGBTQ+ topics. And it faced potential closure because of a lack of funding. It took
three separate millage votes for funding to finally be renewed. Now the local community spot is closed” temporarily after five of eight staff members resigned last week. “The five shared with FOX 17 that they felt limited by the board in doing the jobs they were hired to do.” The majority of residents who attended the library’s board meeting May 12
expressed support for the staff....
WXMI-TV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), May 9, May 13; Holland (Mich.) Sentinel, Nov. 8, 2023
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Becky Spratford writes: “Everyone is interested in the conclave right now, no matter what their religion. And they are going to stay that way [even after the new Pope was elected]. This will have a long tail of interest. Keep the displays up until books are not being checked out. Many of these are great backlist titles that deserve a moment to shine on your displays. And you need these displays up to show readers that you know they are interested in the topic but appreciate that they may not have made it in during the actual conclave itself.”...
RA for All, May 8
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Elissa Malespina writes: “Something big just happened—and not enough people are talking about it. The US Copyright Office has released a
sweeping three-part report
series on artificial intelligence (AI), covering everything from deepfakes to AI-generated content to whether AI companies can legally use copyrighted materials to train their models. It’s the most important government action we’ve seen yet on AI and copyright—and it directly affects educators, librarians, students, and creators. Let’s unpack what this report says—and why the sudden dismissal of Copyright Office Head Shira Perlmutter matters more than ever.”...
The AI School Librarian, May 13; US Copyright Office, May 9
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Brittany Allen writes: “On May 8, 1925, one of the country’s largest collections of Black arts, literature, and history was born out of a Harlem brownstone. Now called the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in honor of the late curator, Arturo Schomburg, this branch of the New York Public Library is home to a staggering archive. So it’s only fitting that the library observe its centennial in style.” The year-long celebration includes a
major exhibition, a series of programs, a limited edition library card, and more. The exhibition opening included
several fireside chats featuring Director Joy Bivins, current and former Schomburg staff, and noted authors....
Lit Hub, May 7; New York Public Library, Apr. 22; Schomburg Research Center, May 8
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Gavin Damore writes: “As you’re busy planning for your various programming and activities to keep kids and tweens engaged during school break, be sure to check out the Association for Library Service to Children’s (ALSC)
2025 Summer Reading Lists. Every year, ALSC’s Quicklists Consulting Committee compiles and annotates these lists. They provide an easy way to share recommended reads with parents and caregivers during the busiest time of year. We know that summer reading programming and recommendations aren’t one-size-fits-all. That’s why the committee compiles four summer reading lists based on age group.”...
ALSC Blog, May 12
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