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  • Federal Judge in Rhode Island Orders Halt to IMLS Dismantling

    In Rhode Island v. Trump, district court judge John J. McConnell Jr. ordered a halt to an executive order dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Plaintiffs in ALA v. Sonderling requested their own injunction the same day.

  • U.S. Executive and Legislative Branches Battle at the LoC

    After Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden’s firing, and with interim Librarian Robert Newlen set to be replaced by Trump attorney and deputy attorney general Todd Blanche, members of Congress sent an urgent letter to the U.S. Inspector General, calling for an investigation into the executive branch’s actions.

  • Librarianship’s Core Values: PW Talks with Lisa Varga

    Virginia Library Association’s fierce former leader has big plans for her new role as associate executive director of the American Library Association’s Office of Public Policy and Advocacy.

  • Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden Fired by White House

    “Tonight, the White House informed Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden that she has been relieved of her position,” a spokesperson confirmed in an email to PW on May 8. Hayden was the first woman and first Black person to head the nation’s library.

  • R.I. District Court Grants Preliminary Injunction in IMLS Case

    The District Court of Rhode Island has granted 21 states’ attorneys a preliminary injunction to stop the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services by the Trump administration.

  • Judge Grants IMLS a Temporary Reprieve in ‘ALA v. Sonderling’

    A federal judge has granted a “narrow” temporary restraining order in a lawsuit co-filed by the American Library Association that is intended to sustain the Institute of Museum and Library Services amid broad cuts to its program.

  • ALA Pushes to Preserve IMLS as Staff Termination Date Looms

    At the first hearing in ALA v. Sonderling, held April 30 at federal court in Washington, D.C., plaintiffs pushed for the court to issue an emergency restraining order before the majority of IMLS staff is laid off on May 4.

  • PRH and Co-Plaintiffs Push Back on Florida Book Banning Law

    Attorneys for the plaintiffs in Penguin Random House LLC v. Gibson argued that their clients “have suffered First Amendment injury” due to book removals in classrooms and libraries facilitated by Florida House Bill 1069, which was signed into law in May 2023.

  • ALA and AFSCME Prepare Their Case for IMLS

    In ALA v. Sonderling, the American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees are seeking a preliminary injunction to a White House executive order dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

  • ‘ALA v. Sonderling’ Case Moves Forward as Defendants Respond

    Attorneys for Institute of Museum and Library Services acting director Keith Sonderling and his codefendants have responded to a lawsuit filed earlier this month by the American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees in support of the beleaguered IMLS.

  • R.I. District Court Holds Motion Hearing on Fate of IMLS

    With May 4 looming as the date when Institute of Museum and Library Services staff placed on administrative leave could permanently lose their jobs, two pending lawsuits opposing the executive order to gut the agency moved forward last week.

  • ACLU of Tennessee Lawsuit Looks to Stop Book Bans in Rutherford County

    The suit charges that the county school board violated the First Amendment rights of students when it removed or restricted access to more than 140 books, ignoring the advice of specialists who advised not to do so.

  • IMLS Staffers Cry Foul as New Leadership Continues to ‘Slash and Burn’

    As lawsuits over the fate of the Institute of Museum and Library Services drag on and the likelihood that forced paid leave mandates will turn into permanent cuts grows, worries mount among staffers over the agency’s ability to carry out its mission.

  • The ALA Sues Over the Scuppering of the IMLS

    A lawsuit filed in federal court on April 7 by the American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees alleges that the Trump administration’s recent “evisceration” of the Institute of Museum and Library Services is both illegal and unconstitutional.

  • 21 States Sue Trump Administration Over Scuttling of IMLS, Other Agencies

    Attorneys general from 21 states have sued the Trump administration to block its recent efforts to scuttle the Institute of Museum and Library Services and several other federal agencies.

  • ALA Releases Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024

    In its annual State of America's Libraries report, the American Library Association found that George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue was the most challenged book of last year, among other titles largely by and about LGBTQ+ persons and people of color.

  • National Library Week 2025 Emphasizes the Draw of Libraries

    Amidst turmoil, the American Library Association is marking National Library Week April 6-12 with the tagline “Drawn to the Library,” which emphasizes the essential role libraries play in American life. This year’s honorary cochairs are Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud.

  • Publishers Ask Congress to Defend Libraries as Federal Library Grant Funding Ends

    Four of the Big Five publishers and Sourcebooks sent a letter to Congress on April 3 expressing “deep concern” for the nation’s libraries following a week of unprecedented turmoil orchestrated by the Trump administration at the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

  • IMLS Staff Furloughed, Prompting Questions from ‘Disappointed’ Board

    The staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services was placed on 90-day administrative leave on March 31. A letter sent to acting director Keith Sonderling three days later by the institute’s 19-member advisory board identified some big questions.

  • Four Senators Defend IMLS in Bipartisan Letter to Acting Director

    The lead authors of the 2018 Museum and Library Services Act—two Democrats and two Republicans—wrote to Institute of Museum and Library Services acting director Keith Sonderling to remind him of his “obligation to faithfully execute the provisions of the law.”

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