The reason that I believe in facts and science is not because I am "liberal" it is because I am "literate." Don't confuse the two.

Riley has served as Michigan state librarian since 2014.

Quietness helps rejuvenate the soul. www.wsj.com/lifestyle/re...

Rob Reiner: “Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people."

The words are pretty clear to me that loyalty to the Constitution take precedent. Total support for @slotkin.senate.gov

WTF!

Have you signed the petition?

It is stunning and I'll look forward to seeing it once it has been "released" from its imprisonment.

“This is how you do it…”

"The America I love still exists at the front desks of our public libraries.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

As I was saying…

Book bans don’t “protect” kids; they erase perspectives, silence voices, and narrow our shared imagination. A free society thrives on stories that challenge, unsettle, and expand our thinking. Let’s keep our shelves full, not empty. #FreedomToRead #StopBookBans #IntellectualFreedom #LetKidsRead

We are outta here! Goodbye #Disney, Goodbye #Hulu! Will not support any streaming services/media companies that don't support First Amendment rights!

Use them…

Join the coalition and sign the petition to protect library materials from censorship.

Truth!

Some good news! A federal judge struck down Florida's book ban law (HB 1069) as unconstitutional, ruling it violated First Amendment protections for school libraries. The victory protects authors' rights and students' access to diverse literature. More info: authorsguild.org/news/authors...

📰 "The Michigan Library Association is behind the effort, which calls on officials to stand up for residents’ First Amendment rights and protect the freedom to read in libraries across the state." #MIRighttoRead

A federal judge ruled that canceling 1,400+ NEH grants causes REAL HARM to scholars and the public. The court ordered preliminary relief for all affected grantees. What's next? A possible trial. We’re in this fight for the long haul. Our statement: authorsguild.org/news/the-aut...

Man…that is one MIGHTY show of support!

While the Hartland library’s board will not move forward with a controversial policy to sequester challenged books to a special section or out of view from the general public, ACLU Michigan says they will still monitor the labeling of books for possible misuse. Story from @bensolis1.bsky.social

100% agree!!! LETTER: Libraries shouldn't be political battlegrounds thelivingstonpost.com/letter-libra...

Lining the streets in Howell Michigan at the “No Kings” rally! Well done neighbors and friends! Honk! Honk!

Never give up hope! “No kings!”

"In this ruling, a majority of the Fifth Circuit has embraced a doctrine that not only permits but also constitutionalizes the removal of books from public libraries by government officials for ideological reasons," reads the statement from EveryLibrary.

Michigan Advance has been reporting on the latest front in the effort to ban or restrict access to books, almost always with LGBTQ+ content, at libraries. This new policy of “sequestration” is book banning in all but name.

In case you missed: Following a public outcry, the U.S. Naval Academy returned titles by Maya Angelou, Harper Lee, and others that were purged under Pentagon orders targeting race and gender discourse. (The 19th News) www.slj.com/story/Navy-R...

It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee and facilitate access to all expressions of knowledge and intellectual activity, including those which some individuals in our society may consider to be unconventional, unpopular, or unacceptable.

Moving books is still censorship! Labeling books is still censorship! Can't get any simpler...Libraries welcome all, have a diversity of books available for all, believe in the first amendment for all, and trust their qualified and educated librarians to do the work they are trained to do!

A pair of U.K. scholars discovered the mislabeled document in Harvard Law School's digital archives. The university bought it for just $27.50 in 1946. It turned out to be an authentic copy dating to 1300.

NEW! The Trump administration has been ordered to stop dismantling the IMLS and has been ordered to restore the agency to its pre-Executive Order functions and staffing. bookriot.com/massive-vict...

Another shoe drops in libraryland!! Who will replace Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress after Trump fires her by email? Maybe Marco Rubio or another Fox News host? Your guess is as good as mine.

🗣🎙New episode alert! Chapter & Verse: Creating Safe Spaces: Outreach Inclusion and the Modern Library Chapter & Verse is sponsored by Midwest Tape | Hoopla! #LOVEMILibraries #ChapterandVerse #Storytime

Good news: two separate rulings (temporary restraining order and injunction) in favor of IMLS and not allowing the dismantling of the IMLS. Bad news: President Trump zeros out the IMLS budget for FY26. We have 5 months more of this roller coaster.

IMLS UPDATE: Yesterday, Judge John J. McConnell Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island blocked the March 2025 Executive Order seeking to eliminate the IMLS and six other agencies, ruling it violated the Administrative Procedure Act. #SAVEIMLS #FUNDLibraries Read more👇

NEW: A federal judge in Rhode Island ruled that the gutting of the Institute of Museum & Library Services is likely unlawful. This is the SECOND federal court to rule against the slashing of the only federal agency dedicated to library funding. Learn about ALA's own legal case: ala.org/IMLS-lawsuit

A temporary restraining order halts further dismantling of the only federal agency for libraries, but the 2026 federal budget calls for eliminating the IMLS completely. The latest on the state of the IMLS: bookriot.com/the-latest-f...

The hits keep coming at the NEA: Last Friday night, the endowment sent emails to hundreds of arts organizations abruptly (and apparently indiscriminately) pulling or terminating grants. Meanwhile news emerged today that many of the endowment's directors have resigned and staff has been cut by half.

Arts organizations across the country saw their grants pulled with little explanation, while a proposed federal budget sought to eliminate the arts funding agency altogether.

Arts and culture is being decimated in the United States! Libraries, museums, humanities, arts, theatre, dance, galleries, PBS, NPR are under attack.

🚨 Today, a federal court granted a temporary restraining order to halt the administration’s dismantling of IMLS—a direct result of the lawsuit filed by ALA and @afscme.bsky.social. www.ala.org/news/2025/05... #ForOurLibraries #FundLibraries

The latest on the IMLS and why we need to be taking America 250 really damn seriously: buttondown.com/wellsourced/...

SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS...Michigan Humanities has already halted roughly $600,000 worth of planned local grants and other statewide programming, said Jennifer Rupp, president and CEO of Michigan Humanities. Without federal funding, she said the council will likely have to close by fall 2025.

A big win in Michigan against book banning. www.mlive.com/news/grand-r...

We have an AG with a cape! Thank you @dananessel.bsky.social

My retirement savings!

Among the thousands of groups affected by the sudden cessation of funds are state arts councils, museums, historic sites, archives, libraries, educators and media outlets in all 50 states.

In Latest Moves, Trump Administration Cancels IMLS Grants, Threatens Title I Funding www.slj.com/story/Trump-...

NEW: In a letter sent to the Institute of Museum and Library Science's Acting Director, the Board of Directors for the IMLS demands answers about what's going on right now and what the agency's future responsibilities will include. bookriot.com/imls-board-o...