Andrew Albanese

New York

Career book person, author, journalist, editor, and resident battlefield reporter in the copyright wars for Publishers Weekly

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Articles

‘Palpably Illegal’: State Attorneys Fire Back at Trump Administration’s Shaky Defense of IMLS Closure

1 week ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

In a blistering reply brief, the 21 states suing to block the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) argue that DOJ lawyers failed to identify any legal justification for their actions in their April 14 opposition filing. And for a simple reason, the states suggest: because they can’t.
Trump Administration Portrays IMLS Destruction as a Contract Dispute

1 week ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

In an April 14 filing, the Trump Administration is urging a federal court to reject a motion by 21 states to temporarily block the administration’s bid to destroy the Institute of Museum and Library Services, arguing that the states lack standing to pursue the case in federal court, and portraying the dispute over the administration’s mass firings and canceled grants as little more than a contract dispute.
Court Rules that Fired Wyoming Librarian’s Lawsuit Against Book Banners Can Proceed

1 week ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

A federal judge in Wyoming has ruled that a lawsuit filed by former Campbell County Public Library director Terri Lesley against a local family that repeatedly attacked her in public over her refusal to ban books can proceed.
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending April 11, 2025

1 week ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

Coming amid a host of threats, this year’s National Library Week has delivered an important reminder about the power and importance of advocacy. Two lawsuits filed last week to stop the Trump Administration’s dismantling of the IMLS—one by a coalition of 21 states, and another by the American Library Association—show one way to stand up. But multiple local reports this week also show the importance of showing up for libraries in the legislative process.
Citing Imminent ‘Mass Termination,’ ALA Asks Court to Rule on Motion to Save IMLS by May 4

1 week ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

On April 10, lawyers for the American Library Association (ALA) filed a motion for preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from destroying the agency.
Hearing Set in State Lawsuit to Block Trump’s Destruction of IMLS

1 week ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

A federal judge in Rhode Island has set a hearing date in a lawsuit filed by 21 states seeking to block the Trump administration’s destruction of the IMLS (Institute for Museum and Library Services). In a brief order issued on April 10, Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. set Friday, April 18 at 10 a.m. to hear arguments on the motion.
ALA Releases Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2024

2 weeks ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

The American Library Association kicked off National Library Week 2025 with the release of its annual top 10 list of most challenged books. Once again, George M. Johnson’s All Boys Aren’t Blue and Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer took the top two spots on a list once again dominated by stories by and about LGBTQ+ persons and people of color. 1. All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson (#2 in 2023). 2. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe (# 1 in 2023). 3. (TIE) The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (#6 in 2023). 3.
‘A Difficult Time for Libraries’: ALA’s 2025 State of America’s Libraries Report Details Ongoing Censorship Threat

2 weeks ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

By the numbers, the number of censorship attempts tracked by the American Library Association declined in 2024. But in its 2025 State of America’s Libraries Report, released on April 7, ALA officials said book banning attempts remain at record levels. "By any measure, 2024 represented a difficult time for libraries, library workers, and all those who champion the freedom to read,” writes Deborah Caldwell Stone, director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.
States Sue to Block Trump's Destruction of IMLS

2 weeks ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

On April 4, a coalition of 21 attorneys filed an emergency action in federal court in Rhode Island seeking to block the Trump administration’s bid to shutter the Institute of Museum and Library Services as well as six other agencies as outlined in a March 14 executive order. “President Trump is leading a campaign to dismantle vast swaths of the federal government,” alleges the suit, led by attorney generals Peter Neronha (Rhode Island), Letitia James (New York), and Anne Lopez (Hawaii).
The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending April 4, 2025

2 weeks ago | wordsandmoney.com | Andrew Albanese

National Library Week kicks off on Sunday, April 6 with a week long series of “celebrations” and releases set for next week, including the American Library Association's annual State of America’s Libraries report, and the ALA’s annual Top Ten Most Challenged Books list.