One Last Chance to Save Federal Funding for Libraries

The Ayer Library once again asks for your support in safeguarding federal and state funding for our libraries across the state and nationwide.

In April we alerted residents to President Trump’s attempts to dismantle the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services. Since then, two ongoing lawsuits—one by 21 state Attorneys General including Massachusetts and one by the American Library Association— have halted those efforts temporarily. Additionally, on June 16 the Government Appropriations Office determined that the administration overstepped their legal powers in dismantling the IMLS. IMLS staff have been recalled and some funds are being issued to state library agencies.

But these efforts may ultimately be irrelevant for two reasons. First, the budget passed by the House and Senate and signed by President Trump on July 4 entirely defunds the IMLS. Second, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018 that created the IMLS is due for renewal by September 30.

Without intervention by Congress, 340 million Americans will be deprived of federal support for America’s libraries and museums—and the transformational experiences they provide.

The House Appropriations Committee is currently reviewing and marking up the federal budget for FY26, which will begin October 1. The subcommittee overseeing funding for IMLS—the House Committee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies—is scheduled for Monday, July 21.

If you have a story to share about the impact libraries and museums have had on your lives, we invite you to contact the members of the subcommittee. Encourage them to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018 to ensure the agency continues to exist. Ask them to fund the IMLS appropriately so that it can carry out its mission.

Laws and budgets are statements of values and commitments to responsibilities. Libraries are one of the most beloved American institutions, cherished by people of all kinds of backgrounds and belief systems, created to support the most fundamental expressions of democracy. Funding libraries should be a priority of the federal government.

Thank you all for your support. We look forward to serving you.