In the evening hours of Friday, March 14, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency that provides dedicated funds for America’s libraries. The news sent waves of shock, sadness, anger, and condemnation across the U.S. as Americans contemplated a country without federal funding for library services.
IMLS is an independent agency created by Congress that supports libraries and museums of all kinds in every U.S. state and territory. Its funding is authorized by Congress and receives annual appropriations. For Fiscal Year 2024, IMLS provided $266.7 million to America’s libraries and museums through grants, policymaking, and research.
Library supporters should send a message to their Senators and Representatives urging them to protect IMLS and funding for libraries.
Become a Supporter
What does IMLS do?
Libraries translate only .003% of the federal budget into programs and services used by Americans hundreds of millions of times each year, which make the White House’s decision to eliminate IMLS seem so arbitrary and confusing. Some of the many programs that may be affected by the administration’s decision 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; preserve, maintain, and digitize collections; and so much more.
Projects recently funded through IMLS grants include:
- funding to the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma for a library computer lab and after-school tutoring for kids;
- planning and management tools for small and rural libraries in Florida and Texas facing natural disasters;
- California’s Veterans Connect @ the Library program, which educates vets and their families about benefits, including pensions and post-service employment;
- funding to the Catawba Nation’s Community Library and Archives in South Carolina to buy books and preserve, promote, and maintain cultural and historical collections regarding the Catawba people and provide salary support for the Tribal Archivist.
America’s libraries are a primary means of connecting people to information and ideas, providing opportunities for lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, and civic engagement. They serve as anchor institutions for their communities, providing access to technology, government information, and career and educational resources. People who visit and use the resources provided by libraries in cities, rural areas, and tribal lands have all benefited from grants, programs, or initiatives funded or supported by IMLS. Eliminating or reducing IMLS will harm students, families, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and communities.
IMLS provides a state-by-state breakdown of its funding allocations on its website. We encourage everyone to peruse the map to see just how damaging the elimination of IMLS will be to American life.
Tell Congress to support libraries
What Can You Do?
As library lovers, your voice can make a difference. Here’s how you can help:
- Contact your representatives in Congress and tell them to protect our libraries. Our elected officials need to hear why we value our libraries. Share a story of how your library has helped you and let them know that federal funding is essential for your library to continue providing the essential services that support our communities. Tell them to protect funding for IMLS!
- Become a supporter of the American Library Association. Your support helps us advocate on behalf of libraries and library workers everywhere and fight for library funding.
- Show up for your library at library and school board meetings and town halls with your elected officials. Now is the time to raise our voices as loud as we can to protect libraries.
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