June 8, 2026
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As budget hearings heat up, nine organizations are urging Congress to expand federal funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services in fiscal year 2027. The Trump administration once again wants to eliminate all support for the IMLS. more
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has declined to rehear PRH v. Robbins, the Big Five’s lawsuit to challenge book removals under Iowa law. Penguin Random House associate general counsel Dan Novack told PW “the case is far from over.” more
Days after the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals announced it would not rehear Penguin Random House v. John Robbins, a case challenging the constitutionality of Iowa Senate File 496, the court came to the same decision about Iowa Safe Schools v. Reynolds. more
Near Unanimous in Vote to Unionize
A May 27 ballot count found that more than 95% of union-eligible American Library Association employees voted yes to establish a union, ALA Workers United, with the AFSCME Council 31. more
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At the annual conference and exhibition, to be held in its home city of Chicago June 25–29, the American Library Association will clock 150 years and strategize for libraries’ next moves. more
ALA Annual in Chicago marks the end of a major transition period for the Association for Library Service to Children and the Young Adult Library Services Association, which are being reunified. more
PW Talks with Lois Lowry
In her latest novel, set in a censorious near-future world, Lowry asks how the loss of fiction would diminish a capacity for empathy. We spoke with the two-time Newbery Medalist ahead of her ALA appearance on June 27. more
The ALA will inaugurate Maria McCauley as its 2026–2027 president in a ceremony at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library Center on June 29. more
Celebrity sightings, division presidents’ programs, and educational sessions are among the hundreds of events scheduled during the conference. more
As reading experts express concerns over the drop in reading skills of middle schoolers, the author has committed $10 million to create the Patterson Institute of Early Adolescent Literacy at Vanderbilt University, which will focus on improving literacy for students in grades four to eight. more
When the Library of Congress unveiled its new experiential research gallery designed for youth ages eight to 15 to the general public last month, an eager crowd of 1,100 people streamed in to explore The Source: Where Curiosity Sparks Discovery. PW had a first-hand look at the space. more
In an effort to bring Jane Austen's novels to life for the students in her book group, Massachusetts sixth-grade teacher Kindred Obas is planning a summer field trip to England and has launched a fundraising campaign to help make it a reality. more
Bulk Books Promotion to Boost Literacy
Platypus Media, along with its Science Naturally imprint, is hosting Giving Back Through the Power of Books, a literacy access initiative that offers 100,000 frontlist titles to schools, libraries, and nonprofits at a reduced rate. more
The author and illustrator recently collaborated with his wife Cher for the first time in print to bring his odd-couple animal duo to an increasingly popular format: the children’s cookbook. Also on the horizon is a new series featuring a different set of unlikely friends, and two animated shows based on his characters. more
Little Free Library
In honor of Hachette Book Group's 200th anniversary, the publisher has teamed with Little Free Library to install 200 library boxes in book deserts across the U.S. and Canada. The initiative also coincides with this year's Little Free Library Week. more
Penguin Random House and We Need Diverse Books have announced the winners of the 2026 Creative Writing Awards, including the first-ever Chinua Achebe Award for Freedom of Expression. more
The National Book Award winner reflects on the joys and struggles of the writing process, and all that is lost when we surrender our creative acts to AI. more
Ashley Wall, educator and co-founder of MamaBear Books, argues that books for young readers can offer a respite from the daily pressures and anxieties accelerated by social media. more
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School & Library Spotlight
Editor: Emma Kantor
Associate Editor: Iyana Jones
Editor: Emma Kantor
Associate Editor: Iyana Jones
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