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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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ALA, SBA Launch First School Librarians Conference in Sharjah
The American Library Association and the Sharjah Book Authority will host the inaugural ALA Sharjah School Librarians Conference on April 15–16 in the United Arab Emirates.
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Once Again, Federal Judge Blocks a Book Banning Law in Iowa
On March 25, U.S. District Court judge Stephen Locher doubled down on an injunction against Iowa SF 496, a “likely facially unconstitutional” 2023 state law that has led to the mass removal of books from Iowa public school libraries.
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ALA Names Lisa Varga to Head Public Policy and Advocacy Office
The longtime executive director of the Virginia Library Association will succeed Alan Inouye as associate executive director of the American Library Association’s Public Policy and Advocacy office on April 21.
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Board Advising IMLS Tells Acting Director Mandates ‘Cannot’ Be Hindered
In a March 24 letter, the National Museum and Library Services Board laid out the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ statutory obligations for its acting director, Keith Sonderling, as supporters continued to speak out on behalf of the embattled federal agency.
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TLA 2025: A Library Renaissance Roundup
Presentations from household-name authors and professional panels for light-bulb moments are on the schedule in Dallas.
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TLA 2025: Librarians Saddle Up for Dallas
The biggest library show in Texas hightails it to Big D, with a theme of ‘Library Renaissance: The Quest for Renewal’
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Deputy Secretary of Labor Installed as Acting Director of the IMLS
Following a March 14 executive order to scale back the Institute for Museum and Library Services, Keith Sonderling was sworn in as the grant-making agency's leader on March 20, accompanied by DOGE personnel.
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Executive Order Targets the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The ALA, EveryLibrary, and other organizations and individuals have rushed to defend the IMLS against the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to eliminate the agency, which plays a key role in distributing congressionally approved funds to libraries, museums, and archives across the country.
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Library Futures Investigates Content Bans in Research Databases
The nonprofit’s new report, Neo-Censorship in U.S. Libraries: An Investigation Into Digital Content Suppression, details the targeting of educational databases and the rise of legal challenges against libraries.
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Library Database Providers Clash Over Subscription Models
Data and analytics resource ProQuest will require libraries to lease content rather than make permanent acquisitions, shocking the library community. Competitor EBSCO responded by assuring customers that it will continue its perpetual access policy.
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New Bills in Iowa Threaten to Tighten Obscenity Provisions for Libraries
House File 274 would repeal a section of the Iowa Code that addresses obscenity exemptions for public libraries and educational institutions, while Senate File 347 proposes steep fines for sharing allegedly obscene work with minors. American Library Association president-elect Sam Helmick called the legislative pairing “a parfait of awful.”
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American Library Association Establishes Public Supporter Program
Using its I Love Libraries website as a platform, the ALA has launched a public supporter program intended to generate donations and keep library patrons apprised of the organization’s advocacy work and grants.
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