ALISE Statement
On the Dismissal of Dr. Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress

As many of you may have heard, Dr. Carla Hayden, former President of the American Library Association, and until May 8, 2025, the 14th Librarian of Congress, was abruptly terminated from her position in a two-sentence email on the authority of President Donald J. Trump.

Per the email, as released by Senator U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.):

Carla,

On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately.
Thank you for your service.

Trent Morse
Deputy Director
Presidential Personnel

The Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) strongly condemns this unprecedented action. Dr. Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to serve as Librarian of Congress, has been a tireless advocate for equitable access to information, digital preservation, and community engagement throughout her career.

Abruptly removing Dr. Hayden without cause or due process destabilizes a cornerstone institution of our democracy and seeks to send a chilling message to librarians, library leaders, educators, and researchers nationwide.

The sole use of Dr. Hayden’s first name in the dismissal email is, at best, a breach of professional protocol and, at worst, a deliberately disrespectful, misogynistic, and racist slight against a trailblazing leader. It undermines the gravitas of her office and her success in that office, and betrays a fundamental disregard for the principles of inclusion and respect that libraries and our profession stand for.

We call on the President of the United States to:

1. Provide a full explanation for this termination, including any evidentiary bias.
2. Reinstate Dr. Hayden immediately to preserve the integrity of the Library of Congress.

Furthermore, we call on the United States Congress to:

1. Launch a congressional oversight hearing on executive interference in the nation's cultural institutions.
2. Take legislative steps to strengthen protections for the Librarian of Congress and leaders of other cultural heritage institutions against political dismissal.

As members of ALISE, we are a professional community committed to leadership, scholarship, access, and equity in library and information science. We stand in unwavering solidarity with Dr. Carla Hayden. We invite every colleague, student, and library user to join us in:

• Writing to your members of Congress to demand transparency and accountability.
• Supporting organizations that defend library independence and free access to information.

This moment is yet another call on us as educators, practitioners, and advocates to defend the values Dr. Hayden has embodied throughout her career. We must ensure that political whims do not compromise the Library of Congress's mission to serve its nation and our representatives in Congress, to preserve our cultural heritage, and to protect the free flow of ideas.

In Solidarity,

ALISE Board of Directors