On May 8th, Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress was callously fired by President Trump after the American Accountability Foundation accused her and other library leaders of “promoting children’s books with radical content and literary material authored by Trump opponents.” When asked by a reporter why Dr. Hayden was fired, Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, responded “There were concerning things she has done at the library of congress in pursuit of D.E. I. And putting inappropriate books in the library for children.” By law (17 USC section 407) three copies of all books published or distributed in the U.S., no matter the format, no matter the author, no matter the author’s political views, must be sent to the US Copyright office for use at the Library of Congress if they are to receive copyright protection. The Library of Congress is a RESEARCH library not a LENDING library. Dr. Haden’s firing is another example of President Trump’s efforts to ban books, whitewash American history, and turn back the clock. Is the next step limiting research at the Library of Congress only to approved topics? I hope not, but fear yes. (fb)

On May 8th, Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress was callously fired by President Trump after the American Accountability Foundation accused her and other library leaders of “promoting children’s books with radical content and literary material authored by Trump opponents.” When asked by a reporter why Dr. Hayden was fired, Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, responded “There were concerning things she has done at the library of congress in pursuit of D.E. I. And putting inappropriate books in the library for children.” By law (17 USC section 407) three copies of all books published or distributed in the U.S., no matter the format, no matter the author, no matter the author’s political views, must be sent to the US Copyright office for use at the Library of Congress if they are to receive copyright protection. The Library of Congress is a RESEARCH library not a LENDING library. Dr. Haden’s firing is another example of President Trump’s efforts to ban books, whitewash American history, and turn back the clock. Is the next step limiting research at the Library of Congress only to approved topics? I hope not, but fear yes. (fb)