It’s not really about the books. President Donald Trump’s abrupt firing of top officials at the Library of Congress and equally sudden attempt to appoint a slate of loyalists as replacements has instead morphed into an enormous fight over the separation of powers,

GOP congressional leaders have stood aside the past four months as President Donald Trump has attacked legislative branch prerogatives — shuttering agencies, canceling federal grants and imposing sweeping tariffs.

Leaders of the Republican Party have reportedly thwarted U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to take control of the Library of Congress after the firing of the head librarian

The Library of Congress, a 225-year-old Washington institution, has never had a moment like this.

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.

Then–Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden speaks at the GBH Media Summit on April 30, 2025, in Boston, Mass. In 2016, President Barack Obama appointed Carla Hayden as the 14th Librarian of Congress, making her the first woman and the first African American to hold the position.