The Future of the Library of Congress

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October 29, 1pm ET / 10am PT

What’s at stake when the Library of Congress and Copyright Office face political upheaval?

The Library of Congress has been the bedrock of the US library system since its establishment in 1800. With over 178 million volumes and a role as the federal depository of books and other copyrighted works, its role in collecting, preserving, and providing access to creative and scientific works is unparalleled. And, as home of the U.S. Copyright Office since 1870, it has had an essential role in supporting the legal framework that governs the creation and dissemination of new works.

In the last two years, the role and structure of the Library has been challenged. In 2025 the Trump administration dismissed the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, and attempted to dismiss Shira Perlmutter, the Library’s Register of Copyright. Since then several bills in Congress have proposed moving the Copyright Office out of the Library, changing its reporting structure, and altering how the Librarian and Register of Copyrights are appointed. Meanwhile, control over the Copyright Office is being challenged in the courts with Register Perlmutter’s suit challenging the Trump Administration’s attempt to fire her. In this episode of Future Knowledge, we explore the potential benefits and risks of these changes, and what such a change could mean for copyright policy, cultural institutions, and access to knowledge.

Joining the conversation are copyright scholar Blake Reid of Colorado Law and Kate Zwaard, executive director of the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), formerly of the Library of Congress.

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