Friends, Until a few years ago, the world viewed the United States as the leader of the 'free' world (as opposed to countries ruled by 'autocrats'/'dictators'/'despots'). It is no longer true. DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), equal rights to women, research in science and healthcare, non-Whites, free academia are all anathema to the President and his yesmen. Carla Heyden, a distinguished librarian, who was the Librarian of Congress for more than nine years, was dismissed a few days ago. Incidentally, she was Black. But the reason given for dismissal: she kept in the library books inappropriate to children. Everyone knows that the Library's collections are not open to children. Arun Book World News: The Library of Congress [From: LibraryThing] The Trump Administration fired Carla Hayden, the 14th Librarian of Congress. Hayden was appointed by President Obama in 2016, and would have completed her ten-year term in 2026. Before serving as the Librarian of Congress, Hayden was the director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore and served as President of the American Library Association. Explaining the firing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Hayden "did not fit the needs of the American people" and accused her of "putting inappropriate books in the library for children." This explanation did not satisfy critics, as the Library of Congress receives two copies of every book published in the United States, keeps a high proportion of them, and its collections are not generally open to children. Hayden's firing occasioned a flood of reactions by individuals and organizations. The American Library Association praised Hayden as “a wise and faithful steward of the Library of Congress,” describing her dismissal as “unjust” and “an insult to the scope and breadth of work Dr. Hayden has undertaken in her role leading the Library of Congress.” The Association of Research Libraries criticized the firing as part of a "troubling pattern of attacks on libraries, science, research, and the pursuit of knowledge." All seven living National Ambassadors for Young People’s Literature, including Kate DiCamillo and Gene Luen Yang, released a public statement in opposition to Hayden’s dismissal, as have three US Poets Laureate. Forty-eight "library, publishing and free expression, and civil society groups," including PEN America, The Authors Guild and Independent Book Publishers Association, joined to condemn "an assault on our freedoms to access and pursue knowledge." Apart from organizations, many individuals also criticized the move. Scholar Alondra Nelson resigned from her positions at the National Science Foundation and Library of Congress, partly in response to Hayden’s dismissal. Celebrated author George Saunders decried the firing in an opinion piece in the New York Times. Barbara Kingsolver criticized "another step in the scary transformation of our country from democracy to thought-policed despotism." Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry, criticized the firing as an "anti-knowledge, anti-learning, anti-Black woman" action. Louise Penny wrote "This is not a political issue, it's a moral and ethical one that transcends boundaries. If the Democrats had done this I'd be equally appalled and afraid." Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton Series, wrote "I am disgusted and outraged by the Trump administration’s callous firing." The Trump Administration also fired Shira Perlmutter, the director of the U.S. Copyright Office, which operates under the aegis of the Librarian of Congress. There has been speculation that this move was related to Perlmutter’s release of a report on copyright and artificial intelligence. The Authors Guild has launched a petition to reinstate Perlmutter, recently delivered to members of Congress. President Trump appointed his former personal lawyer, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, as acting Librarian of Congress, and named two other officials. This move occasioned a standoff with library staff, with deputies Paul Perkins and Brian Nieves being refused access to their offices. In a rare show of bipartisanship, Congressional Democrats and Republicans have criticized the administration’s move, with concerns being raised about what this means for the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government. While by law the President appoints the Librarian of Congress, the library itself is part of the Legislative Branch. Legislators also contest the President's power to appoint an acting director before his choice receives confirmation by the Senate. As of today, the library is under the direction of Carla Hayden’s deputy, Robert Newlen. -- Arun http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4398-4658 http://www.researcherid.com/rid/B-9925-2009