Fired, Defunded, Deleted: How the Trump Administration Is Systematically Gutting America's Libraries

Librarian of Congress fired, E-Rate defunded, and IMLS gutted

On May 8, 2025, the Trump administration abruptly fired Dr. Carla Hayden from her position as Librarian of Congress, nearly a year before her 10-year term was set to expire. Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2016, Hayden was the first woman and African American to hold the position. Her tenure was marked by modernization initiatives, including expa…