How to Support IMLS and the Department of Education

3 days ago 9

The big news in Library Land over the last couple weeks has been Trump’s executive order against the Institute of Museum and Library Services, as well as his order to begin dismantling the Department of Education, just like Project 2025 promised to accomplish. I have a roundup of links to help concerned citizens stay informed and create a plan of attack, plus a number of censorship articles that didn’t get included in last month’s posts.

Supporting IMLS and the Department of Education

Library funding has been targeted in a new Trump executive order: what it means and what to do now. Library Journal/infoDOCKET is maintaining an updated roundup of press reports about library funding and Trump’s recent executive order against the IMLS. What happens to libraries if IMLS goes away? Tracking the Trump Administration’s attacks on libraries. Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling has been appointed the acting director of the IMLS. The Institute for Museum and Library Services is now a propaganda machine. How to oppose abolishing the Department of Education.

Censorship News

Moms for Liberty is shutting down BookLooks, but why? Librarian criminalization bills are growing, but they’re not new. Texas may change how schools select library books, and critics say the changes could lead to more book bans. “[Florida] Senators in the Criminal Justice Committee approved on a party-line vote a definition of what school boards should consider ‘harmful to minors,’ building on a 2023 law granting school boards authority to remove books parents challenge as being ‘pornographic.’” LGBTQ author Chad Sell’s visit to a New Jersey school district was quietly canceled, but then parents and kids spoke up. (Paywalled): Lynchburg (VA) GOP calls for curbing children’s access at the library.

Transform your reading experience! Become an All Access member and unlock a treasure trove of exclusive content—must-read articles, deep dives, and curated recommendations—with unlimited access to 20+ members-only newsletters, community features, and more. Sign up now for only $6/month!

The Georgia legislature is considering a new bill that would remove an exemption for librarians in the section of state code dealing with distributing sexually explicit materials to minors. A new Alabama bill would ban drag performances in public libraries and schools. “The Fayetteville Public Library [AR] board of trustees has proposed a new ban prohibiting employees from walking as a library or representing the library during any parade, including this year’s Pride parade.” Staff and community members are concerned that this represents a shift away from the library’s core values. (Paywalled): The Missouri Secretary of State suspends eBook service over culture war concerns about minors. “In an announcement, Hoskins said he had suspended state funding to an app named OverDrive, which has received $160 in state payments this fiscal year, saying he believes allegations it gives minors access to inappropriate materials.” In Iowa, House File 274 would remove the legal exemptions in obscenity laws for public schools and libraries. Librarians are pushing back, calling the bill (and similar bills) a “thinly veiled attack on libraries.” Waterloo (IA) schools withdrew first graders from a Black History Month book event, citing orders from Trump. So locals organized an even bigger version. Utah bans its 17th book from public schools across the state. “The Scottsdale Unified School District [AZ] decided to remove 16 books from high school library shelves after a conservative coalition sent a letter saying ‘pervasively vulgar or educationally unsuitable content’ was being offered to students.” (Paywalled): A federal judge has ruled that Idaho can enforce a law that prevents independent schools from distributing books that the state has deemed “harmful to minors.” Huntington Beach (CA) teenagers are part of the group suing the city over library policies. “Members of a conspiracy theorist group have been showing up uninvited to kindergarten open houses in Winnipeg to warn young families about ‘pornographic’ content in public schools.”

An educated and informed citizenry is a dangerous citizenry. Stay dangerous, y’all.

Read Entire Article