June 27, 2025
On behalf of the Latino Representation in Publishing Coalition (LRPC), we express our profound outrage at the current administration’s attack on libraries, including the firing of Dr. Carla Hayden from her role as Librarian of Congress.
Dr. Hayden has been a transformative leader and a steadfast advocate for unity and access to knowledge. Appointed in 2016, she made history as the first woman and the first African American to serve as the Librarian of Congress in the institution’s 200-year plus history.
As the nation’s library, the Library of Congress plays a vital role in preserving and reflecting the full spectrum of American stories, including those from historically and intentionally marginalized communities. As head Librarian, Dr. Hayden was responsible for implementing regulations and protecting the Library of Congress’ archives, which includes preserving diverse publications, films, and narratives important to the history and culture of the United States.
Throughout Dr. Hayden’s five decades dedicated to libraries and the public, she prioritized and ensured that every individual had access to knowledge, culture, and powerful stories. Her firing, delivered in a two-sentence email from the Trump administration, is not only disrespectful to Dr. Hayden’s legacy, but also represents a broader disregard for the values of service and democracy.
Regarding her removal in a recent interview with CBS News, Dr. Hayden said the following: “It's part of a larger seeming effort to diminish opportunities for the general public to have free access to information and inspiration…”
Todd Blanche, the President’s appointee of choice, is the current U.S. Deputy Attorney General and one of the defense attorneys in President Trump’s New York trials. He has no prior librarian experience. The President cannot unilaterally appoint the Librarian of Congress because the Senate needs to approve the nomination. This is a clear attempt to gain more power, especially because the Library of Congress provides confidential research to members of Congress. LRPC opposes Blanche’s appointment and demands that the power of appointment remain with the Legislative branch.
Unfortunately, Dr. Hayden is not the only one in the Library of Congress who was unjustly removed from their position. U.S. Copyright Office Director Shira Perlmutter was removed in early May, but is now suing the Trump administration for unconstitutionally firing her. This remains an ongoing issue, as a district judge blocked Perlmutter’s temporary emergency bid to stop the firing on May 28, 2025.
This attack on the Library of Congress and its effective leadership poses a serious infringement on the American public’s rights in the pursuit of knowledge, empowerment, and intellectual integrity.
On June 28, Dr. Hayden will be in conversation with bestselling author Kwame Alexander at the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition in Philadelphia. After Hayden’s firing, Alexander helped organize a rally at the Martin Luther King Jr. Library branch in Washington, D.C., at which he said, “The firing of our distinguished, esteemed librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden made it clear to us that the freedom to read, the freedom to learn, the freedom to express ourselves is under attack.” We look forward to their conversation on the current state of libraries.
Libraries have served as instrumental to the Latinx community, not only in the lending of books in multiple formats, which is hugely important in itself, but also in offering educational programs for children and adults, spaces for communities to meet, technology assistance, and numerous other services. None of us would be where we are today without strong library systems. Libraries ensure that information and books are available to all. They are a “cornerstone of democracy,” as Dr. Hayden reminds us, and LRPC will support libraries and librarians at every turn.
