Carla Hayden to speak at 2025 ALA conference

Jun 13 2025

The American Library Association has announced that Carla Hayden, who was fired from her job as the Librarian of Congress by the Trump administration May 8, will participate in a one-on-one conversation with bestselling author Kwame Alexander June 28 at this year’s ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, set to take place June 26–30 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

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Judge denies preliminary injunction in ‘ALA v. Sonderling’ IMLS case

Jun 09 2025

In a decision that may prove catastrophic for the American library community, a federal judge has denied a preliminary injunction in American Library Association v. Sonderling, a case seeking to halt the demolition of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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Judge grants IMLS a temporary reprieve in ‘ALA v. Sonderling’

May 02 2025

The American Library Association and American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) on Thursday were granted a “narrow” temporary restraining order (TRO) against further action by Institute of Museum and Library Services acting director Keith Sonderling and agency defendants to dismantle the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

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ALA and AFSCME prepare their case for IMLS

Apr 29 2025

On the eve of an April 30 motion hearing on the future of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, attorneys for the American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees have responded to last week’s filing by the defendants in ALA v. Sonderling. The plaintiffs seek a preliminary injunction to a White House executive order that they say takes a “chain-saw approach to federal agencies chartered by Congress of which it does not approve,” IMLS among them. Since the “implementation of the decision to dismantle IMLS is already well along,” they write, the case is “ripe for review.”

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We attended the ALA Conference this year and had a blast connecting with libraries and publishers. Here are some of our key takeaways.

1. Libraries are under attack and need support more than ever.  Depending on the state, new laws are being proposed and passed that go further than banning books to outright threatening librarians with criminal charges (see Idaho).  Public discourse is increasingly bringing libraries into the culture wars, and it’s at the forefront of many librarian’s minds as they consider whether to stay and fight to make a difference or move to a state that’s more supportive of libraries and librarians.

2. There are an overwhelming number of books out there.  There were more books on display at the marketplace than one single person could ever read in their lifetime (even though there were many children’s books on display as well!) One 20 foot display we visited (see below) had more books than BookBrowse recommends in an entire year.  We believe that our role in curating the best of the best remains more important than ever.

3. Libraries are committed to being welcoming for everyone.  This stance is surprisingly controversial (see above), but it’s amazing to see how much time, attention, and care librarians are putting into making libraries inclusive – for example, creating special accommodations for patrons that don’t have the motor skills to easily handle paper books.  

4. Libraries have a marketing challenge. Libraries offer so many great resources to patrons, even beyond books, but from the librarians we spoke to, many shared that they felt like they failed to get the word out effectively among the members of their community. The librarians we spoke to mentioned that attending different community events were an effective way to showcase all libraries offer to new parts of the community – even something as simple as setting a booth up at their town fair.

Libraries provide more value for their communities than ever before, so we should support them more than we ever have.  BookBrowse is honored to help libraries and their patrons discover books that not only entertain, but also engage and enlighten.