Library and Academic Institution Movements & the Law

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on May 23 reversed a district court’s preliminary injunction and dismissed free speech claims in Little v. Llano County, a Texas case challenging the removal of 17 books from a public library.

Alt Text: White words on blue background stating “Rather than succumbing to helplessness, the response is to do something, take a step, find your work, and commit to it.” Allison Jennin…

I wrote this piece on libraries and possible educational responses as part of a longer contribution on the informational disciplines and the iSchool. A principal goal was to suggest that libraries present interesting and challenging research and educational questions, which cross disciplines.

Thomas Jefferson wanted to donate his personal collection of books to the Library of Congress. But critics thought those books were un-American.

Building Psychological Safety in Academic Libraries: Fostering Innovation, Well-Being, and Engaged Teams

In a thorough rebuke, federal judge John G. McConnell has ordered the Trump administration to immediately reverse the mass terminations of grants and staff at IMLS.

The Pentagon ordered military educational institutions to pull and review any books that promote what it called "divisive concepts and gender ideology" on Friday, in the latest move from President Donald Trump's administration against diversity, equity and inclusion.

A new poll shows a majority of U.S. adults disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of issues related to colleges and universities, as his Republican administration ramps up threats to cut federal funding unless schools comply with his political agenda.

From Politico: President Donald Trump continued a firing spree at the Library of Congress on Saturday when he dismissed the top copyright official in the nation — a position traditionally overseen by the legislative branch. The White House contacted Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter Saturday afternoon informing her that her job leading the U.S. Copyright […]

Ed. Note: We will update this report with additional media coverage and statements as they become available Recent Additions (Last Update 5:30pm; May 12) ALISE Statement On the Dismissal of Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) strongly condemns this unprecedented action. Dr. Hayden, the first woman […]

President Donald Trump's onetime defense attorney has been appointed acting librarian of Congress. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche replaces longtime librarian Carla Hayden, whom the White House fired last week amid criticism from some conservatives that she was advancing a “woke” agenda.

“The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and its members are deeply disappointed in the administration’s decision to terminate Dr. Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress,” said Andrew K. Pace,...

A federal judge Tuesday wrote that President Trump's executive order dismantling the IMLS "disregards the fundamental constitutional role of each of the branches of our federal government."

Inclusive Leadership: Perspectives From Academic Library Leaders

Threats to DEI are only growing stronger, with continued plans to introduce bills in the next legislative session, and attacks occurring on the accreditation front. Use our interactive dashboard to keep track of the evolving attacks on DEI across the states.

Ed Martin sent a letter to the Wikimedia Foundation accusing it of spreading propaganda

North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong vetoed a library content bill, calling it “a misguided attempt to legislate morality through overreach and censorship.”

This document is the result of a year of work and collaboration by the Trans Metadata Collective (TMDC; https://transmetadatacollective.org/), a group of dozens of cataloguers, librarians, archivists, scholars, and information professionals with a concerted interest in improving the description and classification of trans and gender diverse people in GLAMS (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums and Special Collections). The Collective’s primary goal was to develop a set of best practices for the description, cataloguing, and classification of information resources as well as the creation of metadata about trans and gender diverse people, including authors and other creators

Georgia is considering a bill aimed at preventing children from accessing explicit library material. Opponents say it would chill free speech

Penguin Random House LLC et al v. Gibson et al (6:24-cv-01573), Florida Middle District Court, Filed: 08/29/2024

By: Matt Nosanchuk, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Operations and Outreach, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education All students deserve access to learning environments that are inclusive and free from discrimination and that nurture their intellect, wellbeing, and creativity, preparing them for success in school and beyond. Books have been the gateway toContinue Reading

The American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has released new data documenting book challenges throughout the United States, finding that challenges of unique titles surged 65% in 2023 compared to 2022 numbers, reaching the highest level ever documented by ALA. Read the full announcement. OIF documented 4,240 unique book titles targeted for censorship, more than the previous two years combined (2,571 in 2022; 1,651 in 2021), as well as 1,247 demands to censor library books, materials, and resources in 2023.

They care deeply and can't be fired. Retired librarians are bringing experience and passion to the cause of intellectual freedom. With advocacy skills training and opportunities to mentor, retirees could become even more powerful assets.

In the Past and Present, They’ve Fought Book Bans and Censorship.

What happens when large language models are asked to provide justifications for book bans? Do the same built-in guardrails that prevent them from generating ...

From the Des Moines Register: The small farming community of Alta in northwest Iowa barely has 2,000 residents. The elementary school that shares its name has fewer than 300 students. Neither is big enough to have a quality library on its own. So for the last 20 years, the two have operated a library together, […]