EveryLibrary – (But it Might Have) – “Libraries have never been immune from political and social movements, but we have behaved as if we are somehow a special place, a place apart from these fights. The last three years of censorship and discrimination fights should have been a wake-up call for our library organizations, stakeholders, advocates, and allies. Before the pandemic, we were under direct attack by anti-tax groups who questioned the legitimacy of our institutions. Now, state-by-state efforts to criminalize books and label the profession as offenders are succeeding.  [November 5, 2024], American voters elected politicians who proposed defunding libraries while slandering library workers. The previous Trump administration proposed gutting federal funding for libraries every year he was in office. Project 2025’s stated anti-library aims are clear. EveryLibrary has been shouting about the threats to public libraries, school libraries, academic libraries, and the people they serve for months. We are committed to working in coalition with local, state, and national libraries and allied organizations to oppose the framework and proposals embedded in Project 2025. The future of our public, academic, and school libraries cannot be taken for granted. Last night’s results are not a temporary problem. Without some intervention to combat misinformation around libraries and library workers, voters will not suddenly realize they were wrong about their lack of support for these institutions. We have seen too many states pass laws that look like Project 2025, that throttle access, discriminate against minorities, and threaten librarians and educators. They have demanded that librarians lose access to their professional associations. We have seen local attacks on libraries and the freedom to read across the country from Huntington Beach, California to Glen Ridge, New Jersey. Over a dozen states have enacted or attempted to enact legislation calling for prosecuting librarians and library workers. We expect these threats to increase in depth and scope…”

Project 2025 Overview: The report begins with allegations of criminal conduct by librarians, publishers, authors, and educators, advocating for criminal charges and incarceration. It also renews the Heritage Foundation’s call for the closure of the Institute of Museums and Library Services (IMLS), the sole source of federal funding for public and state libraries…”