Apologies for the late delivery on a very busy Friday ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. It's been quite a news day.
In this week's Words & Money weekly newsletter, we lead off with breaking news from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which has delivered a potentially major blow to the freedom to read. Our weekly media roundup, The Queue, includes updates on several petitions in support of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, as well as developments in several states related to book bans. We caught up this week with Connecticut Library Consortium executive director Ellen Paul to talk about her state's new library ebook bill. In court, Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter is suing to keep her job. And a Washington D.C. judge is looking to delay a ruling on an injunction in the ALA's lawsuit to save the IMLS until an appeals court weighs in on a similar case, while the DOJ is asking the same judge to stay his temporary restraining order in the ALA case, pending the outcome of their appeal.
In a Stunning Reversal, The Fifth Circuit Deals a Massive Blow to the Freedom to Read
In a closely watched book banning case, the court held that library book decisions are 'government speech' and thus immune from First Amendment challenges, setting up a potential high stakes showdown at the Supreme Court.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending May 23, 2025
Among the week's headlines: Petitions celebrate Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden; ALA welcomes IMLS employees back to work after court order; and Nevada races to pass a bill that would protect librarians.
In Conversation: Connecticut Library Consortium Executive Director Ellen Paul
Words & Money talks with Connecticut Library Consortium executive director Ellen Paul about Connecticut's new library ebook bill, the long and winding road to passage, and what comes next.
Andrew Richard Albanese
Andrew Richard Albanese
Andrew Richard Albanese
