North Dakota governor vetoes controversial library content bill • North Dakota Monitor
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong vetoed a library content bill, calling it “a misguided attempt to legislate morality through overreach and censorship.”
Libraries across Montana await grant confirmation amid turmoil at federal agencies
Montana State Library officials are cautiously optimistic that an annual grant that benefits public libraries across the state will be fully funded amid turmoil at the federal agency that distributes the money.
Mississippi libraries ordered to delete academic research in response to state laws - Mississippi Today
The two research collections state officials ordered for deletion included material from professional journals, conference papers, books, student dissertations, periodicals and newspaper articles.
Entire staff at federal agency that funds libraries and museums put on leave
The staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services was placed on administrative leave Monday morning, following a meeting between IMLS leadership and DOGE staff.
When Brigitte Weinsteiger became the vice provost and director of the Penn Libraries last year, she took the helm of what she characterizes as “one of the most consequential research libraries in the country.” With 19 libraries, 300-plus staff, a $95 million budget, and 10 million volumes across print and digital formats, she now leads an intellectual ecosystem that reaches across Penn’s campus and beyond.
This Time, Higher Ed’s Resistance to Trump Is Being Led by Its Associations
While individual colleges have been relatively quiet, groups like the American Council on Education and the American Association of University Professors are fighting the administration in the courts.
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.
American Library Association kicks off National Library Week with the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024 and the State of America’s Libraries Report | ALA
The American Library Association (ALA) today released the highly anticipated Top 10 Most Challenged Books List.
Naval Academy removes nearly 400 books from library in new DEI purge ordered by Hegseth's office
U.S. officials say the U.S. Naval Academy has removed nearly 400 books from its library after being told by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office to review and get rid of books that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
Issue Brief: Contingency Planning for State Budgets for IMLS Funding Uncertainty
Prudent state-level stakeholders should be engaging with their state legislators, particularly on appropriations, finance, budget, or ways and means committees, about federal FY2025 IMLS funding contingencies.
Trump executive order seeks to 'restore' American history through Smithsonian overhaul
The "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" order removes "divisive, race-centered ideology" from Smithsonian museums, educational and research centers, and the National Zoo.
ARL Honors Women’s History Month with a Roundup — Association of Research Libraries
Join us and our member libraries in celebrating Women’s History during the month of March. Below is a roundup of events, blog posts, exhibits, and other resources that showcase opportunities...
Announcing SCIP’s Oral History Agreement Toolkit: Protecting Narrators and Improving Institutional Rights Administration
The Scholarly Communication & Information Policy (SCIP) office is pleased to announce the release of our comprehensive Oral History Agreement Toolkit—a collection of templates, guidance documents, and resources designed to help transform how institutions approach oral history agreements.
Why We
On Friday night, March 14, President Trump issued an Executive Order that called for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and six other agencies. In FY24, the IMLS budget was $294.8 million, of which more than $211 million was dedicated to library services through the Library Services Technology Act (LSTA), the leading source of federal funding for America’s libraries. According to a statement from the American Library Association (ALA), “Libraries translate .003 percent of the federal budget into programs and services used by more than 1.2 billion people each year.”
Roundup: Statements in Response to Executive Order Impacting the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
We will continue to update this roundup as we learn of additional statements. Latest Additions (Last Update: 9:00am; March 27, 2025) Most Recent Addition Bolded Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) iFederation Lyrasis Sen. Jack Reed Leads Bipartisan Effort to Preserve Support for Public Libraries & Museums ALA Applauds Bipartisan Opposition To Attempt To Eliminate […]
Iowa law banning school library books that depict sex acts on hold again after a new federal ruling
A federal judge says Iowa for now cannot continue to enforce part of its book ban law. The decision Tuesday gives major publishers that sued the state their latest temporary reprieve.