What The Hell America!

The nation’s first African American Librarian of Congress was the latest person to get fired by President Donald Trump, a move that librarians say could stymie progress in making the nation’s library more accessible and inclusive. 

Carla Hayden’s firing on May 8 was met with fierce backlash from mainly Democrats, who tied the longtime librarian’s dismissal to the Trump administration’s efforts to attack democratic institutions. 

“To be clear, this is about more than one distinguished public servant — it is part of Trump and Republicans’ coordinated, anti-Black assault on truth, education, and the American story itself,” U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts said in a statement. “From banning books and rewriting history, to attacking Smithsonian museums and rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, occupant Trump wants a citizenry that is ignorant, uninformed, and uneducated about America’s past.” 

Why did the Librarian of Congress get fired?

Hayden was fired for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion at the Library of Congress, according to Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary.

“There were quite concerning things she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in the library for children, and we don’t believe she was serving the interest of the American taxpayer well, so she has been removed from her position,” Leavitt said in a press conference on May 9. 

Leavitt did not elaborate on the titles or content of the books she described as “inappropriate” during the press conference. Additionally, the Library of Congress is not a lending library: It’s a research library that requires individuals to be at least 16 years old to access its resources.  

Leavitt’s comments regarding the Library of Congress were “blatantly incorrect and misinformed,” said Andrew Pace, the Association of Research Libraries executive director. 

“You don’t walk out with anything from the Library of Congress. Everything stays in the building,” he said. “I think it’s just a fundamental misunderstanding of what the Library of Congress is.” 

What is the Library of Congress?

The Library of Congress serves as the research branch of Congress, providing lawmakers with resources and data to inform their legislative duties. The library also houses the U.S. Copyright Office. 

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the world’s largest library, with over 178 million items in its collection. Every day, the Library of Congress receives about 15,000 items and adds over 10,000 items to its collection, according to its website. 

Who is Carla Hayden, and what is the job of the Librarian of Congress? 

Hayden was the 14th Librarian of Congress from 2016 to 2025. Appointed by former President Barack Obama, she was the first Black person to lead the national library. 

In her role, Hayden focused on adding diverse perspectives to the Library of Congress’ collection. In 2021, she launched the “Of the People: Widening the Path” initiative. This multiyear effort, which was supported by a $15 million grant from the Mellon Foundation, aims to create more opportunities for people of color to add their histories to the nation’s library. 

Hope O’Keefe, who worked as the Library of Congress’ associate senior general counsel from 2006 to 2025, said Hayden was trying to make the library more accessible for everyone to “find their voice.” 

“She called it ‘opening up the treasure chest,’ and making sure that all voices were heard, including underrepresented voices,” she said. 

What will happen to the Of the People initiative and other diversity efforts?

It is unclear what will happen to the Of the People initiative or other programs related to greater representation. 

The Mellon Foundation did not respond to Capital B’s request for comment about the future of the Of the People initiative. 

Without Hayden, it’s hard to say whether the Library of Congress will continue to work toward greater representation, namely around communities of color, said Wanda Brown, president of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. 

“Much of life is about how you feel when you walk into a place or how that place makes you feel,” Brown said. “I’m just hoping that whoever replaces her keeps that spirit of representation to all, by all, and for all in place.” 

Who is now in charge of the Library of Congress? 

Trump appointed Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, the No. 2 official from the Department of Justice, as acting Librarian of Congress on Monday, according to The New York Times. 

Blanche was Trump’s lead defense attorney during his criminal trial in 2024. The Senate will vote on his appointment. 

Whoever the next official Librarian of Congress is, Nichelle M. Hayes, former interim CEO for the Indianapolis Public Library, said she hopes they go through the same rigorous review that Hayden went through. 

Or better yet, “for the current president to reinstate Dr. Hayden and all her appointees,” she said.