Via email, Trump fires head of world's largest library: The Library of Congress

President Donald Trump fired the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, via email, a determination that instantly drew crisp condemnation from her supporters.

"President Trump’s ignorant determination volition interaction America’s libraries, our copyrighted economical interests, and work to the American radical by threatening enactment for Congress," Rep. Joe Morelle, a New York Democrat, posted to societal media soon aft Hayden's firing became nationalist precocious May 8. "His determination is simply a implicit disgrace."

Added Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, a Democrat: "Donald Trump conscionable fired my beloved person Dr. Carla Hayden — the Librarian of Congress — via email. This is disgraceful. The Library of Congress represents immoderate of the champion America has to offer. Equal entree to learning for all."

Hayden was nominated to her presumption by then-President Barack Obama successful 2016, and confirmed by the Senate a twelvemonth later. She was the archetypal pistillate and archetypal Black American to pb the nation's authoritative library, which arsenic the world's largest room records and preserves millions of books, films, photos and manuscripts. It's besides location to the U.S. Copyright Office.

Hayden appeared earlier a Congressional committee earlier successful the week, facing questions from a room modernization task whose outgo has ballooned portion completion deadlines person been repeatedly delayed.

Hayden is simply a nonrecreational librarian who archetypal met Obama erstwhile she worked astatine the Chicago Public Library. She had been starring the "Of the People" inaugural to bring much works from Black, indigenous, Hispanic oregon Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander and different communities of colour into the library's collections.

Trump has repeatedly targeted programs and radical who helium considers improperly advancing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The White House did not instantly connection a connection oregon remark connected Hayden's firing.

Critics of Trump's determination lambasted some the firing itself and the mode it was carried out: via an email sent to Hayden astatine 6:56 p.m. Eastern time.

“While President Trump wants to prohibition books and archer Americans what to work – oregon not to work astatine all, Dr. Hayden has devoted her vocation to making speechmaking and the pursuit of cognition disposable to everyone," New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, a Democrat, said successful a statement.

This nonfiction primitively appeared connected USA TODAY: Trump fires caput of the Library of Congress, Carla Hayden