Trump fires librarian of the congress, continues to form cultural institutions: NPR

As a librarian of the congress, Hayden was given the task of digitizing the huge collection of the library.

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By dismissing the librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Thursday evening, President Trump continued to continue his remaccious of American cultural institutions.

Hayden was the first woman and the first African -American to held the position. She was also the first person in the task that was limited. Her time would expire next year.

“There were quite a bit of things she had done in the Library of Congress when pursuing dei and placing inappropriate books in the library for children,” said Karoline Leavitt Minister Van Pers van het Witte Huis Karoline Leavitt on Friday.

NPR has contacted Hayden for comment.

The Library of Congress does many things. It is the most important arm of research in the American congress. It houses the American copyright office. Every year it organizes the National Book Festival (which, full disclosure, has organized NPR journalists). But it also houses a huge series of books, films, recordings, manuscripts, newspapers and more, making it one of the largest libraries in the world.

When Hayden first got the job in 2016, her main task brought the library of the congress in the 21st century and digitizing the collection. It was a pretty big job, since the office of the government accountability was used published a report in 2015 With the headline: “Strong leadership needed to tackle weaknesses of serious information technology management.”

According to most accounts, Hayden’s work was a success in strengthening the digital infrastructure of the library. During a hearing of the House Administration Committee on Tuesday, Republican Congressman Bryan Steil praised Hayden and her staffsay that “spend a lot of time and service on the country and the library of the congress, and their work must be praised.”

Although libraries have generally been fought in the broader cultural wars, the Library of Congress has usually stayed outside those controversies. In addition to checking in the digitization process, the other subject of discussion in this week was the The renovation of the most important reading room of the library.

Democratic legislators, including Senator Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, have criticized the dismissal.

Also this week a number of senior employees of the National Endowment for the Arts left their posts. In a letter published by the literary magazine N+1Four members of the literary art staff of the NEA have announced their departure. “Although we do not specifically know how the work of the agency will change, we know that the remaining staff will do their best to support you,” said the letter.

President Trump had previously suggested eliminating the NEA. On weekends, Art groups throughout the country I received an e -mail that their subsidies from the National Endowment for the Arts had been canceled. It said: “The NEA is updating the priorities of subsidies policy to concentrate the financing of the focus on projects that reflect the rich artistic heritage and the creativity of the nation, such as priority by the president.”

This has since left art groups – climbing throughout the country for financing.

And on Wednesday, CNN reported that A number of artists in the upcoming production of Miserable In the Kennedy Center there are planning to boycott when President Trump sees the show on June 11.

Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center was an early show of violence. He fired Deborah Rutter, That ten years president of the Performing Arts Center served and Richard Grenell installed as interim president. Trump also placed himself as chairman of the board. A number of artists who were planned to perform their performances have canceled their performances as an answer.

This is only part of the changes of Trump in art institutions since he took office in January. He also tried to cut the staff at the National Donation for Humanitiesand the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Meghan Sullivan has edited this story.