Our first Words & Money weekly newsletter comes at a momentous time for libraries and publishers—and for the United States
April 25, 2025
When we founded Words & Money in January of this year, we did so because we believed there was a place for a publication that focused on the common mission of librarians and publishers. Little did we know that our first newsletter would come at such a tumultuous time.
Certainly there has been no shortage of complex challenges facing libraries and publishers in recent years, among them a dramatic surge in book banning, conflict over digital lending, the rapid, uneasy advance of AI, and, of course, lingering fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic which has roiled supply chains and wreaked havoc on budgets. But nothing could prepared us for the challenges brought to bear by a president with a sharpie, and a billionaire with a chainsaw.
In this week's newsletter, our weekly media roundup, The Queue, shares library headlines from around the country, including reports on a key Supreme Court hearing over book bans, and a surprise veto of a book banning bill in North Dakota. There are developments in the legal battles over the Trump administration's bid to shutter the IMLS, including in one case filed by 21 state attorneys general, and another spearheaded by the ALA. And as the Trump administration continues to indiscriminately slash the federal workforce, we talked with historian Sarah Vowell, who contributed an essay about the National Archives to Who Is Government, a timely collection compiled by bestselling author Michael Lewis. And as this our first newsletter, you can read more about Words & Money and our mission here.
On the occasion of our first newsletter, a sincere thanks to everyone who has signed up so far, including those of you who have showed your support by taking a paid subscription. For this first flight (and until we get to cruising altitude) our content will be open access. It has been a little over six weeks since we soft launched at the London Book Fair, and what you see today is a next step. Rest assured, we have more features and resources in the works. And we're grateful for your support and readership.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending April 25
Among the week's headlines: The Supreme Court hears a potential landmark case about books with LGBTQ+ themes; North Dakota's governor vetoes the state's controversial book banning bill; and two new library-related documentaries are set to debut.
In Conversation: Sarah Vowell
The bestselling author of seven nonfiction books on American history and culture talks with Andrew Richard Albanese about her recent contribution to Michael Lewis's 'Who Is Government' and why the country may soon learn a hard lesson about the importance of government workers.
Andrew Richard Albanese
Andrew Richard Albanese
Andrew Richard Albanese
Andrew Richard Albanese
