It’s National Friends of Libraries Week! Now in its 20th year, this weeklong celebration recognizes all the incredible things that volunteer Friends groups do for their local libraries. Want to get involved? We have you covered!
In Dunkerton, Iowa, population 842, more than 15% of the population lives with some type of disability. Dunkerton Public Library has stepped up to serve this community, using funds it received from ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant to help older adults with mobility issues, people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, and those who are blind or low vision to fully participate in all library services.
On September 3, the American Library Association and a coalition of 13 partner organizations filed an amicus brief in Rhode Island v. Trump, a lawsuit brought by 21 state Attorneys General urging a federal court to uphold an injunction against the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
While court cases related to President Trump’s attempt to gut the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Department of Education move forward, we urgently need Congress to ensure that library programs receive full federal funding in the next fiscal year. We need everyone to call and urge Congress to support libraries before the July 21 deadline. It’s vital for the future of our libraries.
Libraries across the country are having their funding slashed—with more planned in the future. It’s time to let Washington know that we’re fed up with it. The best way for any Congressmember to demonstrate their commitment to library funding is to sign on to “Dear Appropriator” letters in support of libraries. These letters close tomorrow, May 20, so we need to act now and urge them to sign.
On March 31, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) staff were placed on administrative leave and all grants and contracts were suspended and ultimately likely to be cancelled as a result of President Trump’s executive order requiring IMLS and six other federal agencies to “be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” American Library Association president Cindy Hohl pleaded with Congress to act and urged Americans everywhere to speak out against the move.
Advocates from the American Library Association and other public interest groups rallied on Capitol Hill in support of E-Rate, a federal program that funds broadband for libraries and schools, as the Supreme Court weighs its constitutionality.
Some of the many programs that may be affected by the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services include: early literacy development; summer reading programs for kids; high-speed internet access; employment assistance for job seekers; braille and talking books for people with visual impairments; staff training, recruitment, and professional development; preservation, maintenance, and digitization of collections; and so much more.
Since 2022, the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities initiative has awarded grants to 662 small and rural libraries nationwide. In the latest round of funding, 300 libraries will receive money to enhance accessibility to facilities, services, and programs for people with disabilities. Seventy-three percent of these round-three grantees serve populations of 5,000 people or less.
The Trump Administration has called for the elimination of the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the nation’s only federal agency that provides funds for America’s libraries.
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