On May 9, American Library Association (ALA) President Cindy Hohl released a statement condemning President Trump’s May 8 firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who had been in the role since 2016. The full statement reads as follows:
As the president of ALA, I am deeply disappointed in last night’s decision by President Trump to fire Carla Hayden from her position as Librarian of Congress. I salute Hayden, a wise and faithful steward of the Library of Congress—the library she has called our national treasure.
Her abrupt and unjust dismissal is an insult to the scope and breadth of work she has undertaken in her role leading the Library of Congress.
Hayden’s legacy is so much more than the “firsts” often spotlighted—first woman, first African American [to hold the role]. We are proud that Hayden, 2003–2004 ALA president and lifetime ALA member, embodies leadership that puts the public at the heart of public service. Our nation needs leadership like hers now more than ever.
Hayden has exceeded the greatest expectations of the many advocates who endorsed her nomination in 2016, when ALA wrote that she “understands what a library at its best is and can be for every community of users—young and old, corporate and individual, rich and poor, connected or not—in our diverse and complicated country.” The US Senate agreed and confirmed her to her position with overwhelming bipartisan support.
By throwing open the doors of the venerable Library of Congress to welcome everyone, Hayden has revealed what the highest library in the land, and what every library, is: a bastion of knowledge and a beacon of opportunity.
We offer our thanks for Hayden’s exceptional leadership with our words and our actions. Now is the time to urge members of Congress to publicly show their support for our nation’s libraries.
We invite everyone who cherishes America’s libraries to reach out to their elected leaders by visiting bit.ly/Call2FundLibraries. There, you can send a customized message to your elected leaders that expresses your passion for including federal funding for libraries in the 2026 budget.
