In the latest blow to professional research and the literary and arts community, the Trump administration fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on May 8. “Tonight, the White House informed Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden that she has been relieved of her position,” a Library of Congress spokesperson confirmed in an email to PW. No reason for Hayden's removal was provided, and no further information has been announced regarding the library’s staffing or budget.

Hayden has led the Library of Congress since 2016, when she was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed and sworn in by the U.S. Senate. She was the first woman and first Black person to head the nation’s library, a federal resource whose vast on-site and online collections are the research arm of the U.S. Congress and an information hub for organizations and individuals worldwide. Hayden is a past CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, and from 2003 to 2004 served as president of the American Library Association.

With the dismissal of Hayden, the Library of Congress's programming with publishers and authors, as well as the future of the agency itself, are cast into uncertainty. The firing comes amid an unprecedented gutting of federal arts and culture institutions at the direction of President Donald Trump, including the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. That latter institution, which is responsible for statutory Grants to States and competitive grant funding for libraries, archives, and museums of all sizes, has been drastically curtailed by an executive order, and its fate currently rests with the courts following two federal lawsuits.

Ranking Democratic members of the Senate and House appropriations committees weighed in almost immediately with statements condemning Hayden's termination. Senator Martin Heinrich (D–N.M.) shared a screenshot of the email dismissal, timestamped 6:56 p.m. and signed by Trent Morse, deputy director of presidential personnel. No rationale is given in the email, which reads in its entirety: “Carla, On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as the Librarian of Congress is terminated effective immediately. Thank you for your service.”

“Hayden brought the Library of Congress to the people, with initiatives that reached into rural communities and made the Library accessible to all Americans, in person and online,” Heinrich wrote in his statement. He contrasted Hayden’s service with the “assault on libraries” by the Trump administration. “While President Trump wants to ban books and tell Americans what to read—or not to read at all, Dr. Hayden has devoted her career to making reading and the pursuit of knowledge available to everyone,” Heinrich wrote.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D–N.Y.), the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, issued a statement calling the removal "unjust" and "a disgrace" that represents the president's "ongoing effort to ban books, whitewash American history, and turn back the clock." Calling the Library of Congress is "the People's Library," Jeffries added: "There will be accountability for this unprecedented assault on the American way of life sooner rather than later."

House Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) likewise expressed shock at what she called the “abrupt” termination. DeLauro referred to Hayden as a “guardian of our nation’s truth and intellectual legacy” whose “tenure has been marked by a steadfast commitment to accessibility, modernization, and the democratization of knowledge. Her dismissal is not just an affront to her historic service but a direct attack on the independence of one of our most revered institutions.”

On Friday morning, leaders in the library world and publishing business also weighed in on the dismissal. Cindy Hohl, president of the American Library Association, wrote in a statement that the dismissal is "an insult to the scope and breadth of work Dr. Hayden has undertaken in her role leading the Library of Congress." Hohl added the reminder that Hayden was confirmed to lead the agency "with overwhelming bipartisan support"; the Republican-led Senate confirmed Hayden by a vote of 74–18, with eight not voting, in 2016.

"By throwing open the doors of the venerable Library of Congress to welcome everyone, Dr. Hayden has revealed what the highest library in the land, and what every library, is: a bastion of knowledge and a beacon of opportunity," Hohl wrote. She urged ALA members and the public to contact their representatives about continued federal funding for libraries, which is slated to be cut in the FY26 White House budget proposal.

John Chrastka, executive director of the library advocacy organization EveryLibrary, called Hayden’s dismissal “a direct attack on the independence of the Library of Congress and against Congress itself.” He added, “Dr. Hayden has served Congress and the public with integrity. President Trump’s action is purely political, and Congress must respond not just to defend Dr. Hayden’s legacy but to preserve its own authority. These are sad days and difficult days for people like us who believe in what libraries do and who librarians are.”

The Library of Congress offers services to publishers including copublishing projects; hosts a national book festival with prominent guest authors; and awards prizes in fiction, poetry, and literacy each year. It advocates for community education in its Center for the Book program, with 56 affiliate locations across the U.S., and provides free accessibility services including braille and audiobooks through the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. The Librarian of Congress also has the duty to name both the U.S. poet laureate and the national ambassador for young people’s literature.

Hayden appointed Ada Limón the 24th poet laureate in July 2022, and Limón has served a historic two terms in the role, visiting national parks as part of a poetry project conducted in cooperation with the National Park Service and sending one of her own poems into space on NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. Limón concluded her service in April, and gave a final lecture on May 2. No new poet laureate has been announced.

“Dr. Carla Hayden is the kindest, brightest, most generous Librarian of Congress we could have hoped for as a nation," Limón told PW. “She promoted books, libraries, and curiosity while dedicating herself to serving both sides of the aisle with genuine grace. I am heartbroken as the cruelty of this administration continues with seemingly no end in sight." Limón said that Hayden "is the best of us and deserves the utmost respect. I hope people are paying attention. What we once feared is already happening.”

In partnership with the nonprofit literacy organization Every Child a Reader, Hayden also appointed Mac Barnett the national ambassador of young people’s literature in February. Barnett, who took over the role from Meg Medina, is scheduled to serve through 2026. Describing herself in an email to PW as “white hot with rage,” Medina said that “the removal of Dr. Carla Hayden as the Librarian of Congress is a grave mistake.” She added: “Dr. Hayden is utterly beloved by her staff and by librarians across this country. Her brilliance, her energy and her vision have made the Library more vibrant and inviting for all Americans. Having had the honor to work with her, I can honestly say that she is nothing short of a national treasure. Her firing is a disgraceful act and one that should concern everyone.”

This article has been updated with further information.