Federal funding for libraries is being targeted in the latest round of executive orders from the White House.
The Order directs that components and functions of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services – along with six other agencies be eliminated to the maximum extent allowed by law.
IMLS funding directly supports critical infrastructure and programs that benefit every resident across the state and country, including in Pulaski County. Our library has been supported through direct grants from IMLS and through ongoing IMLS-supported state services.
In Indiana, IMLS-supported services include:
- Indiana Digital Library: A statewide digital library providing e-books for Indiana libraries via the Libby App.
- Info Express: A vital courier service that facilitates the rapid and cost-effective transportation of interlibrary loan materials across the state, ensuring equitable access for all Hoosiers.
- WorldCat: A global cataloging database that enables libraries to share resources, improving efficiency and access to information.
- INSPIRE: A statewide collection of databases providing access to invaluable research materials to students and the general public. These databases are essential for Indiana’s institutions of higher learning and workforce development.
- Books and Materials for the Blind, Visually Impaired, and People with Print Disabilities: Funding that ensures individuals with visual impairments and print disabilities have access to accessible reading materials and resources.
- Office of Professional Development: Provides training for Hoosier library directors and staff in order to provide high quality library services throughout the state. Library Board of Trustees are trained to ensure accountability over budgets and services.
Without IMLS funding, the future of these services would be uncertain.
IMLS has also supported our library directly. In 2021, the Pulaski County Public Library received a $31,700 grant from IMLS for our project “Programs for All.” This grant enabled us to install presentation systems, including display monitors, projectors, sound systems, and more, in four public meeting spaces. We’ve used these systems for library programs (such as our book club’s recent live discussion with author Carlene O’Connor), and local organizations and individuals have used the equipment to further their own missions.
Hundreds of members of our community have benefited from this IMLS-funded project. Without support from IMLS, the project would not have been possible.
Library funding draws less than 0.003% of the annual federal budget yet has enormous impact in communities nationwide.
This proposed elimination of IMLS funding comes at a time when literacy programming is already being cut at the state level. Upcoming legislation at the Indiana Statehouse in the form of SB1 has the potential to drastically reduce local revenue allocated to libraries.
If you want to make your voice heard, contact your Senators and Representative. Let them know that libraries are important to you and that cuts to the tiny portion of the federal budget that supports us would have an outsize impact on American citizens.
Not sure who your congresspeople are? Enter your address here to see who to contact: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member
Learn more about how this order will impact libraries with this FAQ from the American Library Association: https://www.ala.org/faq-executive-order-targeting-imls